7 Ruins in Chiapas, Mexico: Map & Photos

7 archaeological sites

Chiapas has 7 archaeological sites with their own page on Puebloteca, near the Pueblos Mágicos of Comitán and Palenque. The closest to a pueblo is Zona Arqueológica de Palenque, 8 km from Palenque; the farthest out is Chinkultic, 40 km from Comitán.

Most archaeological sites are run by INAH and open from about 8 or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a small fee. Midday is the hottest and busiest time, so go early.

Best months, when most of these towns are dry with comfortable afternoons: Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec.

The Ruins 7

Zona Arqueológica de Palenque · Archaeological site · 8 km from Palenque
The great Maya city in the jungle 8 km from town: the Palace, the Temple of the Inscriptions and King Pakal's story.
Tenam Puente · Archaeological site · 13 km from Comitán
Maya terraces and temples on a forested hilltop just south of Comitán, with views over the valley and few visitors.
Chinkultic · Archaeological site · 40 km from Comitán
Maya ruins on the way to the Montebello Lakes, with a temple on a cliff above a deep blue cenote.
Bonampak · Archaeological site · Ocosingo
A Maya site in the Lacandon forest whose Temple of the Paintings holds the best-preserved Maya murals: a royal court, a battle and a sacrifice.
Izapa · Archaeological site · Tuxtla Chico
One of the oldest and largest sites in Chiapas, famous for its carved stelae and toad altars, set in cacao country at the foot of the Tacaná volcano.
Toniná · Archaeological site · Ocosingo
A warrior Maya city near Ocosingo whose terraced Acropolis climbs more than 70 meters up a hillside; it reopened in March 2026.
Yaxchilán · Archaeological site · Ocosingo
A Maya city in a bend of the Usumacinta River, reached only by boat, famous for its carved lintels and the crested Structure 33.