If you love Machu Picchu, then you’ll love Palenque in Mexico

After spending 15 years traipsing done 150 countries arsenic a question writer, I’ve had my just stock of “pinch me” moments. I’ve stared eye-to-eye with a Silverback gorilla successful Uganda, felt the world tremble nether the hooves of a cardinal wildebeest connected a Serengeti safari, and drifted to slumber amidst the symphony of the Amazon rainforest. Yet, aft each these epic encounters, my adopted location of Mexico inactive astounds maine with its ain treasures — places that don’t conscionable rival the large hitters but clasp their unique, almighty magic. 

This caller bid is each astir celebrating conscionable that. Through the coming months, we’re going connected a travel done Mexico, unearthing unthinkable experiences and lesser-known sites that, successful my opinion, are comparable to immoderate of the world’s astir profoundly moving places. We’ll research beyond the postcards and observe the unspoken secrets of the country.

For the 2nd installment of the series, hole to beryllium impressed if you’ve ever dreamt of, oregon possibly experienced, the magic of Machu Picchu. Allow maine to present you to a singular adjacent close present successful Mexico: the past metropolis of Palenque. 

Machu Picchu vs. Palenque

Nellie Huang has visited implicit 150 countries, but is presently celebrating the glories of Mexico successful sites similar Palenque. (Nellie Huang)

I cognize what you’re thinking, ‘How tin Machu Picchu, the iconic metropolis of the Inca successful Peru, beryllium akin to Palenque, nestled heavy successful the jungles of Chiapas?’ And you’re right, they sprang from antithetic cultures, thrived successful antithetic landscapes, and are separated by thousands of miles. Yet, some these archaeological marvels talk volumes astir quality ingenuity and ambition. They were built by incredibly precocious civilizations, achieving architectural and astronomical feats that inactive astound america today.

The Inca carved Machu Picchu into a upland ridge, constructing a metropolis wherever stones acceptable unneurotic truthful tightly similar a cleanable jigsaw puzzle. The Maya of Palenque, masters of stone, built intricate temples and palaces that roseate majestically from the dense rainforest, often with affluent carvings and blase structures. Both cultures were maestro municipality planners, laying retired full cities with admirable precision, aligning their temples and avenues to the sun, moon, and stars. 

The Inca kingdom

High successful the mountains of Peru, Machu Picchu reigns implicit the valleys below. (Peru.travel)

Perched majestically successful Peru’s Sacred Valley, this spectacular 15th-century Inca citadel is 1 of a kind. Built astir 1450 AD by the almighty Inca emperor Pachacuti, this “Lost City of the Incas” remained hidden from the Spanish for centuries, lone to beryllium rediscovered successful 1911.

And what a discovery! Its sheer quality is outstanding: intricate chromatic operation without mortar, blase cultivation terraces, and a stunning harmony with the earthy upland landscape. Often shrouded successful a mystical mist, it’s an ethereal spot that whispers tales of a powerful, spiritual civilization. It’s nary wonderment UNESCO named it a World Heritage tract and 1 of the New Seven Wonders of the World. 

But here’s the world check: Machu Picchu tin get precise busy, particularly during highest question season, and having to jostle with the crowds tin instrumentality distant a spot of its magic. Besides, its remote, mountaintop determination means getting to Machu Picchu requires immoderate superior readying and a sizeable budget. It’s a fantastic, once-in-a-lifetime journey, for sure, but it’s decidedly not easy wrong reach, compared to the sprawling Palenque ruins.

A almighty Maya city

Palenque was a almighty Maya metropolis successful antiquity. (Gobierno de México)

Rising from the heavy jungle of Chiapas, Palenque presents a amazingly similar, yet distinctly Maya, narrative. This was a almighty Classic Maya city-state that flourished betwixt 600 AD and 800 AD. At the tallness of its power, Palenque commanded a important region, extending its scope crossed portions of modern-day Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize, and confederate Mexico. 

What I emotion astir Palenque is however it makes you consciousness similar a modern-day Indiana Jones, discovering a mislaid past treasure. The monolithic palaces and soaring temples are inactive partially swallowed by the jungle, having withstood centuries of tropical downpours, encroaching roots, and the soundless transition of time. In fact, archaeologists assertion that they person excavated lone 10% of this sprawling past city; astir of it remains buried beneath the earth.

Keep your eyes peeled – I spotted rather a fewer spider monkeys swinging done the canopy, a coati oregon 2 trotting past maine with their fluffy tails successful the air, and colorful macaws flying overhead. The past metropolis is nestled wrong Palenque National Park, a protected expanse of lush, tropical rainforest. You’ll surely perceive the changeless gurgling of moving streams and hidden waterfalls, and if you’re lucky, the booming roars of howler monkeys echoing done the trees.

Highlights of Palenque

King Pakal’s sarcophagus and disguise are connected show successful the on-site museum. (Nellie Huang)

Palenque’s astir iconic operation is the Temple of the Inscriptions, a pyramid unsocial successful Mesoamerica for being built specifically arsenic a funerary monument for a ruler – the revered King Pakal. Descending into his tomb, which features intricate carvings, is an utterly electrifying sensation. These days, they seal the burial chamber, but marque definite to sojourn the on-site museum, wherever you tin spot the sarcophagus and the legendary jade disguise of King Pakal connected display.

Then there’s the expansive Palace complex, with its distinctive four-story tower, courtyards, and elaborate stucco carvings depicting humanities events and mythological scenes. It’s little astir sheer monumental size and much astir exquisite craftsmanship, creator expression, and a profound knowing of astronomy and religion. 

Palenque remains 1 of the few archaeological sites successful Mexico wherever you tin inactive ascent the pyramids. Ascending the steps of the Temple of the Cross oregon the Temple of the Sun offers sweeping views implicit the full archaeological portion and the endless jungle canopy beyond. I sat up determination for astatine slightest an hour, conscionable staring retired into the wilderness and soaking successful the dependable of nature.

How to marque the astir of your visit

Palenque’s Maya Train presumption is nary little expansive than the ruins themselves. (Arch Daily)

Getting to Palenque is simply a travel acold little analyzable and costly than reaching the heights of Machu Picchu. The nearest airdrome is successful Villahermosa (VHM), 2 hours distant by ADO autobus from the municipality of Palenque. From here, colectivos (mini buses) are perpetually shuttling visitors to the ruins — it’s a precise casual and affordable 15-20 infinitesimal ride. Alternatively, drawback the new Maya Train and question successful comfortableness from Cancún each the mode to Palenque via Mérida and Campeche. 

You’ll privation to acceptable speech a bully half-day to genuinely soak successful each that Palenque has to offer. My apical tip: travel aboriginal and participate the gates arsenic they unfastened astatine 8 am. I retrieve being 1 of the precise archetypal to measurement inside, watching arsenic the past pyramids emerged, astir magically, from the low-hanging greeting clouds – a genuinely unforgettable sight! Consider hiring 1 of the licensed section guides disposable close astatine the entrance. A bully guide, with their heavy cognition of the Maya civilization and the site’s hidden gems, tin genuinely marque a satellite of difference.

Waterfalls and earthy pools

Waterfalls and earthy pools are an added attraction astatine Palenque. (Roberto Barrio)

After a time of exploring the ruins successful the sweltering heat, it’s worthwhile cooling disconnected astatine the adjacent Misol-Há and Agua Azul waterfalls. I could person spent each time swimming successful the turquoise pools and marveling astatine the cascading waters here.

Misol-Há, astir 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Palenque town, is celebrated for its single, melodramatic curtain of h2o plunging into a large, swimmable pool. Continuing on the aforesaid direction, astir 40 kilometers (25 miles) further are the fashionable Agua Azul waterfalls. Here, you tin dive into the turquoise pools and unwind successful a bid of cascades. However, beryllium warned: the enactment of souvenir shops and eateries that enactment the falls tin go engaged and noisy!

If you lone person clip for 1 waterfall, marque it the Roberto Barrios waterfall. It’s considerably much beauteous and little crowded than the different falls. I recovered it a batch much authentic and intimate, but determination are nary facilities here, truthful battalion immoderate snacks. At astir 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Palenque town, it’s successful a antithetic absorption than Misol-Há and Agua Azul. You tin easy prosecute a taxi from Palenque municipality to deed these falls, conscionable marque definite to corroborate the instrumentality travel options!

A heavy dive into Maya history

Maya creation astatine the on-site depository successful Palenque. (Nellie Huang)

If Machu Picchu captured your imaginativeness with its past secrets and mountain-shrouded mystique, past Palenque successful Mexico is undoubtedly your adjacent journey. While its Peruvian counterpart stands arsenic a majestic wonder, Palenque provides that aforesaid heavy transportation to an ambitious, innovative past civilization, but successful a mounting that feels distinctly wilder, much intimate, and much easy accessible. It’s a travel into a surviving legend, 1 that not galore radical cognize about!

Nellie Huang is simply a self-proclaimed Mexico-holic and features writer for Mexico News Daily. She’s the writer of Lonely Planet’s Mexico guidebook and has written hundreds of articles connected Mexico for assorted publications. Read astir her adventures worldwide connected wildjunket.com and travel her updates connected Instagram @wildjunket.