Cross the Mexico-Guatemala border at La Mesia. Prices and locations to make your life easier. Technical details to cross the border from Mexico to Guatemala by public transport and save a lot of money. Below, see how it went for us as there were protests in Guatemala that day!
A private shuttle has doubled in price since the pandemic. It is now 1200 pesos per person. Taking public transport will cost you half that (and probably less).
PRICE of the different transport and places (per person):
Colectivo San Cristóbal de las Casas (MX) in Comitán (MX): 70 pesos
Colectivo Comitán (MX) to Cuauhtémoc (MX): 75 pesos
Taxi Cuauhtémoc (MX) to the Mesía border: 15 pesos
La Mesía (GUATE) - Huehuetenango (GUATE): 30 Quetzales
WHERE
Points on the map where to take the different colectivos:
Public transport in Mexico is really very easy. I give you the points on the map or take the transport, but if you go to the first point, the rest of the journey is done by itself, you don't even have to walk that much between transfers, just mention to the drivers where you want to go. Locals often use this road for trade, so cheap, fast and easy public transport is essential.
Where to catch the colectivo San Cristóbal de las Casas (MX) for Comitan:
Address: San Cristóbal de las Casas - Comitán de Domínguez 4, Sta Lucia, 29250 San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chis., Mexico
Where to catch the colectivo in Comitán (MX) (the colectivo from San Cristobal arrives here)
Address: 30060, Comitán de Domínguez -Ciudad Cuauhtémoc 17, Candelaria, Comitán de Domínguez, Chis., Mexico
In Cuauhtémoc (MX), the colectivo will drop you off near customs, this is where you line up to exit the country.
Address: Carretera Panamericana Km 253.5 Ejido Cd. Cuauhtémoc, Municipio de C.P. 30150, Frontera Comalapa, Chis., Mexico
Then take any taxi, which are actually collective taxis (they leave when all the seats are taken) waiting just in front of the customs office. (See the same photo, point just opposite, taxi site)
The driver drops you off at the Guatemalan border, you have to walk through customs to enter.
Guatemala Customs Address: Aduana la Mesilla, J2V7+6X7, San Juan Argueta
Next step, to take the “chicken bus” (public transport in Guatemala) walk in a straight line for about 15-20 minutes (you can also take a tuktuk, however, I don’t know the prices). This is the point on the map where the buses are waiting.
Address for chicken buses: J2QC+3W6, La Mesía
From there it all depends on your next destination, ask the locals how to get there.
transportation anecdote, customs and the protest of March 28, 2023 in Guatemala
We got up at 3 o'clock in the morning. All our friends thought we were crazy to get up at that time. Everything was going as planned despite there being some minor complications getting out of Mexico.
Problem at Mexican customs
5 months ago, we flew to Cancun. We were given a paper that we must keep preciously throughout our trip to Mexico, because they ask for it again at customs to exit. We already knew that, we had our papers as expected, but when we arrive at customs, the lady tells us that these papers are not the correct ones and that we therefore did not technically enter their computer system, and therefore , she can't let us out. If, like us, you arrived by plane, it could be that to leave the country (by land), you may have the same problem. There were also other people in the line to whom the problem happened. I give you the internet address to fill out this paper electronically and save you the hassle of having to go to the hotel across the street to ask for internet (obviously if you are traveling with cellular data it will be a bit easier for you on site). The hotel charges 20 pesos per person for their wi-fi.
Fill in this electronic document and download it to your phone afterwards: https://www.inm.gob.mx/fmme/publico/solicitud.html
**Stay in the “ground” option even if you arrived by plane.
If you ever have any complications with your migration paper, present this downloaded and completed document.
Protest and road blocked
Arrived in Guatemala, the customs officer tells us that there are protests on the road and that it is blocked (protest for law 245 of March 28, 2023). Obviously, we did not know this detail. We decide to give it a shot anyway and anyway, we already had reservations waiting for us. Our plan was to take the chicken bus to Guatemala City, but the farthest the chicken bus can go is just a little before Santa Barbara, which is way before Huehuetenango. The bus is full to bursting, and, despite everything, everyone starts walking on the deserted road of cars due to roadblocks. At the start, we are told that it will take 1 hour of walking. Okay, that's long with our bags, but what else do we have? If you look at the map in that area, it really is the only road! After 30 minutes, we arrive at another roadblock. They let us pass after about fifteen minutes. This pattern repeats in the same way about 4-5 times. We finally walked 25 kilometers with our luggage, a total of 3h30! It seems exaggerated, but imagine that there were people in worse conditions than us who had to walk. For example, old people with canes or locals in small sandals with huge baskets on their heads. We, at least, compared to most people, were equipped for a long walk that day. Only, we really didn't expect to walk so much, that's for sure! Were we angry? Of course not, we cheered on the protesters because they were fighting for a good cause. Basically: against corruption.
Around 5 p.m., we were still walking, and, the barriers having fallen, the cars could circulate again. A small family in the car, having seen us walk from the start, recognized us. They offered us a lift to Cuatro Caminos, which we accept without being asked, you believe it, it's almost 2 hours of travel! Our feet and shoulders had been hurting for a while now. Only, arrived at the roundabout that leads to four major cities in the country, our new friend tells us that it is possible that there are not more buses passing by to go to Los Encuentros. We tell him that usually, we are lucky, that we will find a way! Coincidentally, a Guatemalan seems to be waiting for a lift also on the side of the road in the same place as us. You won't believe it, but it was also taken a bit earlier in the protests! Automatically, we feel compassion for each other and he decides to help us. He waves to a big truck driver, who stops to pick us up. 1h30 later, we descend to Los Encuentros. I don't think I've seen this place so quiet. We do not despair however! Completely exhausted however, we go to the only taxi waiting at the interchange. We manage to get a reasonable price to go down to Panajachel (125 Quetzales, its starting price was 200). Well, for the circumstances, we were very lucky! We arrived at our hostel around 9:00 pm. What do you think, we did well to leave at 3am?