Ruins of Palenque

Wrapped in jungle, the ruins of the temples of Palenque are one of the best examples of Maya architecture in Mexico. In existence from around 226BC until its demise in the 8^th century, it was swallowed up by trees; today just a small fraction, at its heart, has been excavated and restored, much of its 15 square kilometres of buildings still at the mercy of nature.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the complex is medium-sized, smaller than the likes of Chichen Itza, but thanks to its elegant structures, how beautifully preserved they are and the excellence of its sculpture and bas reliefs, there is much to discover here.  

Most evocative in the early hours as the morning mists swirl and howler monkeys chorus, as you wander look out for toucans flitting among the trees. The Temple of Inscriptions is the most celebrated structure, and the tallest, of the complex. A burial monument of Pakal, one of the city’s greatest rulers, when it was excavated archaeologists found a jewel-bedecked skeleton and jade mosaic death mask (both now on display in Mexico City). The structure has some of the best reliefs of the lot, and you can see a replica of Pakal’s carved stone sarcophagus lid in the site museum.