San Cristóbal is blessed with a variety of nightlife, both resident and migratory. There is a lot of live music, surprisingly good and varied. The bars and restaurants are cheap. And they are easy to get to: You can hit all the places mentioned here without setting foot in a cab. Weekends are best, but on any night you'll find something going on.
Almost all the clubs in San Cristóbal host Latin music of one genre or another. El Cocodrilo (tel. 967/678-1140), on the main plaza in the Hotel Santa Clara, has acoustic performers playing Latin folk music (trova, andina) from 9 to 11pm daily. Relax at a table in what usually is a not-too-crowded environment. After that, your choices vary. One of the two most popular bars is Café Bar Revolución (tel. 967/678-6664), on the pedestrian-only 20 de Noviembre at 1 de Marzo. It has two live acts every night -- usually blues, reggae, Latin, or rock, and always rock on Saturday nights. Usually it winds down around midnight. For Latin dance music, there's a club on the corner of Madero and Juárez, called Latino's (tel. 967/678-9972) -- good bands playing a mix of salsa, merengue, and cumbia. On weekends it gets crowded, but it has a good-size dance floor. There's a small cover on weekends. The place is dark and has a bit of an urban edge to it. For a relaxing place to have a drink, try the bar at the Hotel Posada Real de Chiapas. It's across the street from Latino's. There's a piano player on Saturdays, and soft recorded music the rest of the week.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
