From San Cristobal, I headed further south in the Chiapas province to the town of Palenque, home to the Palenque ruins, jungle and waterfalls.
Only staying one night, my visit to Palenque was brief. By taking night buses I had two full days to visit the ruins and the Agua Azul and Misol-Ha waterfalls.
The Palenque Ruins
On my first day, after checking in and dropping my bags off at my hostel, I went to the Palenque ruins.
I was in the ruins by 10am and spent around 4hrs there, leaving just after 2pm. The ruins aren’t massive, so walking around doesn’t take ages.
I really enjoyed my time there and liked that we could climb to the top of some of the temples (lots of steep steps!).
I spent a lot of time simply sitting on the tops watching the world go by and listening to the sounds of the jungle – lots of birds and I’m pretty sure howler monkeys too!
Palenque reminded me of a smaller version of Tikal in Guatemala (both Mayan ruins in the jungle!), which makes sense given that Chiapas used to be part of Guatemala rather than Mexico.
Getting there: From town there are colectivos to the ruins leaving frequently (every 15mins or so) for 20 pesos. As I was staying at Kin Balam cabins in El Panchan (accommodation area in the jungle along the road to the ruins), I walked to the ruins. It was an approx 25/30min walk and good leg stretch after a night bus!
Costs: To visit the ruins, there are two separate costs involved. The first is the 36 peso entrance fee for the park, and the second is the 75 peso entrance fee to the ruins themselves. If you’re taking the colectivo, it will stop at the park for you to pay the entrance and then continue on to the ruins.
Tip: There are two entrance points to the ruins: the main entrance and the lesser known one on the left just after the museum. As I was walking and it was the first entrance, I entered the ruins here. It’s not the official entrance and I ended up paying 50 pesos to the man on duty instead of the expected 75 pesos in some kind of side deal where I reckon he pocketed the full amount. If you’re looking to save a few pesos, maybe try your luck at this entrance.
Opening times: Monday-Sunday 8am-5pm. No entrance after 4.30pm.
Note: The museum is closed on a Monday and on Sundays entrance is free for Mexicans.
Agua Azul and Misol-Ha Waterfalls
Agua Azul and Misol-Ha are two of the most popular waterfalls to visit in the Palenque area.
Whilst you can visit both waterfalls independently by colectivo, I chose to visit them as part of a tour on my second day (mainly because it was easier, not a huge difference in price and I could visit both in the same day efficiently).
I was picked up at 12pm from my hostel.
First up was Misol-Ha, the closest fall to town (a 30min drive away). Out of the two, Misol-Ha is the more traditional drop fall. It’s quite tall!
We had half an hour allocated there which, although could’ve been longer, was enough to see the fall, go behind it and get a photo. If we’d had longer, I would’ve gone for a swim!
Back in the van, it was another hour drive to Agua Azul where we got to spend 2.5hrs.
Rather than one drop, Agua Azul is a collection of mini falls forming one big one with stunning turquoise water. It’s impressive! Coming from someone who’s seen a lot of waterfalls on this trip and is often underwhelmed by them!
I was happy to see turquoise water! It’s not always so – when it’s recently rained, the water runs brown!
There are several viewpoints to walk to and several spots to swim in. Obviously don’t swim where it says not to – the currents are strong!
I enjoyed my quick swim (my shower for the night bus!) – the water was so refreshing!
Tour: 180 pesos for transport, plus 95 pesos entrance fees (30 pesos for Misol-Ha and 65 pesos for Agua Azul) = 275 pesos (£11 approx) in total.
Tour length: 12-7pm
Note: The company I booked with, Tulum Transportadora Turisitica, had free luggage storage. Because there was so much space in the tour van, my big rucksack stayed in the van for the day. Back in Palenque, I was able to leave it in the office and wander town until my night bus to Merida. I found this very useful as I didn’t need to return to my hostel in El Panchan just to collect my rucksack. It saved me repeat journeys!
Getting to the waterfalls independently: For both waterfalls, you’ll need to take a colectivo headed to Ocasingo and tell the driver the waterfall you’re going to.
For Agua Azul, a colectivo should be 50 pesos and you’ll be let off at the turn off where taxis will be waiting to take you the rest of way (otherwise it’s a bit of a hike!).
As Misol-Ha is closer, the colectivo should cost less – maybe 20/25 pesos. Again you’ll be dropped off at the turn off. You could walk it this time, it’s only 1.5km, or get a taxi.
Where to stay in Palenque
When visiting Palenque, you can either stay in town or near the ruins, in the area known as El Panchan. Staying in town means you’re closer to cheaper eats and more amenities, and staying in El Panchan brings you closer to nature and the jungle.
Talking to other backpackers, I got the impression that Palenque town wasn’t so great. So that, combined with wanting to stay nearer to nature and jungle pushed me to stay in El Panchan at Kin Balam cabins. I liked it – it’s got a swimming pool and I could hear the sounds of the jungle and howler monkeys which was cool!
Tip: Kin Balam have a shared kitchen and a fridge so I brought some supplies (bread, bananas, avocados and tomatoes) with me for breakfasts and lunch to avoid always buying meals.
Tip: If you do stay at Kin Balam cabins and are looking for dinner. Rather than the restaurant onsite, I’d recommend going across the road to Don Muchos restaurant – they have more variety, better prices and live music. I ordered their fresh pasta and holy moly was it a massive portion! I reckon three could’ve shared it! At least two! I got a doggy bag for lunch the next day!
Note: To reach El Panchan accommodation, you can take the 20 peso colectivo headed to the ruins or take a taxi – three of us shared one and paid 25 pesos each.
How to get to Palenque
Palenque is in the southern part of the Chiapas region in the Lacandon jungle.
A lot of backpackers (me included!) arrive to Palenque from San Cristobal. By ADO bus it’s roughly an 8hr bus and there are early morning or night departures. I took a bus at 10.30pm for 368 pesos.
There are also colectivos driving the route between San Cristobal and Palenque. They are cheaper and faster; however, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend as they drive the more dangerous Ocasingo road. The ADO buses add a few hours on to their journey by going first up to Villahermosa and then down to Palenque which is safer.
I met two girls at my hostel in San Cristobal who’d taken a tour from Palenque (ruins and waterfalls) and then on to San Cristobal who took the riskier road. They were both fine, but one did say they had a police escort the whole way. Having driven part of the route on my day trip to the waterfalls, it was fine but can easily see why at night it’s best to go another route.
Note: There’s also the option of booking your transport from San Cristobal to Palenque through a tour agency. They sell packages which include transport to Palenque as well as stop offs along the way at Agua Azul and Misol-Ha waterfalls. I met a guy in Palenque who’d done one. He left San Cristobal at 4am, visited both waterfalls and the ruins, and was in Palenque by 5pm having paid 400 pesos. Good value for money!
Note: If you’re in Guatemala thinking about visiting Mexico, there are shuttles from Flores to Palenque.
You can also reach Palenque on ADO buses from Playa del Carmen, Merida, Tulum, Bacalar and Villahermosa (to name a few other places!).
Final thoughts
Having seen my fair share of ruins, I liked Palenque’s ruins more than I expected to. They didn’t feel overcrowded and I really enjoyed being able to climb some of them and just sit and watch the world go by.
I really enjoyed the waterfalls too, especially Agua Azul. Really beautiful! The turquoise waters and the mini fall cliff drops remind me of the Aguas Turquesas in Peru and Semuc Champey in Guatemala. I’d recommend seeing them if you’re going to Palenque.
I can’t say much about the town itself as I hardly spent any time there. What I can say, is that for my brief one night stay, I’m happy I stayed near the jungle!
Obvious tip: Make sure you have insect repellent with you at all times – jungle life and mosquitos! Don’t let them get you! I already have more mosquito scars than I’d like to.
I’m now getting another night bus (hopefully the last of my trip which is weird!) to Merida. I’ll then have just under three weeks in Yucatan to relax, soak up the sun and explore some cenotes before I’m UK and homeward bound! Where has the time gone!
