Ruta Maya – Part 14
This is Part 14 of a series of articles about the Aztec and Mayan pyramids and ruins in Central America. Updated Sep 2022.
Yaxchilan
Yaxchilan is a Mayan Archaeological ruin on the banks of the Usumacinta River in the remote southern Chiapas state of Mexico.
Getting to Yaxchilan
Yaxchilan is a down river from Frontera Corozal. There are no roads. So the only way to get there is by boat.
First, travel to La Canada, in the Mexican state of Chiapas. While there, take a day to tour the Mayan ruins at Palenque. Palenque is stop #12 on the tour of Ruta Maya. Here is a link to plan your visit.
Secondly, travel to the town of Frontera Corozal. From there, you can visit the Mayan ruins of Bonampak. Here is a link that tells you how to get to Frontera Corozal, where to stay and about the ruins of Bonampak; stop #13 on the Ruta Maya.
After visiting Bonampak, return to your hotel in Frontera Corozal. Enjoy a nice meal and make arrangements for your trip to Yaxchilan. The ruins of Yaxchilan are located on the banks of the Usumacinta River, which forms the border between Mexico and Guatemala. You will need to arrange for someone to take you there by boat. Boat tours go there daily, so you should not have a problem with this.
Wildlife
With Mexico on one side and Guatemala on the other, I saw many birds in both countries on the way to Yaxchilan. We saw a flock of about 20 Wood Storks on the Mexican side. I recorded my first bird sighting in Guatemala, a Black Vulture, without ever having set foot there.
Because Yaxchilan is deep in the jungle with no road access, there is a lot of wildlife here. For example, we saw a troop of Howler Monkeys pass through the treetops above us.
The Labyrinth
There are no great pyramids or temples. There are a few very good stelae with the carvings still visible. Unfortunately, most stelae have had their pictures worn away over the centuries.
There is an interesting building called the Labyrinth. It is possible to explore deep inside this building. There are hallways leading in several directions. One goes down and emerges at the back of the building on a lower level. The building appears deceptively small from the outside, but it is a large, two-story building built into the side of a hill which drops down behind the structure, not visible from the front. However, we didn’t explore the building very deeply because we didn’t have a flashlight. It was very dark, and bats were flying everywhere. A large, powerful flashlight is needed to explore the building.
Summary
Back at the shore, we had a picnic meal included with the boat tour.
On the way back to Frontera Corozal, we spotted a Swallow-tailed Kite flying along the shore on the Mexican side. This is a large raptor with a split tail like a swallow, hence the name.
Yaxchilan is not the greatest Mayan archaeological site; however, the boat trip, the birds, the monkeys and the picnic made for a pleasant day.
Go to Part 15 of the Ruta Maya – The Amazing city of Tikal. There are six pyramids and hundreds of smaller buildings. One of the best stops on the Ruta Maya.
Click here for a list of all the sites on the Ruta Maya.