Palenque

Palenque's stone temples among the trees, the Temple of the Sun on the left and the Palace on the right.

03Cities and regions

Chiapas

Palenque is a Maya city in southern Mexico near the Usumacinta River, 150 metres above sea level, with ruins dating from about 226 BC to AD 799. After its decline it vanished under a forest of cedar and mahogany before being excavated and restored. It is not the largest Maya city, but it holds some of the finest architecture, sculpture, roof combs and relief carving the Maya ever made. Its most famous ruler, Pakal the Great, reigned from 615 to 683; most of its palaces and temples went up during his rule, and his tomb lies in the Temple of the Inscriptions. Around 2.5 square kilometres had been uncovered by 2005, thought to be less than a tenth of the city, so most of it is still under the trees. The air is humid, averaging 26 °C with about 2,160 millimetres of rain a year: bring water and a rain jacket and start early. The site and the surrounding national park have been World Heritage since 1987.

1987
World Heritage: 0 mm
Annual rainfall: 0 °C
Average temperature: 2.5 km²
Area uncovered

Highlights

Temple of the InscriptionsA stepped pyramid named after the long text preserved in its temple, and the burial place of King Pakal.