This friendly colonial city is known for the cultivation of orchids
Ninety kilometres from San Cristóbal is Comitán de Domínguez, a small but handsome colonial city 80 km from the Guatemalan border. It’s a tranquil and elevated place, offering cool respite from the stifling lowlands and a good place to relax before or after visiting Guatemala. In the centre is a large, shady Zócalo, with the state tourist office (1era Av Sur poniente 3A, T963-632 4047, Mon-Fri 0900-1400 and 1600-1900, Sat-Sun 0900-1400) . Streets (calles) run north to south and avenues (avenidas) east to west. The municipal tourism office (primera Calle Sur Poniente 26) is confusingly where the Guatemalan consulate used to be. There are also helpful tourist police plying the Zócalo (0800-2000, daily) . Visit the Guatemalan Consulate (3rd floor, 1era Calle Sur Poinente 35 (look out for the Guatemalan flag on top of the large white building as there’s no sign by the entrance), T963-632 2979. Mon-Fri 0900-1300 and 1400-1700) if you need a visa. There’s a handful of small museums including the Museo de Arte Hermila Domínguez de Castellanos (Av Central Sur and 3a Sur Pte, Mon-Sat, 0900-1800, Sun 1000-1300, US$0.30) with a collection of modern art; and Casa Museo Belisario Domínguez (Av Central Sur and 2a Sur Pte, Mon-Sat 1000-1845, Sun 0900-1245, US$0.30) filled with memorabilia and dedicated to a local doctor who was assassinated after speaking out against President Huerta.
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