Visit Palenque, Chiapas

Palenque is a destination located northeast Chiapas, nestled in the heart of a tropical jungle, about 290 km from Tuxtla Gutierrez and 220 km from San Cristobal de Las Casas. Very close to Palenque is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Mayan world, a place that you cannot miss during your trip to the southern region of the Mexican republic.

The city of Palenque was founded in 1567 by Fray Pedro Lorenzo de la Nada, who, in 1573, gave the community three bells as a symbol of the foundation; out of these bells, only the bigger one has been kept till these days and is located at the town church, considered nowadays the only testimony of the foundation.

The archaeological site of Palenque, only 8 km from the city with the same name, has been and is still considered the most important ceremonial center of the Mayan Culture.

It has an average annual temperature of 26°C and stands out for its architecture and buildings from the classic period (between 400 and 700 AD) that have been only explored since the XIX century.

Among its most important constructions are:

• The Palace, distinguished by its tower
• The Temple of the Sun
• Temple of the Cross, a building that surrounds the Plaza del Sol
• Templo de las Inscripciones, where the King Pakal’s Tomb was discovered in 1952; the King built this place to make it his sacred tomb

Tourist Attractions in Palenque:

• Archaeological Site of Palenque
• Agua Azul Waterfalls
• Misol-Ha
• Yaxchilan and Bonampak Ruins
• Lacandon Jungle
• Naha-Metzabok
• Lacanha-Chanzayab in the Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve