Palenque Travel Guide

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- There is no regular commercial air service to Palenque.

By Car -- The 230km (143-mile) trip from San Cristóbal to Palenque takes 5 hours and passes through lush jungle and mountain scenery. Take it easy, though, and watch out for potholes and other hindrances. Highway 186 from Villahermosa should take about 2 hours. You may encounter military roadblocks that involve a cursory inspection of your travel credentials and perhaps your vehicle.

By Bus -- The two first-class bus stations are 2 blocks apart. Both are on Palenque's main street between the main square and the turnoff for the ruins. The smaller company, Transportes Rodolfo Figueroa (tel. 916/345-1322), offers first-class service four times a day to and from San Cristóbal (5 hr.) and Tuxtla (6 1/2 hr.). ADO/Cristóbal Colón (tel. 916/345-1344) offers service to those destinations and to Campeche (six per day, 5 hr.), Villahermosa (nine per day, 2 hr.), and Mérida (two per day, 9 hr.).

Visitor Information

The downtown tourism office is a block from the main square at the corner of Avenida Juárez and Abasolo. It's open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 9pm, Sunday from 9am to 1pm. There's no phone at the downtown office. To get info over the phone, call the tourism office's business office (tel. 916/345-0356).

City Layout

Avenida Juárez is Palenque's main street. At one end is the main plaza; at the other is the oversized sculpture of the famous Maya head that was discovered here. To the right of the statue is the entrance to the Cañada; to the left is the road to the ruins, and straight ahead past the statue are the airport and the highway to Villahermosa. The distance between the town's main square and the monument is about 1.5km (1 mile).

La Cañada is a restaurant and hotel zone tucked away in the forest. Aside from the main plaza area, this is the best location for travelers without cars, because the town is within a few blocks, and the buses that run to the ruins pass right by.

Getting Around

The cheapest way to get back and forth from the ruins is on the white VW buses (colectivos) that run down Juárez every 10 minutes from 6am to 6pm. The buses pass La Cañada and hotels along the road to the ruins and can be flagged down at any point, but they may not stop if they're full. The cost is $1 (55p) per person.

Fast Facts

The telephone area code is 916. As for the climate, Palenque's high humidity is downright oppressive in the summer, especially after rain showers. During the winter, the damp air can occasionally be chilly in the evening. Rain gear is handy at any time of year. Internet service and ATMs are easily available.