Comitán is a Chiapas highland city south of San Cristóbal de las Casas, close to the Guatemalan border and the lakes of Montebello. It has clean colonial streets, old churches, a strong local pride, and a literary memory tied to Rosario Castellanos, who spent her childhood here.
For travellers, Comitán works best as a quieter base in eastern Chiapas. The centre has enough architecture and street life for a slow afternoon, while Tenam Puente gives the area a real archaeological anchor just outside town. The Centro Cultural Rosario Castellanos adds a more local kind of culture than the usual plaza-and-cathedral stop.
The city also sits within reach of Lagunas de Montebello, one of Chiapas's great natural sights. That does not make Comitán only a gateway; it is a good place to slow down between the more visited highlands and the wilder border country.