Experience the best of Palenque

The Maya city of Palenque reached its height in the seventh century, in a hillside of rainforest in the Mexican state of Chiapas. Its stone buildings, with steep pyramids, roof combs and carved stucco, are a World Heritage site. The Temple of the Inscriptions, a stepped pyramid, holds the tomb of the ruler K'inich Janaab' Pakal, found inside in 1952, and the Palace, with its tower, stands in the heart of the site.

The Temple of the Cross group, the Temple of the Sun and a ball court are close by, with a museum at the site entrance. Howler monkeys and toucans call from the trees, and the trails pass small waterfalls. The modern town of Palenque lies a few kilometres away, and the waterfalls of Misol-Ha and Agua Azul, the turquoise cascades on the road to the highlands, are within a morning's drive. Boat trips on the Usumacinta reach the Maya site of Yaxchilán, and the painted murals of Bonampak lie nearby.

Chiapas food includes tamales de chipilín, made with a local herb, pozol, a cold drink of maize dough and cacao, and plenty of tropical fruit, plantain and chocolate from the region's cacao groves. The jungle climate is hot and humid, with rain from June to October and drier months from November to April.