Sumidero Canyon hosts Nandanda from 28 October to 3 November

The Nandanda night boat experience takes place at Sumidero Canyon (Cañón del Sumidero) from 28 October to 3 November 2026, bringing a Day of the Dead programme to Chiapa de Corzo in Mexico. The public route starts at Cahuaré pier and uses the Grijalva River and the canyon walls as its setting.

The event gives travellers from Western Europe a specific reason to visit the area during the final days of October and the first days of November.

Nandanda brings a night programme to Cahuaré

Nandanda is an immersive boat experience presented by the Government of Chiapas for the Day of the Dead period. Reports from the opening describe projections on the canyon walls, music and scenes drawn from the history and traditions of Chiapas.

The route recalls the ancient Chiapa people and the river traditions associated with the region. Its central figure is Nandanda, described in the programme as a water deity linked to springs, rain, fertility and crops. The event also refers to the Legend of the Sumidero and to the history of the people of Chiapa de Corzo.

The announced dates run from 28 October to 3 November 2026, with Cahuaré pier in Chiapa de Corzo as the departure point. The opening report places the route on the Grijalva River and describes the canyon as the natural setting for the presentation. The programme dates and departure point are stated in the report.

A national park becomes the setting for Nandanda

The canyon forms the centre of a protected area administered by Mexico's National Commission of Protected Natural Areas, known as CONANP. Its official information classifies the site as a national park and lists Chiapa de Corzo among the municipalities within it.

The CONANP data records a total area of 21,789.41 hectares. The same record gives 8 December 1980 as the date of the park decree. These facts place the 2026 night programme inside a protected landscape with a formal conservation history rather than at a standalone entertainment venue.

The relationship between event and place is therefore direct: Nandanda does not merely take place in Chiapa de Corzo, but follows the river corridor and projects its historical narrative onto the walls of the protected canyon. The CONANP park record identifies the custodian, municipalities, area and decree date.

Visiting Sumidero Canyon: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Nandanda runs from 28 October to 3 November 2026, departing from Cahuaré pier in Chiapa de Corzo.
• The programme changes the usual daytime setting into a night boat route with projections and music on the Grijalva River.
• Cahuaré is on the road between Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Chiapa de Corzo, while the park record lists four municipalities including Chiapa de Corzo.
• The route takes place on water beneath the canyon walls, so the visit involves boarding a boat and travelling through a river landscape rather than walking through a built attraction.
• Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.

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Frequently asked questions about Sumidero Canyon

When does Nandanda take place at Sumidero Canyon?

Nandanda takes place from 28 October to 3 November 2026, with departures from Cahuaré pier in Chiapa de Corzo.

Where is Sumidero Canyon and how do you get there?

The canyon is in Chiapas, Mexico, and Cahuaré pier is on the road linking Tuxtla Gutiérrez with Chiapa de Corzo.

What is Sumidero Canyon?

It is the central protected landscape of a national park administered by CONANP, covering 21,789.41 hectares across several municipalities.