Travel Guide Yaxchilán

Yaxchilán, the great allied city of its little sister Bonampak (occupied in the classical period, from 250 to 900 AD), is located in a meander of limestone rocks on the bank of the Usumacinta River, which marks the border between Mexico and Guatemala. Eaten up by the rainforest, it is an incredible archaeological site, which preserves more than 120 buildings, of which only a few dozen have been explored and excavated, but also engraved stelae that contain precious information concerning the history of the Yaxchilan dynasty. Lintels, stucco reliefs and altars are also characteristic of the Maya architecture of the region.