San Cristóbal is made up of historic barrios with their own identities, not just one continuous Centro.
The short answer
Historically, many barrios formed around churches, plazas, trades, festivities and local communities. They are useful for understanding how San Cristóbal grew beyond the central plaza.
Mexicanos
Barrio de Mexicanos dates to the early colonial period. The municipal history page says it was founded in 1528 by people who arrived with the Spanish expedition and settled on this side of the valley.
Its church and Holy Week traditions remain part of the barrio's identity.
El Cerrillo
El Cerrillo is one of the city's best-known traditional barrios. Municipal historical material connects the barrio with Indigenous people who gained freedom during the colonial period and with the later construction of its church dedicated to the Transfiguration.
Guadalupe
Barrio de Guadalupe extends uphill east of Centro. Its church was built on Cerro de Guadalupe in 1834, and the climb toward the church remains one of the city's most recognizable urban routes.
La Merced
La Merced grew around one of the city's earliest religious complexes. The municipal site dates the Mercedarian foundation to 1537. The former convent complex later became closely associated with today's Museo del Ámbar.
San Ramón, San Antonio and San Diego
San Ramón is a later historic barrio. The municipal heritage page says it formed after Ramón Larráinzar donated land in 1849 and identifies August 31 as the annual feast of San Ramón Nonato. A local tradition associated with the feast is perfumed blessed water known as agua de San Ramón.
San Antonio grew around a Franciscan church founded around the end of the sixteenth or beginning of the seventeenth century. The municipality records its June 13 patronal feast and identifies fireworks-making as a traditional barrio craft.
San Diego is closely connected with the San Antonio festival cycle: the municipal San Antonio history describes the image of San Diego de Alcalá arriving on an official visit for the nine-day celebration.
Cuxtitali, Tlaxcala, Santa Lucía and other traditional barrios add further layers to the city’s urban history.