Comitán sits at around 1,600 metres in the highlands of eastern Chiapas, closer to Guatemala than to any large Mexican city, and it has the slightly reserved, self-contained air of a town that has been far from things for a long time. Its full name honours Belisario Domínguez, the local doctor and senator who stood up in the Senate in 1913 and denounced the dictator Victoriano Huerta, and was murdered for it. His statue, his museum, and the main square named for him tell visitors how the town sees itself. Another famous daughter is the writer Rosario Castellanos, whose novels and poems of Chiapas are still read widely.
The ride in is a pleasure after the long grind along the Pan-American Highway. The country is pine-oak forest, cattle pasture and farm plots in a rolling landscape, cool in the mornings, with mist in the folds of the valleys. The road bends gently with good views, but there are topes, the speed bumps of Mexico, at every village, so ease off at the sign. Trucks are slow on the climbs and the highway shoulders are narrow, so overtake with patience. In the rainy season, from May to October, afternoon downpours are heavy.
The town itself is a handsome place of low colonial houses, a big arcaded plaza and a church, and it is lively in the evening when families fill the squares. The local drink is comiteco, a spirit distilled from agave in the same family as tequila and mezcal, drunk in small glasses and proudly claimed as theirs. Posol, a cold maize drink often sold in the market, is the traditional refresher, and the food is Chiapan, with tamales, black beans, and grilled meats. Look for the stalls selling cheese and bread, which are hard to beat.
Comitán has about a hundred thousand people, so fuel, banks, repair shops and hotels are plentiful. It is also the gateway to the Lagos de Montebello, a group of lakes in pine forest about an hour away, in many shades of blue and green, and to the Lacandon forest beyond. Cool nights surprise visitors who think of southern Mexico as hot, so keep a layer in the bag. If you can spare the time, stay overnight and ride out in the morning light.