La Casa di Paco is located in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Mexico. For a few pesos here you will find a clean, comfortable and colorful environment. Paco's hospitality and precision are qualities that you will appreciate very much.
Fresh from my last colorful mexican travel, here I am with a very fresh tip for those who go in Chiapas and it needs a nice clean low cost hostel: Casa de Paco. The most important city of Chiapas is San Cristobal, in the heart of the Sierra Madre, at 2100 meters above sea level. In the period of August, in the morning and in the evening you can enjoy a pleasant fresh mountain breeze (don't forget a warm sweater!) And during the day you can visit the surrounding sites without dragging yourself in the heat and humidity that you will find in other areas of the state.
San Cristóbal: a very colorful city
As soon as you arrive in San Cristóbal, you will understand that you have arrived in one colorful city. It is definitely the most visited city for those who travel to Chiapas and is an excellent strategic point to explore the surroundings. L'colonial architecture of its buildings and roofs with Spanish tiles, create a perfect frame for the stroll in the three pedestrian streets of the center that culminate in the central square. This beautiful square is festooned with manicured trees and benches to relax in the shade while watching Mexicans, tourists and street vendors in traditional clothes.
Casa de Paco in San Cristóbal: review
My travel companion and I, as soon as we arrived at the bus terminal, we walked with our backpacks towards the Town center and walked into the first local travel agency to ask tips for a good budget hostel.
"Your budget?", "Low ... very low ..." After giving us some flyers, we decided to opt for the Paco's house: choosing how? It was the one with the most colorful flyer ... At the entrance we were greeted by the owner, Paco precisely, a nice Mexican boy who immediately put us at ease.
The rooms and services
At the entrance you will find the reception desk that overlooks the patio, around which the rooms of various types and three bathrooms, divided for men and women (one sink, one shower and one toilet) and a shared bathroom for all guests (this one without a shower). Paco only has one room with a private bathroom which is still very affordable. Not being available upon our arrival we chose a double with shared bathroom and two towels which are provided directly upon arrival magically popping out from under the reception counter.
The bathrooms are cleaned several times every day. Even the spartan rooms are clean. The Wifi connection present and, attention, attention, what happened to us only once on this trip? Paco also offers you breakfast at a very low cost! In fact, the kitchen / breakfast room also overlooks the patio, which is a common area at the complete disposal of guests 24 hours a day and has a fridge, a cooking plate, a microwave, a water bowl (drinkable and safe). For the melancholy also a TV (always on the sports channel!).
The breakfast
He prepares breakfast for you himself, except for his rest day, and consists of a local fruit plate (papaya, banana and melon), toast with butter and jam and coffee at will! For those who want to have breakfast on the patio, there are a couple of tables with chairs and he is very available to set up a table in 5 minutes of those that are so reminiscent of village festivals.
Another very valuable thing about Paco, which I have not often encountered during this trip, is that he has a professional approach to the guest: he has that attention to the customer that we Italians like so much. As soon as you arrive and complete the registration formalities, one opens wide under your nose city map pointing out all the interesting things to see and giving you any kind of information on the excursions it offers through local agencies or, on the other hand, on how to do it yourself, without any pressure in trying to sell you something at all costs; it also suggests you where to eat pizza from the Neapolitan of San Cristobal.
A horse ride
He tells you everything, bombard you for twenty minutes of any information and the next day is ready to repeat anything. We have always moved independently either on foot, to reach the center, by taxi or with the colectivos. The only excursion we did through Paco (and I recommend) is the ride on horseback from San Cristóbal to San Juan Chamula. This tour will cost you 250 pesos each (about 15 euros). The guide is reliable and, if you are a beginner jockeys, he will give you a calm horse, which should not be underestimated. At 9 in the morning a nice little man comes to pick you up, loads you on a truck with other hikers (we were only 4) and takes you on a dirt road where the horses are waiting for you ready to leave. The ride to San Juan Chamula takes an hour and a half.
We were lucky enough to do this beautiful tour that winds through the countryside and postcard landscapes. Sunday morning is, in fact, the only day in which there is a weekly market in San Juan and from the neighboring villages, the Tzotzil communities come to sell their products. Once in the vicinity of the village the guide he will make you tie the horses in a clearing from which you can reach the central square on foot, very recognizable both for the market and for the cathedral of San Juan Bautista. Inside this it is strictly forbidden to take pictures and to enter you will have to pay a few pesos.
I recommend not to miss the Sunday visit; very special rites are celebrated inside: the tzotzil maya in fact they unite the Catholic religion with their pre-Hispanic traditions. During the rite he comes sacrificed a hen, but we have not seen anything gory; the light of the candles, the smoke, the litany of their incomprehensible prayers that spreads throughout the church, made this visit one of the most suggestive of our trip.
You will only have an hour to take a stroll to the market and visit the church, because then you will have to spend an hour and a half to return to the hostel. But we decided to go back to San Juan Chamula on our own, because dedicating only an hour to him is a crime.
