Palenque Things to Do

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26 februari 2008.
I arrived here about 14.45 and had to leave 16.15 so had about 1 1/2 (tour from san Cristobal) It was very hot and i was very tired. Bring water, hat and suncreme.
Look on my travelogue for more pics
open 8.00 - 16.30
price 48 pesos (was included in my tour) video 35
think it is 30 km from palenque city

Días de visita:
De lunes a domingo de 8:00 a 16:30 hrs. El costo del boleto de acceso a la zona arqueológica es de $48.00 por persona y con el mismo boleto podrá visitar el Museo de Sitio.
El Museo de sitio Alberto Ruiz L´Huillier cuenta con un horario de martes a domingo de 9:00 a 16:30.

Beautiful waters falls amongst the lush greens - absolutely gorgeous views. Be sure to take anti-nausea medication if you get motion sickness at all because crazy drivers + windy, hilly roads on the mountain is not a good mix!

You can either take a day trip from Palenque or San Cristobal or you can visit them on your way to Palenque/San Cristobal as these falls are in between the 2 towns.

Transportation to/from San Cristobal is about 150 pesos, but does not include entrance fees to falls which is about an additional 50 pesos are so

My favourite ruins (and I went to 9 of them) was the ones of Yaxchilan. From Palenque you can get transportation breakfast and lunch for 350 pesos but it does not include a guide. It's about 6am-6pm

Bonampak is known for its 3 murals, the 1st being the most preserved. These murals date back to 790. Here's s a description of the murals from wiki:

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The first shows robing of priests and nobles, a ceremony to mark a child as a noble heir, an orchestra playing wooden trumpets, drums, and other instruments, and nobles conferring in discussion. The second room shows a war scene, with prisoners taken, and then the prisoners, with ritually bleeding fingers, seated before a richly-attired Chaan Muan, the Lord of Bonampak. It is usually presumed that the prisoners are being prepared for human sacrifice, though this is not actually shown in the murals. The third room shows a ceremony with dancers in fine costumes wearing masks of gods, and the ruler and his family stick needles into their tongues in ritual bloodletting. The accompanying hieroglyphic text dates the scene and gives the names of the principal participants.
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In Yaxchilan, there's hardly anyone else there, including vendors...there's no one selling stuff, no shops, homes, nothing except the jungle and the ruins. In fact besides us and maybe 10 other people there, there was no one else there.

The entrance leads to through these tunnels that go underground in pitch blackness with different doors and stairs. Be sure to take a flashlight!! THere's several exits once you find them which lead you to the other side of the ruins where see another good 50 ruins, tablets and the grand acropolis which you climb up, 100 plus stairs. From there you can take a path into the jungle which leads to more ruins but we were short on time. During this whole time you hear howler monkeys roaring, quite loud infact. I thought it was some sort of angry animal.

If you're staying El Panchan is literally around the corner! Once you enter the main road (highway) to the left is the ruins - you would need to catch a colectivo as it several kms.

If you're staying in town you can take a colectivo labelled "Ruinas" for 10 pesos.

The ruins are surrounded by jungle and you need a minimum of 4 hours, 6 would be better. Unfortunately, you can bring food to the park and they do check your bags to see. There is no place to purchase food either (not that I can recall). The only place to purchase food is a medicore "cafeteria" near the museum but it's lack quite a bit.

Admission to the museum is included in the entrance (I believe it was about 50 pesos but you also have to pay about 25 pesos for a toll fee of some sort.

You can take a collectivo (comes from the ruines) to Palenque city for 10 pesos.
When you go back you can take a collectivo at the sign Chambalu. Across Cafe Metzabock. Calle Poniente Norte / calle Allenda.
There are several collectivos in Palenque.
to the beaches and ruinas

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I booked a tour in El Panchan at Hernandez to Yaxchilan and Bonampak. Think i paid 600 pesos am not sure.
It is a daytrip starts at 6.00. It was not clear were the picked me up. First i was waiting at the touroperator / Don Muchos and later at the internet cafe.
6.15 i was picked up at internet cafe. Later it stopped at a gas station near Palenque to pick up another couple. 6.35 on the road again.
At 7.45 we had breakfast at Vallescindido 8.15 had to leave again.
9.40 Toll box ecotourist.
10.35 Yaxchilan
Entrance 46 pesos (was included) video 35 pesos
open 8.00-16.30. I think you can only come here by boat. So guess you have to pay for a boat if you go by your own.
12.30 need to be back. some people were lost so we left 12.55.
14.00 back were the boattrip started.
www.ecoturlacandona.com
Restaurant vegtablesoup, tortilla, fruitjuice i had pina, chicken filet, lettuce, frijoles and fruit.
14.45 had to leave again at 15.20 needed to go in other van had to wait for the same mexican couple again as the rest of the group said they were deeply in love.
15.32 arrived in Bonampak. needed to be back at 16.30 guess what couple arrived at 16.45.
arrived at 19.30 at El Panchan (before we were hold by militair so have your passport with you)
Bonampak

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Booked a tour at Hernandez El Panchan.
needed to be ready at 6.00 at internet cafe.
after driving breakfast and driving again and a boattour to Yaxchilan we arrived there at 10.35.
Entrance 46 pesos (included tour) video 35
open 8.00-16.30 think boattour was about 45 minutes
12.30 we needed to go back.
If you go on your own i think you have to pay per boat. so it will be better to share a boat with more people think max is 10 people.
Found this site with some good info
http://www.mexperience.com/guide/archaeology/yaxchilan.htm
Travelogues at my Yaxchilan ruinas page

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The park generally opens at eight every morning and I highly recommend getting there around that time. Its not very crowded and best of all you get to see the site shrouded in a mist of mystery. There is nothing as enchanting as seeing the mist swirling around the Temple of the Inscriptions with the jungle behind it lost within a soupy fog. The air is always heavy with moisture and the smell of the early morning is intoxicating. And then for the grand finale, the sun will peek out from within the fog and burn the mist from off the temples of Palenque. Watch as the mist dissolves almost instantly and the lush green jungle immerges from its slumber and regains its claim on Palenque. These are the moments that make life worth living and a stunning reminder of the combination of old world beauty intertwined with the magic of nature. A perfect combination and a veritable feast for the eyes and mind.