Palenque, Chiapas

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Nestled in the Lacandon Jungle of Chiapas you can find Palenque, a small town famous for its spectacular Mayan Ruins. I would strongly recommend staying in El Panchan, a small community of cabins right in the heart of the jungle. Starting at $150 a night you can have your own private jungle experience, with the sounds of howler monkeys, humming birds and crickets all around you. There are two bar - restaurants on site (although there is no internet access). Beware of hungry monkeys paying a visit to your table during breakfast!

The ruins are a short collectivo-taxi ride away and pass every few minutes.

From Palenque you can take a trip to stunning nearby waterfalls and rivers. Most impressive of all are the Cascadas de Agua Azul (Blue Water) and you can see why they got their name - the water is indeed an almost unbelievably bright blue colour! A tour there can also take you to the Misol - Ha waterfalls.

For a slightly quieter option you can visit the smaller but still lovely Cascadas de Roberto Barrios. You can get there by taking a shuttle bus or truck which drops you off at the entrance.

The more 'spiritually-minded' among you may like to try a magic mushroom tour... You can ask the El Panchan staff for more info...

How to Get There

 ADO coaches travel to Palenque from various destinations. There is also a local airport. Colectivo taxis are cheap and travel frequently between Palenque centre and El Panchan. Just flag one down wherever you are.


Where to Stay

 There are options both in Palenque town and El Panchan. As far as I know, the cabins at El Panchan don't accept reservations, just show up and ask what's available - the earlier you arrive the better. I stayed at Jungle Palace which I can highly recommend. Other options include El Jaguar and Margarita and Ed's.

What Else

Whether staying in El Panchan or visiting the ruins, you'll be in the jungle so be prepared for mosquitos and a hot, sticky climate!





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