In Photos: The Mayan ruins at Palenque

Looking down at Palenque from the Temple of the Cross. The Temple of the Inscription is on the left and the Palace on the right

About 6km from the small town of Palenque lies one of the most important Mayan ruins of Mesoamerica. Dating back to 226BC, Palenque was the seat of the ruling dynasty until it’s fall around 1123AD. From here they ruled over an area covering much of what is now Chiapas and Tabasco.

The most famous ruler was Pacal the Great – his tomb lay in the Temple of the Inscriptions.

The Palace, viewed from the Temple of the Inscription

Looking up at the Temple of the Cross

Since then the jungle reclaimed the site but it has slowly been restored. It’s thought that only about 10% of the city has been uncovered, meaning there are more than a thousand structures still hidden in the surrounding forests.

Palenque isn’t as epic in scale as Teotihuacan, but is far more complex and intricate. The exterior of the temples are covered in fine carvings, and it’s still possible to walk down inside some of the ruins.

Arches on both the inside and outside of the main Palace building

A clear view of the Palace just before closing time – viewed from the base of the Temple of the Cross

Palenque Visitor Tips

It’s a very easy site to visit. There are regular collectivos from the town that pick up near the coach station.

It’s easy to walk round the site without missing anything – the main path follows a loop round. At the farthest point from the entrance, near the Mayan ballcourt, is a washroom.

Palenque Ballcourt – almost all the major Mayan sites have one of these game areas

As you’re able to climb up and go inside a few of the temples it’s a good idea to take sturdy shoes and enough to drink.

Unlike Teotihuacan, there are vendors allowed inside the site, usually on the grassy area in front of the Temple of the Inscriptions. They mostly sell carvings and paintings, but do have cool drinks if necessary.

The first time I visited Palenque it was the middle of the day – far too hot for all the climbing about. This time we got there in the late afternoon. Most of the crowds had gone home and we often got the temples to ourselves.

The Palace Observation Tower

The Palace as seen from the courtyard

Hopefully related posts:

In Photos: Teotihuacan and the Pyramid of the Sun Pyramid of the Magician – Uxmal, Mexico Pyramids of the Sun and Moon – Teotihuacan, Mexico Agua Azul – Palenque, Guatemala