Must-see attractions in Palenque

  • Templo de las Inscripciones Group

    Palenque

    As you walk in from the entrance the vegetation suddenly peels away to reveal many of Palenque’s most magnificent buildings in one sublime vista. A line…

  • Temple of the Inscriptions. Ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Palenque.
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    Templo de las Inscripciones

    Palenque

    Perhaps the most celebrated burial monument in the Americas, this is the tallest and most stately of Palenque’s buildings. Constructed on eight levels,…

  • Temples of the Cross Group at the Mayan ruins of Palenque.

    Grupo de las Cruces

    Palenque

    Pakal’s son, Kan B’alam II, was a prolific builder, and soon after the death of his father started designing the temples of the Grupo de las Cruces…

  • Rio Tulija, Agua Azul, National Park, near Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico, North America

    Agua Azul

    Palenque

    Agua Azul is a breathtaking sight, with its powerful and dazzling white waterfalls thundering into turquoise (outside rainy season) pools surrounded by…

  • Acrópolis Sur

    Palenque

    In the jungle south of the Grupo de las Cruces is the Southern Acropolis, where archaeologists have made some terrific finds in recent excavations. You…

  • Palenque Northeastern Groups

    Palenque

    East of the Grupo Norte, the main path crosses Arroyo Otolum. Some 70m beyond the stream, a right fork will take you to Grupo C, a set of jungle-covered…

  • El Palacio

    Palenque

    Diagonally opposite the Templo de las Inscripciones is El Palacio, a large structure divided into four main courtyards, with a maze of corridors and rooms…

  • El Panchán

    Palenque

    Just off the road to the ruins, El Panchán is a legendary travelers’ hangout set in a patch of dense rainforest. It’s the epicenter of Palenque’s…

  • Templo XIX

    Palenque

    In 1999, in Templo XIX, archaeologists made the most important Palenque find for decades: an 8th-century limestone platform with stunning carvings of…

  • Misol-Ha

    Palenque

    Just 20km south of Palenque, Misol-Ha cascades approximately 35m into a wonderful wide pool surrounded by lush tropical vegetation. It’s a sublime place…

  • Templo del Sol

    Palenque

    The Templo del Sol, on the west side of the Acrópolis Sur plaza, has the best-preserved roofcomb at Palenque. Carvings inside, commemorating Kan B’alam’s…

  • Museo de Sitio

    Palenque

    Palenque’s site museum is well worth a wander, displaying finds from the site and interpreting, in English and Spanish, Palenque’s history. Highlights…

  • Templo de la Cruz

    Palenque

    Steep steps climb to the Templo de la Cruz, the largest and most elegantly proportioned in Grupo de las Cruces. The stone tablet in the central sanctuary…

  • Templo de la Cruz Foliada

    Palenque

    The corbel arches here are fully exposed, revealing how Palenque’s architects designed these buildings. A well-preserved inscribed tablet shows a king …

  • Templo XX

    Palenque

    Discovered in 1999, Templo XX contains a red-frescoed tomb built in 540 that is currently Palenque's most active dig. Archaeologists began restoration…

  • Templo XIII

    Palenque

    This temple contains the tomb of a female dignitary, whose remains were found colored red (as a result of treatment with cinnabar) when unearthed in 1994…

  • Grupo Norte

    Palenque

    North of El Palacio is a Juego de Pelota and the handsome buildings of the Northern Group. Crazy Count de Waldeck lived in the so-called Templo del Conde,…

  • Templo XVII

    Palenque

    Between the Cruces group and the Acrópolis Sur, this temple contains a reproduction carved panel depicting Kan B’alam, standing with a spear, with a bound…

  • Tower

    Palenque

    Built in the 8th century by Ahkal Mo’ Nahb’ III and restored in 1955, the tower has remnants of fine stucco reliefs on the walls, but you’re not allowed…

  • Grupo I

    Palenque

    Just north of the Grupo Norte, this small group of buildings is right before the bridge across the Arroyo Otolum, which gives access to the Grupo de los…

  • Main Entrance

    Palenque

    Main entrance to the ruins with snack bars. You're likely to be launched upon by guides; ensure they are the registered guides, identifiable by their ID…

  • Templo XXI

    Palenque

    In 2002, archaeologists found a throne in Templo XXI with very fine carvings depicting Ahkal Mo’ Nahb', his ancestor the great Pakal, and his son U Pakal.

  • Templo de la Calavera

    Palenque

    Also called Templo XII, this temple takes its popular name from the relief sculpture of a rabbit or deer skull at the foot of one of its pillars.

  • Templo del Conde

    Palenque

    This temple gets its name from Count de Waldeck, an explorer and illustrator who lived inside the temple from 1832 to 1833.

  • Templo XI

    Palenque

    Overgrown and of little interest, Templo XI is the first structure you'll see entering the site from the main entrance.

  • Templo XXIV

    Palenque

    The height of Templo XXIV has given rise to the theory that it may also have been used for astronomical observation.

  • El Parque

    Palenque

    Palenque's central plaza is busy any time, but comes to life after the sun goes down. Sometimes hosts free concerts.

  • Baño de la Reina

    Palenque

    A series of small falls tumble down to form natural bathing pools. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to bathe here.

  • Glorieta de la Cabeza Maya

    Palenque

    A roundabout and a landmark featuring a large statue of a Maya chieftain’s head, at the west end of town.

  • Grupo C

    Palenque

    A set of jungle-covered buildings and plazas thought to have been lived in from about AD 750 to 800.

  • Templo del Jaguar

    Palenque

    Largely unrestored and being reclaimed by the jungle, this temple is a photographer's favorite.

  • Grupo II

    Palenque

    On the river, overlooking the Baño de la Reina, this small group has a lovely jungle setting.

  • Juego de Pelota

    Palenque

    Palenque's ball court is towards the center of the site, and overlooked by Templo X.

  • Templo X

    Palenque

    Located between Grupo Norte and the Templo de las Inscripciones group.

  • Templo XXV

    Palenque

    The southernmost excavated structure at Palenque to date.

  • Templo XIV

    Palenque

    The northernmost temple in the Grupo de las Cruces.

  • Templo XXII

    Palenque

    At the eastern edge of the Grupo de las Cruces.

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