Comitán De Domínguez: History, Museums and Cuisine

Comitán De Domínguez brings together historic religious buildings, museums with diverse collections and a varied food culture. The cityscape combines single-story buildings and distinctive religious landmarks with the natural landscape of the mountain-ringed Valle de Comitán. When planning your stay, you can consider whether architecture, pre-Hispanic history, art, literature or regional dishes should be your focus.

Historic Buildings and Cultural Traditions

The historic monuments zone covers 1.12 km², with 84 blocks and 243 historic buildings. The buildings span different periods and styles. The Convento de Santo Domingo de Guzmán was built between the 16th and 17th centuries. Its Mudéjar architecture combines Arab influences with a style that differs from the city’s neoclassical examples.

The Templo de San Caralampio was completed in 1868 in the neoclassical style. The festival in honor of San Caralampio takes place from February 10 to 20; it includes an annual pilgrimage on February 10. The Barrio de las 7 Esquinas is associated with the temple and preserves numerous examples of traditional Comitán culture. The Teatro de la Ciudad Junchavín also tells the story of another era: it is housed in a building from the mid-19th century whose style reflects the neoclassicism of the Porfiriato.

Museums Spanning Archaeology, Art and Literature

The Museo Arqueológico de Comitán is devoted to the history and development of the Maya peoples in the Chiapas highlands. Its themes extend to the heyday of Chinkultic and Tenam Puente; its finds include objects made of stone, bone, alabaster and seashells. Two permanent exhibition galleries and a temporary exhibition space present the pre-Hispanic history of the highlands through to the arrival of the Spanish. Those interested in archaeological finds will find a different focus here from the city’s art- and literature-related collections.

At the Casa Museo Dr. Belisario Domínguez Palencia, personal belongings, medical instruments and furniture are displayed alongside correspondence addressed to Belisario Domínguez and his family. The Museo de Arte Hermila Domínguez de Castellanos has three permanent exhibition galleries. Its permanent painting collection includes works by Rufino Tamayo, José Luis Cuevas, José Guadalupe Posada and Francisco Toledo, among others. It also offers visual arts workshops for children and young people.

The Museo Rosario Castellanos brings together poems, photographs and a wax sculpture of the writer, along with collections of her poetry, short stories, novels, plays and essays. The Centro Cultural Rosario Castellanos is housed in a former Dominican convent dating to 1552. Its architecture and murals define the cultural center’s historic setting. Its Roberto Cordero Citalán auditorium seats 320 people, and another space for temporary exhibitions covers 90 m². The center has also hosted 16 editions of the Festival Internacional Rosario Castellanos.

Cultural Program and Cuisine

The Centro Cultural Rosario Castellanos program includes theater performances, film series, concerts, piano recitals and dance performances. Workshops are also offered in folk dance, classical and popular guitar, visual arts, marimba, film, literature, chess, piano and theater. Specific workshop dates may change, so check the current calendar before your visit. This makes it possible to distinguish the cultural activities from the museums’ permanent collections: the focus here is on performances, courses and changing events.

Cuisine is another defining part of a stay. The Mercado 1º de Mayo offers a culinary experience featuring Atol de granillo, Jocoatol, tamales, broths, Chinculguajes, Mondongo, tongue in Pebre, traditional sweets and other dishes. Comitán’s cuisine is also associated with Butifarra, Pan compuesto, Atolito de granillo, Hueso asado, Cocidito de res, Espinazo de cerdo con chaya, Salvado con temperante, Tableta de manía and Chimbo. The culinary selection thus ranges from drinks and sweets to savory dishes.

Discover more destinations: Teopisca, Puerto Madero, Chiapa De Corzo, Totolapa, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Ciudad Juárez, Jiquipilas, Chancalá.

For the broader travel overview: Chiapas.