Palenque
Half veiled by lush rainforest, Palenque offers one of the most atmospheric encounters with the ancient Maya. Smaller than Chichén Itzá yet equally refined, it rewards travellers with hushed plazas, delicate limestone reliefs and the whoop of howler monkeys. Its relative remoteness keeps crowds light, granting visitors rare breathing space.
Location & Getting There
The ruins sit on low limestone hills in northern Chiapas, about 9 km (15 min by taxi) from the modern town. OCC coaches run from San Cristóbal de las Casas twice daily (≈ 9 h), while buses and colectivos cover the two-hour hop from Villahermosa, whose airport links to Mexico City and Houston. Domestic flights land at PQM, 5 km outside town.
From City-State to Silence
Palenque, once called Lakamha’ (“Big Water”), flourished between AD 250 and 900, reaching a dazzling zenith under Kʼinich Janaab’ Pakal I (615–683). Pakal ordered construction of the Temple of the Inscriptions, a pyramid concealing his limestone sarcophagus, found in 1952 after explorers discovered a hidden stairway. By the tenth century strangler figs had wrapped the palaces, preserving glyph panels for today’s visitors.
There is an important thing to keep in mind when you're wandering around these ruins: everything you see was built without the benefit of metal tools, the horse or the wheel. This place was created with nothing but the tenacity of human labor.
Must-See Highlights
Temple of the Inscriptions – 72 steep steps end at panels containing 617 glyphs.
The Palace – A maze of corridors, baths and a four-storey observation tower.
Cross Group – Three compact temples whose reliefs portray Maya creation myths.
Rainforest Trails – Leafy paths past buried pyramids and streams, ending at the site museum with jade masks.
Why Go Now?
Unlike larger venues flattened by mass tourism, Palenque still feels wild. Dawn mist drifts across plazas; afternoon showers silver the limestone; and only a fraction of its 1,400 buildings have been excavated, lending a real sense of discovery. Wildlife is rich too, from toucans to agoutis.
Ranking Among Mexican Icons
Chichén Itzá stuns with scale and Teotihuacan with antiquity, yet neither matches the lyrical artistry of Palenque’s low-relief sculpture set in living jungle. In Chiapas it outranks Sumidero Canyon for culture and is easier to reach than Bonampak or Yaxchilán, sometimes closed because of security issues.
Practicalities
Arrive at 08:00; heat and visitor numbers spike after 11:00. Bring insect repellent, a light waterproof and cash for the colectivo back to town. High season is November–April, though May–June offers superb birdlife. One full morning covers the main group; allow extra time for nearby waterfalls Misol-Há and Agua Azul.
Frequent white colectivos labelled “Ruinas” leave the town’s central avenue, charging a few pesos for the forest climb; they can drop you at waterfalls farther along the road. Drivers coming from Tuxtla or Mérida should allow five hours on the winding Highway 199. The planned Maya Train is due to reach Palenque in late 2025, promising swift rail links from Cancún.
Expect daytime highs near 30 °C. The driest skies arrive November–February, while June–September brings dramatic afternoon showers that empty the site and leave reflective puddles perfect for photos. Light clothing, sturdy shoes and plenty of water are essential.
Inscribed on the UNESCO List in 1987, Palenque still welcomes barely a tenth of the visitors who crowd Chichén Itzá, so you can photograph entire plazas in blissful solitude.
Parting Thought
Palenque fuses history, nature and tranquillity in a single emerald amphitheatre. Visit while parrots still outnumber tour buses and let the Maya’s carved verses speak across fourteen centuries.
