Palenque's central plaza is busy any time, but comes to life after the sun goes down. Sometimes hosts free concerts.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
4.67 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
4.74 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…
4.69 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,…
-
15.05 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…
4.59 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…
-
4.64 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…
-
4.32 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…
-
4.67 MILES
In 1999, in Templo XIX, archaeologists made the most important Palenque find for decades: an 8th-century limestone platform with stunning carvings of…
Nearby Palenque attractions
0.58 MILES
A roundabout and a landmark featuring a large statue of a Maya chieftain’s head, at the west end of town.
3.1 MILES
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…
3. Palenque Northeastern Groups
4.32 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…
4.34 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…
4.34 MILES
A set of jungle-covered buildings and plazas thought to have been lived in from about AD 750 to 800.
4.41 MILES
A series of small falls tumble down to form natural bathing pools. Unfortunately, you're not allowed to bathe here.