Travel Guide Palenque

220 km from San Cristóbal de Las Casas by the most direct route (via Ocosingo), Palenque was not so long ago a small village where peasants from plantations lost deep in the surrounding forests came to unload their bales of coffee and other agricultural produce. Since then, the surrounding forest has gradually been cleared to make way for cattle pastures and the small family farms of the many surrounding communities. At the same time, the town of Palenque has grown in line with the tourism generated by Mexico's most famous archaeological site: the majestic city of Palenque dominated vast areas of Chiapas and Tabasco in the Classical era (AD 250-900). Even today, the archaeological site, located 9 km from the town center, is immersed in the jungle, giving it a very special aura. Palenque has also become the starting point for visits to numerous waterfalls in the surrounding area (Misol-Ha and Agua Azul, towards Ocosingo; Roberto Barrios and Welib-Ha on the Selva Lancadona road), as well as to more distant archaeological sites (Yaxchilan, Bonampak), located on the edge of the Reserva de la Biósfera Montes Azules, the historic territory of the Lacandon people.