The Plaza 31 de Marzo is the main square and social hub of San Cristóbal, named for the date in 1528 when the Spanish city was officially founded on the site of an earlier indigenous settlement. Shaded by large trees and ringed by the cathedral, the Palacio Municipal, and a row of restaurants and cafes, it is the kind of colonial plaza that makes this part of Mexico so attractive to visitors.
The benches fill with a mix of local life and travellers at most hours of the day. In the morning, indigenous vendors sell textiles and crafts around the perimeter; in the evenings, musicians sometimes play, and the restaurants spill tables out under the trees. It is the natural place to start and end any day in San Cristóbal, and simply sitting here for an hour tells you more about the city than most guided tours.