Under $100: San Cristobal

You’d be hard pressed to spend $100 in San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico. All the best stuff, from food to booze to nightlife, is a bargain.

Breakfast at Tonantzin is a good place to start. Located on Real de Guadelupe, the pedestrian walk where the coolest street urchins, alcoholic expats and disheveled hippies hang out, Tonantzin blends up amazing juices (including a hangover remedy) and serves a great breakfast featuring local recipes or international fare.

After you’re fueled up, a walk through the city will keep you entertained. The idea is to have a goal (for example, go see as many churches as possible) and then fail to meet that goal due to multiple stops at coffee shops and/or bars. Some of my favorites include La Viña de Bacco, Café Bar Revolucion and El Cau. But I am getting ahead of myself. Templo de San Cristobal and Templo de Guadelupe are both located at the top of a massive flight of stairs. Check out both churches, as the views of the city are incredible. While exploring the city, be sure to stop at the outdoor market outside Santo Domingo cathedral and the Mercado Municipal, just on the other side of the cathedral, which features fresh-cut flowers, herbs, fruits and veggies and general bustle fun to observe.

Grab lunch at Funky Burrito where the best burritos in town are served up while the owner/aspiring DJ spins tunes. Or check out Pizca de Canela, which offers a delicious and ridiculously cheap lunch in a beautiful garden setting.

Next up is a stop at Casa Na Bolom, home to archeologist Frances Blom and his wife Gertrude, a photographer and journalist. This San Cris super couple brought the plight of the Lacandon Maya to a wider audience, with the goal of helping to preserve the culture and the Chiapas rainforest. The museum provides a unique glimpse into their day-to-day life, with Frances’s desk untouched from the time he used it, complete with typewriter, crumpled up cigarette package and emptied bottle of mescal.

Now, the choice is yours: If you drank more coffee than cocktails during the city walk, you can stop in at a yoga class at the beautiful and tranquil Casa Luz, which houses a restaurant, healing center, meditation room and the nicest bathrooms in town. Shaktipat Yoga is up a somewhat perilous flight of stairs. The instructors are excellent and the price more than reasonable. Or you can start the patio crawl in earnest. It’s up to you.

For dinner, go to El Meson del Taco which San Cristobal residents unanimously agree serves the best tacos in town.

Nightlife is lively and varied. For live music, check out La Catrina Café Cultubar or sit on any patio on Real de Guadelupe and street performers will come to you. Finish off the night at San Cristobal’s most friendly and well-stocked mezcaleria, La Popular. Order a shot of Zignum.