EZTrip.com International Destination Guide and Hotel Listings

ARRIAGA , the first town on the Chiapas coast road, is a dusty, uninteresting place, but its location at the junction of Hwy-195 (the road over the mountains to Tuxtla) means you may have to change buses here. The Central de Autobuses , with plenty of first- and second-class connections, is just off the main road, six blocks from the zócalo. All southbound buses will also stop at Tonalá , a slightly better option if you have to spend the night.

Larger and marginally more inviting than Arriaga, TONALÁ is just a thirty-minute bus ride away down Hwy-200, which, as Av Hidalgo, forms the town's main street. All the bus companies terminate along Hidalgo: the main first-class companies pull in about 1km west of the zócalo; second-class to the east.

Everything you need in Tonalá (including banks ) is either on the zócalo - Parque Esperanza - or within a couple of blocks of it. The central feature of the park is the Estela de Tlaloc , a large, standing stone carved by the Olmecs, depicting the rain god Tlaloc. If you're stuck for something to do, you could always visit what's termed the Museo Arqueológico (open until late evening: free) in the Casa de Cultura, on Hidalgo across from the Hotel Tonalá , though the Olmec and Maya exhibits here appear to have been abandoned.

Tonalá's tourist office , on the corner of 5 de Mayo and Hidalgo, a block east of the zócalo (Mon-Fri 9am-3pm & 6-8pm), isn't an essential stop, though it does have a few maps and information about beaches nearby. The heat and constant traffic noise makes staying in Tonalá rather uncomfortable; you're better off heading to the beach at Puerto Arista. The hotels near the bus stations are overpriced; from Cristóbal Colón head towards the zócalo for the Tonalá (tel 9/663-0480; US$15-25), at Hidalgo 172, which has some a/c rooms. The Farro (tel 9/663-0033; US$5-10), a block south of the zócalo at the corner of 16 de Septiembre and Matamoros, has basic budget rooms and a restaurant. The best hotel in Tonalá is the Galilea (tel 9/663-0239; US$25-40), on the east side of the zócalo, which has clean, quiet comfortable rooms with private bathrooms, a/c, TV and parking. It also has the best restaurant in town; a couple of others and several food stalls also ring the zócalo.

Leaving Tonalá , all buses are de paso but there are usually seats available. Cristóbal Colón has hourly departures to Tuxtla and Tapachula (all 3hr 30min) and some afternoon departures to Mexico City and Oaxaca; there are at least as many second-class buses to Tuxtla and Tapachula. Combis and taxis to Puerto Arista (US$0.65 per person) and Boca del Cielo leave at least every twenty minutes (or when full) from the corner of 5 de Mayo and Matamoros, a couple of blocks south of the zócalo in the market area, where the streets are crammed with fruit and vegetable stalls.