| Puerto Chiapas (Puerto Chiapas) | |
|---|---|
| Puerto Chiapas with mountains and pyramids in the distance, 25 December 2008 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Mexico |
| Location | Puerto de San Benito, Chiapas |
| Details | |
| Opened | 1975 |
| Operated by | Puerto Chiapas Port Authority |
| Type of harbor | bulk (coffee, minerals, gas), container, cruise |
| Size of harbor | 950 m × 350 m[1] |
| Land area | 60,000 square metres (15 acres) container storage[2] |
| Available berths | 625 metres (2,051 ft)[1] |
| Director General | Alfonso Perez[3] |
| Statistics | |
| Annual revenue | $1.5 million (2009)[3] |
| Website | www.puertochiapas.com.mx |
The Port of Chiapas (Spanish: Puerto Chiapas) is a port in Puerto de San Benito in the Soconusco region in the southern portion of the Mexican state of Chiapas. The port entrance lies about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) northwest of the mouth of the Suchiate River which is the international boundary between Mexico and Guatemala. Puerto de San Benito is connected by Highway 225 to Tapachula International Airport and the city of Tapachula. Since its opening in 1975 the port has been a small fishing and agricultural transport center.[3] Upgrades carried out in 2005 and since by the government have added facilities for cruise ships and more heavy cargo.[4] Governor Juan Sabenas has promoted development of the port in the hopes it will attract business to Chiapas, currently the poorest state in Mexico.[3] Ships of the Holland America Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, and Oceania Cruises now stop in Puerto Chiapas.[5][6]
There is little of interest to the cruise passenger in the immediate vicinity of the Port. There is a craft market as one leaves the dock, but the nearest town, Tapachula, is a few miles inland.[7] Volcan Tacana dominates the Port's eastern horizon and a number of ruins and biological reservations are accessible from the port.