Palenque Archaeological Site Guide

Use our realist Palenque Guide to plan your next trip to this archaeological site. Palenque is an 7th century Mayan site in the mountains of the state of Chiapas. The Archaeological Site of Palenque is located just 9 km (5.5 miles) from the town of Palenque. Palenque was the fourth Mayan site we visited in Mexico and the first stop of the day.

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Getting to Palenque

Despite its remote location, almost equally far away from popular tourist destination of Mexico City and Cancun, Palenque enjoys significant visitation. Therefore, it is advisable to start your exploration early before the crowds on organized tours arrive around 10am local time. Bring suncream, insect repellent, and plenty of water to make your visit to Palenque unaffected by the jungle’s humid and hot climate.

Where to Stay

The town of Palenque is an obvious choice for accommodation when visiting Palenque Archaeological Site. While you might pay a premium for the prime location, other accommodation hot spots are hours away.

Entrance Requirements & Passes

The site’s entrance fees were relatively low, with just MXN200 (~$10) for two people and parking at the time of writing.

Sights & Places of Interest

Palenque is surrounded by rainforest. Palenque’s structures have numerous terraces made of stone and soil.

Temple of the Skull

The Temple of the Skull is the first structure tourists encounter in Palenque since it is located to the right from the site’s entrance, adjacent to the parking lot.

Temple of Inscriptions

The Temple of the Skull is connected by a series of terraces to other two temples, Temple XIII and Temple of Inscriptions. The Temple of Inscriptions is a bigger temple and resembles some of the structures in Edzna.

Palace

As we proceeded further into the site we were presented with beautiful views of the Palace, one of the largest structures. Since the Palace was open to public we decided to explore its terraces and passages.

Inner Court

The very top of the Palace has an inner court and a tower. The tower is clearly visible from multiple places on the site.

The Palace offers a slightly different view of the Temple of Inscriptions.

Another look at the inner court, the rainforest, and the mountains in the distance before we proceeded with the exploration of other Palenque structures.

Temple of the Sun

Several other temples, including Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Cross, and Temple of the Foliated Cross, are separated from the main structures by an Aqueduct and an uphill hike. This is how the Temple of the Sun looks from the Aqueduct.

The Temple of the Cross

The Temple of the Cross has a long set of terraces and steep stairs. But the views from the top are truly breathtaking: the Palace with its tower and clouds covering the valley in the distance.

Ball Court

From the Temples we proceeded to the Ball court, North Group, and via a jungle trail to Groups B, C, and Museum.

Group B

While the structures in the Groups B and C are mostly ruins, they create a very atmospheric environment.

Group C

As we moved from the Group B to the Group C we found ourselves on a trail in the middle of the jungle. The trail is well maintained and features a suspension bridge over the creek.

Queen’s Bath Waterfall

We enjoyed the views of the Queen’s Bath waterfall right from the bridge.

Next, the trail reached a junction that gave us two options. We could either back to the main structures or proceed further into the jungle. We had a long trip back to Xpujil in Campeche ahead of us and chose to return to the main site. By that time the tour buses had arrived and the site was filled with tourist crowds. This is a great reason to get up early, beat the mainstream, and enjoy the structures with minimal disturbance.

Takeaways: Palenque

Palenque is a true highlight of a trip to Southern Mexico. The ruins hidden in the rainforest, mountain terrain, clouds and fog creating a certain mood make visiting this site well worth the trouble of getting there.

Take a look at our Palenque Video Guide and visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Safe realist travels!