If anytime you would ask me where I had the best experience of my life, I would say Chiapas. In the river Usumacinta in this wonderful and wild state, a magical jungle lost in time. This state has the most flora and fauna in whole Mexico, its histories, its tongues, and its virgin nature, protected by its own habitants, still almost intact in the middle of 2020.
In the following lines, we are going to mention some of the places that you should visit in this wonderful state and without a doubt will leave you impressed with its immense vegetation and infinity of rivers, springs and its archaeological zones which will surely take you to another world.
The main centric zone you should arrive at is the city of Palenque and is the key point to moving around the whole state and its sights. Despite being a small city where you can find anything necessary for your trips, such as good hotels, food, ATMs, gas stations, off and internet. It is important before leaving Palenque to be sure you have everything you need because now you are taking of into the deep, large jungle. After all, most destinations are far from any civilization.
USUMACINTA:
The first trip we did leave Palenque was an expedition of the river Usumacinta (translates to Place of Small Apes) and it is located on the frontier between Mexico and Guatemala. The expedition of the Usumacinta consists out of camping and rafting class IV to V rapids for several days. You sleep where the night traps you, maybe visit the ruins of Yaxchilán and you will discover a beach in the middle of the river- as incredible as it sounds. Over the course of the whole river, you can find crocodiles and other wild animals, so for this adventure, you will need all the security you can get. So, make sure to travel only with extra security, not only to protect you from the animals but also from the guerrilleros of Guatemala which often travels on the river.
Here it is important to mention that we don’t want to scare you with any of this, it is just important to mention so you have the full picture. Without a doubt, this was the greatest experience and adventure of my life so far. We ended in Tabasco and took a ride back to Palenque for the next adventure.
ARQUEOLOGICAL ZONE BONAMPAK (translates to Painted walls)
To get to Bonampak it will take you approx. 2 and a half hours on the state highway 307. Once you arrive you have to pay a cost of 75 pesos to enter and at the entrance, you will first have to pass by a few food stands, handicrafts, clothes, and bathrooms (those are very basic but still good). You must take sun blockers, water, and good shoes so you will make it through the hot climate.
AGUA AZUL WATERFALLS
Just one and a half hours on highway 199 from Palenque you can enjoy this beautiful show of nature and get impressed by the blue color of the river in all its extensive beauty. The name is what you will see, once you pay your 50 pesos entrance fee the waterfalls and their blue color will be there for you to relax, swim and take all the photos you want. Some waterfalls are high enough to jump off, others are best to jump in kayaks, a wonderful experience is also that you can camp there and enjoy the wilderness as long as you want. Next to the waterfalls, you can buy food, handcrafts, cacao, or coffee sold by the natives that live in this zone. Don’t be surprised, most of them only speak their own dialect and Spanish or English will not get you very far here. The younger generations are now more open to tourism and the changes of the places with the visitors that come to see the waterfalls, their traditions and listen to their tongues.
WATERFALL OF MISOL HÁ (translates to Water that falls)
This waterfall is 40min away from Palenque on the same highway number 199, and costs approx. 30 pesos per person to enter. This waterfall is 25m high and falls in a lake which is of a darker blue color – very beautiful for a small photo session. Here you can also find a small cafe with a spring in it and even though it is not a big thing it is a very beautiful place to visit if you are there anyway. Close to the parking lots and the entrance, there are also restaurants and bathrooms so you can satisfy all your needs right there on the spot. Once you get back to Palenque in the evening, don’t forget to also enjoy this magical city and its restaurants and bars.
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