Paraíso

As you head toward the Gulf of Mexico coast and Paraíso, stop at one of the cacao plantations and chocolate factories. On the coast you'll get a glimpse of small-town life. Climb the Cerro Teodomiro (Teodomiro Hill) for a spectacular view of Laguna de las Flores (Las Flores Lagoon) and coconut plantations. Small seafood restaurants and several small hotels dot the shore here.

Internet cafés in Chiapas and Tabasco charge about $1 per hour for Internet access. San Cristóbal has at least one Internet café per block near the center of town. At the Cafetería del Centro, you can check e-mail while you eat and listen to music. It's half a block from the zócalo, and it's open daily 7 AM-9 PM. Palenque's Red Maya has fast computers and is open daily 9 AM-10 PM. A tiny Internet café called Millenium is in Villahermosa's Zona Luz. It's open Monday-Saturday 8 AM-10 PM, Sunday 10-6. The region's correos (post offices) have MexPost, a shipping service that's comparable to DHL or FedEx and slightly cheaper.

In Villahermosa and Tuxtla Gutiérrez, most places accept credit cards and traveler's checks, while many of those in Palenque, Comitán, and San Cristóbal often prefer cash. In Chiapa de Corzo and other small towns, cash is usually the only way to pay.

Bank hours are generally weekdays 9-4:30, although some open for a short time on Saturday. Many in the downtown areas have ATMs where you can withdraw pesos. They aren't as easy to find in small towns, so it's best not to get down to your last pesos.

Agencia de Cambio Lacantún in San Cristóbal is a good place to change money.