Palenque

Pakal's temple at dawn and Misol-Ha by afternoon

See the Palenque ruins first thing: take the first Ruinas colectivo from Avenida Juárez and be at the gate when it opens. Go straight to the Temple of the Inscriptions, the stepped pyramid that held Pakal's tomb, then cross to the Palace, a maze of courtyards, galleries and stucco portraits under its unusual square tower.

Next door, the Temple of the Red Queen held the burial of a noblewoman covered in red cinnabar.

Climb to the Group of the Cross, three temples on raised platforms whose inner sanctuaries hold some of the finest carved panels at the site; the view back over the Palace from the Temple of the Cross is the best on the ridge. Walk north past the ball court to the North Group, then follow the path down beside the Otolum stream. It passes the pools of the Queen's Bath and the small Motiepa and Sombrillas waterfalls before reaching the road at the site museum, which holds a replica of Pakal's tomb and carved tablets from the temples. Allow four to five hours in all.

Afternoon or day two. Head south on the San Cristóbal road to Misol-Ha, about 20 km away, where a single waterfall drops into a deep pool and a path leads behind the falling water. Continue another 40 km or so to Agua Azul, a long series of limestone cascades that turn turquoise in the dry months. Swim only in the marked pools. Back in town, end the day with a beer on the Parque Central as the evening band plays.

Pejelagarto, pozol and plates on the Parque Central

Palenque's food leans toward the Tabasco lowlands: river fish, plantains, cacao and plenty of lime. The flavour to seek out is pejelagarto, the long-snouted gar of local rivers and lagoons, grilled whole over wood or shredded into tamales and empanadas, and pozol, the cool cacao and corn drink, is the classic refresher.

The most distinctive is pejelagarto, the long-snouted gar fish of the rivers and lagoons of Tabasco and northern Chiapas, usually grilled whole over wood or shredded into tamales and empanadas. Freshwater shrimp, called langostinos, are another lowland treat; there is even a restaurant named after them in town. From the Chiapas side come tamales de chipilín, flecked with a green local herb.

To cool down, try pozol, a drink of fermented corn dough mixed with water and often with cacao, sold by the cup from street stalls and drunk at room temperature. It is filling, slightly sour and very local. Fresh fruit waters such as agua de jamaica are everywhere.

For eating out, stay around the Parque Central and Avenida Juárez, where taquerías, roast-chicken grills and family restaurants serve until around 10pm. Taquerías on the east side of the centre do good al pastor in the evening. For atmosphere more than cooking, take a colectivo to El Panchán at km 4.5 on the ruins road, where restaurants under the forest canopy serve stone-oven pizza, Mexican plates and cold beer with live music most nights. Most places in town close relatively early.

Yaxchilán, Bonampak and the Usumacinta river day

The best excursion from Palenque reaches Yaxchilán and Bonampak in the Lacandon forest on the Guatemalan border, but check first: cartel violence closed Yaxchilán for five months in 2023 and 2024, and in 2025 INAH again advised against visiting the border sites. Tours leave around dawn for a three-hour drive to Frontera Corozal on the Usumacinta.

From there, motor launches carry you downstream for about 45 minutes to Yaxchilán, a Maya city reached only by water. It sits in a loop of the river, under huge trees full of howler monkeys and parrots. Its great appeal is the carved stone lintels over the temple doorways, which show the rulers Shield Jaguar and Bird Jaguar, and a dark labyrinth building that you walk through by torchlight to reach the main plaza. Climb to Structure 33 on the hill for the views and the best-preserved roof comb.

On the way back, most tours stop at Bonampak, a smaller site famous for its painted murals. Inside one temple, three rooms of frescoes show a royal court, a battle and the sacrifice of prisoners in reds and blues that have survived more than 1,200 years. Access to Bonampak is via the Lacandon community, which runs its own transport for the last stretch.

It is a long day, often 12 hours or more, and a tour is the practical way to do it. Bring your passport, as military checkpoints are common on the border road, along with insect repellent, water and a rain jacket in the wet months.