Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Commercial capital in Chiapas, Mexico
This settlement sits in southeastern Mexico at 522 meters elevation and spreads along fertile valleys near the Grijalva River, encircled by green mountains. The urban layout combines wide avenues with residential neighborhoods and commercial zones that extend toward the forested slopes at the city's edge.
The settlement began as a Zoque area called Coyatoc and received its current name in 1848 to honor former Chiapas governor Joaquín Miguel Gutiérrez. During the second half of the 20th century, it grew rapidly into the region's economic center.
The name comes from the Zoque language and means "place of rabbits", a reference to the valley wildlife before the settlement grew. Families now gather on the shaded main plaza in the evenings, often listening to marimba melodies drifting from nearby cafés.
Most visitors arrive as a base for trips to Sumidero Canyon and spend one or two nights in the city. Hotels and restaurants cluster along the main streets in the center and near the plaza.
The city serves as the main starting point for boat trips through Sumidero Canyon, where limestone walls rise more than 1000 meters above the water. Most tours depart early in the morning from the nearby pier and last about two hours.
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