A prime example of a Mayan sanctuary of the classical period, Palenque was at its height between AD 500 and 700, when its influence extended throughout the basin of the Usumacinta River. The elegance and craftsmanship of the buildings, as well as the lightness of the sculpted reliefs with their Mayan mythological themes, attest to the creative genius of this civilization.

In the Lacandon forest, on the banks of the Usumacinta River, lies this imposing city with beautiful architecture and sculptures. There are 124 remarkable inscriptions on stelae, altars and lintels, recording the acts of its governors, ceremonies, battles, rituals and daily life.

John Lloyd Stevens described it as “a wild place of incomparable beauty…” The great civic and religious center is located on the island of El Limonal (lemon grove) and the rest of the vestiges are dispersed on little islands and peninsulas in present-day Lagos de Colón.

The name of this Zone of Historical Monuments was established in honor of Friar Bartolomé de las Casas, first bishop of the city, anti-slavery crusader and founder of hospitals and various institutions that promoted his humanist ideas.

Spectacular platforms with retaining walls, plazas, palaces, shrines and dwellings. Maintained important commercial relationships (300-1200) with the neighboring region, the Gulf Coast of Mexico, the Central Depression of Chiapas and the Guatemala highlands.

The oldest city in Chiapas, the cradle of independence in that state and birthplace of Belisario Domínguez, who opposed the usurping government of Victoriano Huerta during the Mexican Revolution. Its colonial architecture, its Santo Domingo monastery and its San Caralampio festival give the city its own unique stamp.

The ceremonial, political and religious center of Soconusco for nearly a thousand years. Among the vestiges there remain plazas, admirable stelae and altars decorated with remarkable reliefs which experts consider show the evolution from Olmec to Maya art.

Its strategic position on the Pacific coast was of great importance for communicating the Altiplano (high plateau) with the south of Veracruz and the area of the Isthmus. Its monolithic architecture of blocks of stone—some weighing almost two tons—is surprising, as well as its altars, stelae and beautifully carved sculptures.

The city of King Pakal, whose sumptuous tomb was discovered by archeologist Alberto Ruz Lhuillier in 1952. The museum houses his rich collection and shows the great skills of the ancient Maya as sculptors and metal workers, their funeral customs, the life of the elite and of the populace.