Palenque is world famous for its beautiful ruins, which are a stone’s throw from the city of the same name. Many tourists have this on their list, and only stay in Palenque for a short time. Unjustified in our opinion. Palenque is perfect for a longer stay. In addition to the ruins , there are still plenty of opportunities to make beautiful trips. Beautiful waterfalls where you can swim, an adventurous excursion to the jungle cities of Yaxchilan and Bonampak , or a visit to a small but nice eco-park : Palenque has it all!
Below is an overview of the nicest hotels and tips for what to see and what to do!
Overnight in Palenque
The climate of Palenque is very warm, say hot, with high humidity. Palenque is located in the middle of the jungle and some hotels have a lush jungle garden. I have selected all hotels with a nice swimming pool for you.
Budget hotel tip in Palenque: Hotel Cañada Internacional
This lovely hotel with a score of 8.3 has a swimming pool and a terrace. In addition, it is in a prime location : close to shops, restaurants, and the ADO bus station. You can park for free, the air conditioning works fine, the staff gives you a warm welcome. You have a double room at this accommodation from $38 per night and for four people you only pay $53.
Budget hotel tip in the jungle, near the ruins of Palenque: Cabañas Kin Balam Palenque
Another wonderful place in an excellent location! This hotel has it all: nice bungalows, a nice swimming pool, a beautiful tropical garden (bird watching!), a very good restaurant on site, and a great atmosphere! You park in front of the door. Everyone can go there: dormitories, double rooms and family rooms are available (both with shared and private bathroom). You already have a bed in a dormitory for $22, for a double room you pay $41, a quadruple room from $68. So something for everyone ,Cabañas Kin Balam , with an 8.5 on Booking.com!
Our choice: Hotel la Aldea del Halach Huinic****
A mouthful this hotel. It is therefore really a topper, where you can celebrate your holiday in style. This paradise with an 8.7 on Booking.com is really wonderful! A very nice swimming pool, a wellness area and a large tropical garden , what more could you want? The rooms are very nicely decorated, with top air conditioning, parking is done in front of the door. The hotel can give you many tips for trips and can also organize them for you if you wish! Cost: from $70 for a double room, from $85 for a quadruple room. Book Hotel la Aldea del Halach Huinic**** quickly, because the hotel is very popular!
Hotel tip: Chan-Kah Resort Village Convention Center & Maya Spa
This beautiful hotel simply belongs here, it is that beautiful! This is a slightly more expensive, but still affordable hotel, in the middle of the jungle. The tropical gardens and swimming pools are simply idyllic and you will sleep in bungalows in the middle of nature as a couple or with your family. You can spot all kinds of animals on the site itself. You can dine in one of the two restaurants and order delicious cocktails in the bar 🙂 A big plus here is that the staff can really organize all possible trips for you. That way you don’t have to think about anything! You can sleep from $86 for two people and $107 for four people. An 8.8 from other travelers!
See and do in Palenque
The ruins of Palenque, the museum and the eco-park are within walking distance of each other. These are 6 km from the city, so if you are staying in the city itself, take a collectivo (or your rental car). If you stay in the hotels on the road to the ruins, go for these sights on foot. Agua Azules, Misol Ha and Roberto Barrios are outside the city; you can do this on your own with your own transport, or you can book an excursion. You cannot make the excursion to Yaxchilan and Bonampak yourself.
Palenque was already an important city before anyone had even heard of Chitzen Itza. Inscriptions found in Palenque indicate that the city was a regional capital between 300 BC and 250 AD. Much of what is known about the rulers of Palenque comes from the texts in the Temple of the Inscriptions . This temple was built as a funerary monument for Pakal the Great, who recorded detailed information about his ancestors and the history of Palenque. A flourishing period began under Pakal the Great, who became ruler of Palenque in the year 615. He reigned until 693 and most of the buildings we see today date from this period. There is also a group of temples built by Pakal’s son.
The temples of Palenque are located in the middle of the jungle. You can still climb some buildings. Because they are slightly higher than the surroundings, you have a beautiful view of the area. Keep your ears and eyes open during a visit: we spot howler monkeys, a colorful array of butterflies, and scarlet macaws. The archaeological site of Palenque includes the following important structures:
- Temple of the Inscriptions: This is the largest pyramid in Palenque. It is the tomb of Pakal the Great. Here the tomb of the king was discovered. In addition, hieroglyphics were found, which tell about the history of Palenque (and Pakal himself of course)
- Temples of the Cross Group, ie the Temple of the Cross, the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of the Foliated Cross
- The palace
- The Temple of the Skull
- Temple XIII, with the tomb of the red queen
- De Tempel Van Jaguar
- Structure XII
Tips for visiting the ruins of Palenque
Be on time
Palenque is an important landmark. Because Palenque is out of the way, most travelers spend the night in the city itself. That also means everyone is close to the ruins, unlike Uxmal or Chitzen Itza, which are often visited from Merida or the Riviera Maya. However, the same applies here: be on time. The temple city opens at 8:00 am. Make sure you are there before 8.00 am. You can then still avoid large crowds and you are ahead of the heat. Because the complex is so vast, it is not too bad in the park itself, in terms of crowds.
Apply anti-mosquito spray
Actually always valid in the jungle, but we like to repeat: it is recommended to rub yourself well with anti-mosquito spray. Be sure to bring extra for during your visit.
Bring enough water
Be sure to bring plenty of water with you during your visit. It can get really hot and you can climb a number of temples. So you put in more effort here than during a visit to Chitzen Itza.
Get good shoes
Flip-flops aren’t going to get you upstairs, or at least with a lot of effort. We are not saying that you have to buy special, sturdy walking shoes. A good, comfortable shoe (may also be a sturdy sandal with a good sole) with which you can certainly climb well, is recommended.
The museum at the ruins of Palenque
Many people skip this, unjustly. You should not miss this after your visit to the ruins. In addition, access to the museum is included in the entrance fee to Palenque. This museum is located just before the ruin city and you can easily walk there after your visit. The museum has a large and very well preserved collection of Mayan objects. Obviously it’s not a Guggenheim or Louvre, but it’s unique in Mexico that objects could be kept so close to the site itself. The replica of Pakal’s tomb is huge and sublime.
Eco-parque Aluxes
This is a very nice park to visit with children. Only animals that live in Mexico are taken care of here. The special thing is that injured animals are taken care of and cared for. The purpose of the eco-park is to release them back into the wild. This is not possible with some specimens: they remain in the eco-park and you can therefore spot them. The accommodations are very spacious and natural. There are also a number of animals semi-wild: the howler monkeys, for example, are allowed to move around freely, no cage, but no defined area for them either.
A successful reconstruction of a wetland has also been set up, where nature is allowed to take its course and there is therefore no human intervention or where animals are deliberately released. We found an agouti in the thick undergrowth, it was wild. Finally, eco-park Aluxes has contributed to a breeding and reintroduction program for red macaws. Red macaws are currently flying around Palenque again, making this one of the only places with a healthy, extensive population in Mexico. Entrance is 150 pesos, money well spent!
Blue Water in Misol Ha
Agua Azul is a succession of waterfalls in beautiful shades of azure blue and unearthly beautiful colors The water splashes down through various terraces and floors. A very beautiful face. You can visit it all year round, but in the dry season the water is at its bluest. In the rainy season, the colorless rainwater mixes with the blue water and it looks somewhat duller. You can swim in the lower part. The waterfall of Misol Ha is 35 meters high and forms a lake below, where you can swim. It is also nice that you can walk behind the waterfall. Both sights are about an hour and a half away from each other, but are often combined in a day trip, which you can book.
Roberto Barrios
Where many tourists make a day trip to Agua Azules and Misol-Ha , these waterfalls are mainly known by the local population, who come here to cool off. These waterfalls are therefore not busy with tourists, but certainly just as beautiful. Here, too, the water splashes down in various terraces and floors. You can swim here and even jump off the rocks (ask the locals). You pay 10 pesos entrance and 20 pesos to the guys you meet along the way who pull up a chain (yes really). A kind of toll to drive through their village haha.
Excursion Bonampak and Yaxchilan
If you already find Palenque Indiana Jones-like, with the excursion to Bonampak and Yaxchilan you are far removed from civilization. We did not meet anyone who attempted to undertake this excursion on their own; you are dependent on different means of transport and therefore also agreements, to get to your destinations. Everything is included in the excursion price, including entrance fees, breakfast and lunch.
Below I briefly describe the excursion. The visits can also be done in reverse order. That means that you first visit Bonampak and the Lacandon reserve and after lunch Yaxchilan. In any case, the same thing will always be discussed during the excursion. You leave early in the morning (5.00) and then drive to a roadside restaurant, where you get breakfast. On and on, until you can’t go any further: you’ve arrived at the Usumacinta River, which forms the border between Guatemala and Palenque. Here you transfer to a boat for a one-hour boat trip to the ruins of Yaxchilan. These are only accessible by boat and are overgrown by jungle.
You go back with the same boat. It’s already time for lunch. The driver then drives to the Lacandon reservation, where the Lacandon Indians live. These stick to their traditions and live in the jungle; they are closest to the ancient Mayans of the Indian peoples still living in Mexico today. Here you transfer to a van driven by a member of the Lacandon community: this is their territory. He will take you to Bonampak, where you can view beautiful frescoes. These are unique in Mexico, you can’t see them in any other Mayan temple! If there is time left, you can also take a walk through the Lacandon Reserve. Count on a good 13 (!) hours to make this excursion. In the evening you come back tired, but satisfied. And you fall asleep like a log!
Other tips
Below are some tips and practical information regarding climate, restaurants and shopping opportunities.
Palenque weather
Palenque is located in the rainforest and has a tropical climate. It is warm, the average temperature is 28 degrees and hardly fluctuates throughout the months. It hardly cools down at night either. August, September and October are known as the rainy season; it usually rains a little more than usual. We were in Palenque in August and have not had a drop of rain. When it rains, it is usually a short shower in the afternoon.
Shop
Palenque is not a city where you go for shopping. You come here for the immense ruins and the overwhelming nature. Do you want to buy a souvenir? That is best done in the park itself, the message is to haggle!
Restaurant tips
Monte Verde Trattoria Pizzeria Italiana : This is an Italian restaurant, with a Mediterranean atmosphere…in Palenque. Located in a beautiful jungle setting and is therefore very attractive.
Restaurante Bajlum : This restaurant is also in a jungle location. The map is in Spanish, but they help you with everything. Huge choice, both Mexican food and international dishes. They serve very original gourmet dishes. These are highly recommended!
Café Jade : Delicious Mexican food, but you can also enjoy international dishes here. Moreover, there are some vegetarian options, not always easy in Mexico. You can also go there to just have a drink and a small snack.
Don Mucho´s : This restaurant is also located in the jungle, just before the entrance of the Palenque ruins. Service is fast and the cuisine is international. A large, open space, with lights, candles and live music. Very atmospheric.