The Cathedral of San Cristóbal de las Casas faces the main plaza and has been the spiritual heart of the city since the 16th century, though the current facade dates largely from the 18th. It is a smaller and simpler church than Santo Domingo, but the yellow and white facade, with its double bell towers, has a dignified elegance that looks particularly good in early morning light.
The interior is plain by the elaborate standards of Mexican colonial churches — a few carved altars and statues, clean whitewashed walls — but it remains an active parish church, and on Sunday mornings the plaza fills with families after mass. Indigenous vendors selling flowers and weavings cluster on the cathedral steps throughout the week, creating one of the city's characteristic street scenes.
The plaza in front, the Plaza 31 de Marzo (named for a date in 1528 when the city was officially founded), is the social centre of San Cristóbal. Benches under the trees fill with people in the evenings; shoe-shiners work the corners; and the ring of restaurants and cafes around the square are perfect for watching the world go by over a coffee or a cold beer.