Tapachula, Mexico

Set in the imposing shadow of the 4000-metre Volcán Tacaná, TAPACHULA is just 16km from Guatemala and a major transit point between Mexico and Central America. A busy commercial centre and the capital of the Soconusco, it grew in importance during the nineteenth century as the demand for coffee and bananas increased. As a border city, it has a lively cultural mix, including not only immigrants from Central America, but also small German and Chinese communities: the Germans were invited to settle here by the Mexican government in the 1880s as part of a scheme to boost the economy. They eventually established the state's coffee industry and left a legacy of fine haciendas around the city. The Chinese initially came to work on the railway, in part because the rebellious locals refused to do so; the most visible sign of their community today is the high proportion of Chinese restaurants in the city centre.