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Palenque is small, about 42,000 people, but where you sleep changes your trip. The Palenque neighborhoods split into three zones: La Cañada, the 4 km road to the ruins with the big hotels, El Panchán, a jungle backpacker enclave near the site, and Centro, the town centre around the zocalo and the ADO bus station.
Palenque Neighborhoods: La Cañada (The Ruins Road)
La Cañada is the Carretera Palenque-Ruinas, the 4 km road that runs from town to the archaeological zone. Most of the upscale hotels sit along it, set back in tropical gardens. Staying here puts you a 5 to 10 minute drive from the site entrance and near a handful of restaurants, but you will need a taxi or colectivo for anything in town. It suits couples and travellers who want quiet, pools and early access to the ruins. Rates run from about 800 to 3,000 MXN a night. For the best season to book, see our best time to visit Palenque guide.
Palenque Neighborhoods: El Panchán (Jungle Enclave)
El Panchán is a scatter of thatched cabanas, restaurants and bars in the rainforest at km 4.5 on the ruins road, right before the site entrance. It is Palenque’s backpacker heart, full of budget cabanas and shared rooms, and howler monkeys and parrots are part of the scenery. It suits solo travellers and budget visitors who want to be as close to the ruins as possible for very little money. Beds and simple cabins run roughly 150 to 600 MXN a night, and several places lack air conditioning, which matters in the hot months. The heat peaks from March to May, detailed in our Palenque weather by month guide. Getting around is easy by colectivo, and our Palenque travel tips guide has the fares and routes.
Palenque Neighborhoods: Centro (Town Center)
Centro is the town proper, built around the zocalo, the market and the ADO bus station on Avenida Juárez. This is where you find the banks, pharmacies, cheap eats and the colectivo stand for the ruins. It suits anyone arriving by bus or flying through Villahermosa, and it has the widest range of mid range hotels at 500 to 1,500 MXN a night. The trade off is distance: the archaeological zone is about 8 km away, a 10 minute colectivo ride. The ruins and waterfalls themselves are covered in our things to do in Palenque list.
Palenque Neighborhoods: Where to Base Yourself
Pick La Cañada or El Panchán if the ruins are your priority and you only have one or two nights. Pick Centro if you are on a tighter budget, plan to eat in town, or are using Palenque as a base for waterfall day trips. For specific hotels in each zone with prices and who they suit, read our where to stay in Palenque guide. For seasonal events like the equinox, see our Palenque events and festivals guide.
