42. Mexico. Travel from Tehuantepec, to Chiapas and to Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico
We are now well into our Tripadeal Best of Mexico Tour. We have settled into the routine of the journey.
We start this week’s episode from where we left off in Episode 41, travelling to Chiapas and the Grand Canyon of Mexico – the Sumidero Canyon. We take you on a two hour boat ride where we see crocodiles, spider monkeys and 1000 metre high cliff faces.
Next we explore the cobblestone streets of San Cristobal de las Casas and enjoy the contrast of the old with the modern. After a free day we have a very early start to take us – and you - to one of the most spectacular places we have ever seen – the beautiful Agua Azul waterfalls. The water is so incredibly blue and we were able to climb to the top and have a refreshing swim. This made everyone very happy.
After a very windy bus trip we arrive late afternoon at our hotel, where we all go straight to the pool area and order cocktails.
We tell you all about our early “Wake up call” – not something you hear in Australia.
Listen to the end as we take you to our favourite archaeological site so far. We tell you why it’s our favourite, what famous TV documentary show was being filmed while we were there and why I expected to run into Indiana Jones at any minute.
It’s certainly an amazing few days crossing the middle of Mexico and finishing up seeing the sunset on the Gulf of Mexico.
Show notes and pictures below
Sumidero Canyon in the state of Chiapas
This part of our Tripadeal Best of Mexico Tour started with an overnight in Tehuantepec. We had an early start and drove to the amazing Sumidero Canyon. The locals call it the Grand Canyon of Mexico. There are cliff faces up to 1,000m high. We all enjoyed the two hour boat ride and the scenery. We saw crocodiles, spider monkeys and fabulous rock formations including the famous Christmas tree.
San Cristobal de las Casas
We had two nights in San Cristobal. It was a very windy trip up the mountain. Our hotel was lovely, the grounds were immaculate. The nights were cold. It was the only place where we needed a jacket. We had the choice of going to some indigenous villages for a morning tour, or a day at leisure. We need the day to get some podcast work done and to do some washing. Got to bags done for 140 pesos which is about $10.
In the afternoon we wandered around the cobblestone streets. A very pretty town. It is a city of contrast, lots of indigenous people in their authentic clothes as well as modern shops and restaurants everywhere. We found a lovely place for lunch and then a Thai restaurant for dinner.
Agua Azul Waterfalls
Our day started at 4am for a 5am departure. It was a bit chilly, but we all grabbed our breakfast boxes and boarded the bus. It is actually really easy to sleep on the bus. Everyone had their own seats and it wasn’t long before most of us had drifted off. Our guide, Tacho, woke us 10 minutes from our breakfast destination. Lovely spot on a mountain with nice views. We all were hanging for a coffee.
We then drove for an hour and a half to the most amazing, spectacular, wonderful place - Agua Azul Waterfalls. Our absolute favourite place …. so far. Those who wanted, climbed up stairs to the top to take some great pics and also to swim in the pools at the top of the waterfall. The water is so blue from the calcium in the limestone.
We finished with a nice lunch and back on the bus for another very windy hour to our overnight hotel in Palenque.
Palenque
We arrived late afternoon, so most people went straight to the pool and had a cocktail or two which were only $8 AUS. The restaurant was great and had lovely views too. There were howler monkeys in the trees and they were our wakeup call early the next morning. There were funny little animals, half rabbit, half squirrel running around the hotel grounds.
Palenque Archeological Site
It does seem like we are seeing lots of temples and archeological sites around Mexico. On this trip you get to see the most important ones. This one, though, was our favourite. It is in the jungle, you can hear and see howler monkeys and it is lush and green and very peaceful. National Geographic were filiming while we were there.
After wandering through this fabulous site, and expecting to see Indiana Jones at any minute, we then had 1km walk down through the jungle, over suspension bridges, across waterfalls back to the bus.
It was a very hot day, and we were all glad to be back on the airconditioned bus for our trip to our overnight destination of Campeche on the Gulf of Mexico.