El Panchán

Palenque

LoginSave

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 alternative (and slightly grungy) scene and home to a bohemian bunch of Mexican and foreign residents and wanderers.

Once ranchland, the area has been reforested by the remarkable Morales family, some of whom are among the leading archaeological experts on Palenque. Today El Panchán has several (mostly rustic) places to stay, a couple of restaurants, a set of sinuous streams rippling their way through every part of the property, nightly entertainment (and regular drumming practice), a meditation temple, a temascal (pre-Hispanic steam bath) and a constant stream of quirky visitors from all over the world.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Temple of the Inscriptions. Ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Palenque, in the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico; Shutterstock ID 38923966; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; Project no. or GL code: 56530; Network activity no. or Cost Centre: Online-Design; Product or Project: 65050/7529/Josh Vogel/LP.com Destination Galleries

    Palenque Ruins

    1.57 MILES

    Ancient Palenque stands at the precise point where the first hills rise out of the Gulf coast plain, and the dense jungle covering these hills forms an…

  • Templo de las Inscripciones Group

    Templo de las Inscripciones Group

    1.64 MILES

    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. ancient, archaeological, archaeology, archeological, archeology, architecture, attraction, aztec, building, chiapas, civilisation, civilization, complex, culture, deserted, empire, excavated, exotic, forrest, grass, green, high, indigenous, inscriptions, jungle, maya, mayan, mesoamerica, mexican, mexico, old, palenque, preserved, pyramid, religious, ritual, ruins, sacred, sightseeing, site, stairs, steps, stone, temple, tomb, tourism, tourist, town, travel, worship

    Templo de las Inscripciones

    1.59 MILES

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

  • Cascada Welib-Já

    Cascada Welib-Já

    16.74 MILES

    Thirty kilometers from Palenque, these 25m-high curtains of water aren't the most dramatic water features in the area, but the turquoise river pools make…

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

    Grupo de las Cruces

    1.49 MILES

    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

    17.42 MILES

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

  • Acrópolis Sur

    Acrópolis Sur

    1.55 MILES

    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 Northeastern Groups

    1.23 MILES

    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…

View more attractions

Nearby Palenque attractions

1. Palenque Northeastern Groups

1.23 MILES

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…

2. Grupo C

1.25 MILES

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

3. Museo de Sitio

1.26 MILES

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

5. Baño de la Reina

1.33 MILES

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

7. Grupo II

1.36 MILES

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

8. Grupo I

1.4 MILES

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…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "mexico/tabasco-and-chiapas/palenque/attractions/el-panchan/a/poi-sig/1149747/361648",
  "destination": "Palenque",
  "continent": "North-America",
  "country": "Mexico",
  "city": "Palenque",
  "position": "superzone"
}