Zona Arqueológica Palenque
Zona Arqueológica Palenque things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIDescription
outdoor
cultural
adventure
Palenque, also anciently known in the Itza Language as Lakamhaʼ, was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that perished in the 8th century. The Palenque ruins date from ca. 226 BC to ca. 799 AD.
attractions: Palenque Site Museum "Alberto Ruz Lhuillier", Temple of the Inscriptions, The Palace, Temple of the Sun, Temple of the Cross, Temple of the Red Queen, Temple XIV, Palenque National Park, Temple of the Skull, Temple of the Count, restaurants: Bar Mayabell
Ratings
Description
Palenque, also anciently known in the Itza Language as Lakamhaʼ, was a Maya city state in southern Mexico that perished in the 8th century. The Palenque ruins date from ca. 226 BC to ca. 799 AD.
Posts
Absolutely stunning! Way less people compared to Chicen Itza, less people selling stuff, cheaper to visit, more peaceful, more beautiful, stunning waterfalls and jungle. You can sometimes enjoy the place totally alone. We had a rental car so we drove here early before the place opened. There is a gate where you enter the Palenque park (take a look at my picture taken from inside the vehicle. Btw this pic was taken when we were heading out of the park so it is taken from the opposite direction). At the gate some people usually stop you and offer you map, a professional guide etc. You can easily find a map online (if u have access to internet / have downloaded it beforehand) + there are some maps along the way and I find it difficult to get lost, so you really don't need one. There should not be any fees to pay at this point. If you drive for like a minute longer you will reach the "main parking area", museum and ticket office. Parking is free. The parking lot is quite big, but I suggest going early in order to find a parking place. You can also continue further and drive to the end of the road and leave your car there (not sure if it is free or not). At the ticket office you need to buy 2 different tickets (1 for the ruins + museum, 1 for the park). I find this utterly stupid, but it is common in Mexico. Cannot remember how much the tickets cost (maybe 150-200 mxn in total?), but they were super cheap compared to Chichen Itza for example. The museum was closed and nobody told about it, which was kinda disappointing. The fastest route to the ruins was just across the street. First you enter the beautiful forest, see waterfalls and smaller ruins and finally make your way uphill to the larger ruin area. The paths are just fine, but making your way uphill can be difficult for someone who is totally out of shape. You can also enter the park from the other entrance (at the end of main road). Then you will see the main ruins first. There is one more temple (it is called "the forgotten temple") further away in the forest (20min walk?). It was cool, but did not feel very special after visiting the bigger ruins. You need to take some sort of jungle path in order to get there. You can get there without a guide, but it might take a little longer since some of the signs along the path do no longer exist. If you follow the path seen in Google Maps you will get there easily. The location of the temple is marked totally correctly.
A.A.
20
The ruins are simply amazing! We went early in the morning around 8 by collectivo from town center (20 pesos per person). There are two entrances for the ruins, the first one which is next to the museum/ticket centre and the main one 1,5km further up the road, where all the organised buses stops and the tours starts. Since we went on our own, the collectivo dropped us off on the ticket centre/museum where you have to buy two types of tickets - one for entry into the national park and then another queue for the entry in the actual archeological site of Palenque. 180 pesos altogether.(as of March 2022) After we got the tickets we returned on the main road and started walking up the road toward the first entrance. We decided to enter the site from there, instead of walking 1,5km on the road for the main entrance. That was the right choice and we highly recommend that approach, since that part of the site is literally in the jungle, the ruins are surrounded by it, there is a cascade waterfall Sombrillas and small suspension bridge. There were no people at all, all we could hear was the jungle and the river running. It was so Indiana Jones we even got a bit scared, by the wildness and absence of people at all. There were some signs showing direction, but the overall feeling was excitement, as if you are in the jungle on your own. There were guys providing guide services at the entrance, but we chose not to have one. The signs are in English as well, so there is some information, but if you feel you need a guide you can hire from the entrance. After probably 30min being alone we started seeing people coming ahead, who have entered from the main entrance. We explored all the site, there were plenty of vendors selling all kind of stuff, the prices of which were probably the cheapest we have seen in mexico. We would recommend you do your buying there (or from the market at Agua Azul), you can haggle as well. Just for info we bought a medium sized colourful skull pained on a leather piece for 700pesos in Cancun. Similar size pieces were around 200 pesos at the site (after haggling). Another thing, there is a shop next to the ticket centre which sells legit chiapas amber at very reasonable prices. We bought a very nice piece for 85 pesos.
Ivan KovachevIvan Kovachev
60
Take a colectivo from in front of the bus station in Palenque (17.508344, -91.989870) for 30 pesos. It's a 15 min ride to the building where you have to buy two tickets - one for the national park (105 pesos) and another to get into the ruins for 90 pesos. From there, it's a 1.5 km walk to the park entrance. You will have your ticket checked along the way; make sure the stamp on the back isn't smudged or they may accuse you of trying to reuse a ticket from another day. Expect to be offered guide services; I was quoted 300 pesos per hour as the local rate. Expect to spend at least 2 hours exploring the ruins. Several of the ruins are climbable, and offer a great view. Be sure to notice the carvings preserved in the temples when you get to the top. When it's time to leave, walk past the modern building (currently blocked off with a line of portable toilets outside it) and down the path. This will take you past a picturesque waterfall. Be careful on the wooden bridge, as it is very slippery (ask me how I know!). The path ends at the booth where the guy checked your ticket. It is here that you can flag a colectivo down for a 30 peso ride back into town. From getting on the bus at the start of the day to getting off the bus at the end, my day was almost 5 hours, but I did stop to talk to people. Note - go early in the day to beat the crowds. I wanted to also beat some of the heat, but I think that that was impossible!
Michael GreerMichael Greer
90
La tomba di Palenque: Nel 1947, un archeologo messicano Alberto Ruz L’Huillier (1906-1979), osservò una pietra di grandi dimensioni nel cosiddetto Tempio delle Iscrizioni. Era trafitto da 12 buchi rivestiti con tappi perfettamente incastrati. L'archeologo sospettava che qualcosa si nascondeva dietro la pietra e ordinò di sollevare la Josa. Sorpreso, intravedeva nella pallida luce del tempio una scala che scendeva senza fine. Dove andrebbe? Fino ad allora, non erano state trovate sepolture nelle piramidi Maya e si credeva che la loro funzione fosse solo contenere i templi costruiti sulle loro cime. Ma questa nuova scoperta ha sconcertato l'archeologo. La scala era piena di detriti, che iniziarono ad essere rimossi in quello che si rivelò essere uno sforzo continuato per anni, poiché la galleria era incredibilmente lunga ed era coperta di pietra e erbacce che rendevano impossibile avanzare su di essa. Dopo diversi anni di lavoro e dopo aver staccato le pietre di cinquantanove gradini, nel 1952 è stato possibile scendere. La scala finiva su un muro. Si è dovuto aprire un varco lì per scoprire un secondo muro, e dietro di esso è stata trovata una scatola di materiale contenente tre piccole fontane di ceramica, tre conchiglie e decorazioni di giada: si trattava senza dubbio di un'offerta, ma a chi era destinata? Le offerte trovate davano speranza dopo il duro lavoro fatto. Ruz L’Huillier e i suoi assistenti sentivano che stavano per trovare qualcosa di davvero importante. Ma mancava ancora la prova più grande. Davanti a loro chiudeva completamente il passaggio una nuova parete, un ostacolo più grande delle precedenti perché era spesso solo tre metri. Il passaggio era stretto, il caldo, soffocante, ci sono voluti giorni faticosi per poter aprire un piccolo passo sul muro. Dietro di lui c'era una cavità. In essa trovarono finalmente il tempo atteso: la spiegazione della galleria misteriosa e una scoperta toccante. Sei aumenti, i resti di cinque uomini e una donna. Immolati nella stretta tomba, non c'erano dubbi che fossero state vittime immolate a qualche dio sanguinario. I resti erano di persone giovani, uccise, ma perché? Poi si sarebbe saputo che era una delle tante offerte fatte e che questo misterioso popolo aveva l'abitudine di immolare persone il cui sangue si offriva per placare gli dei. Un nuovo blocco di pietra impediva il passaggio ai ricercatori, ma non era l'occasione di lasciarsi sconfiggere dallo scoraggiamento quando si era così vicini al successo. L'archeologo è riuscito ad aprire un nuovo passo nella pietra monolitica e antichissima. Guardando attraverso l'apertura, l'esploratore non poteva credere ai suoi occhi. Come Carter davanti alla tomba di Tutankamón, avrebbe potuto esclamare: "Vedo cose meravigliose", perché anche lui ha osservato uno spettacolo fantastico: una grande cripta con pareti interamente coperte da bassorilievi, il cui centro era occupato da un monumento in pietra scolpita. L'archeologo messicano ha espresso: "... Si potrebbe dire che era una grande grotta magica scolpita nel ghiaccio, con pareti lucenti che scintillavano come cristalli di neve. Delicati festoni di stalattiti pendevano come i lacci delle tende e le stalagmiti sul pavimento sembravano oscillazioni di luce di un grande cero. Le formazioni calcaree, formate nel corso dei secoli, al di sopra della grotta, conferiscono all'insieme un aspetto magico e irreale. Facendo un grande sforzo, hanno fatto girare il monolite su se stesso. In quell'istante in cui riuscirono a penetrare; alla fine, nel santuario, l'emozione arrivò al suo massimo. La stanza misurava nove metri per tre, in essa erano rappresentati nove personaggi di stucco: i Nove Signori della Notte, re del mondo infernale degli antichi Maya. sparse, c'erano. numerose offerte, oltre a due meravigliose teste di stucco, coperte da abbondanti scalpi, legate con nastri e decorate da fiori secchi di ninfea. Senza dubbio la cosa più straordinaria era il grande monumento che occupava tutto il centro del luogo, un enorme blocco di pietra che doveva pesare circa
Avv Stanca MarcelloAvv Stanca Marcello
00
This is absolutely a fabulous and magical place if you are interested in ancient cultures. Just around 10% of the original Maya village is exposed and accessible, but you can take a guided tour through the jungle (around 1 hour) and see structures underneath the vegetation. The main area is also really amazing to see. If you climb the Temple of the Sun you have a stunning view of the jungle and the village. What’s good to know: - You can book a day trip from San Cristobal, which lasts around 17 hours and is most often combined with cascades Agua Azul & Misol-Ha (also fantastic!) - Bookings at one of the many tour operators are often way cheaper than the big online agencies - They offer English guides at Palenque, but that is pretty expensive and you get the feeling to be ripped off. Better is to go organized with a larger group that all need English guides to split the costs - The bus drive from San Cristobal is kinda rough and feels like it never ends. Speed bumps everywhere and pretty hard to catch sleep. However, the reward when arriving at Palenque is big according to the views
Jan Willem GriftJan Willem Grift
00
During our vacation in Mexico we visited quite a few ruins, but this place made a lasting impression. From the parking lot, we left the beaten track with our guide and entered the jungle. While walking our guide told us in detail how agriculture and mother earth is all connected, how the way of living were decided through the Mayan calender and the connected events. Suddenly as we entered a clearing in the morning mist we had a glimpse of the ruins. The scene was as taken from an Indiana Jones movie and made a lasting impression, just beutiful We walked around and into some of the temples while our guide told us everything worth knowing. We even took an extra trip into the jungle where there are wildlife and ruins that have not yet been dug out. We can highly recommend hiring a guide as you will get so much more out of your visit with help from an experienced person. I very highly recommend a visit to these ruins. There is so much to learn from these original original inhabitants and their way of living. I gave come to love this place 🥰
Rene Bidstrup NymandRene Bidstrup Nymand
00
Nearby Attractions Of Zona Arqueológica Palenque
Palenque Site Museum "Alberto Ruz Lhuillier"
Temple of the Inscriptions
The Palace
Temple of the Sun
Temple of the Cross
Temple of the Red Queen
Temple XIV
Palenque National Park
Temple of the Skull
Temple of the Count
Palenque Site Museum "Alberto Ruz Lhuillier"
4.6
(1.5K)Click for details
Temple of the Inscriptions
4.8
(132)Click for details
The Palace
4.8
(60)Click for details
Temple of the Sun
4.9
(43)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Zona Arqueológica Palenque
Bar Mayabell
Bar Mayabell
5.0
(1)Click for details
Reviews
Overview
4.8
(7.1K reviews)
Phone
+52 916 345 2721
Call
Website
inah.gob.mx
Visit
Deep Dive
A deep dive into Zona Arqueológica Palenque
- Unable to get your location