Que onda viajeros?! My name is Carlos and in this article I will be sharing my experiences at the archaeological site of Yaxchilan. I’m a photographer and was born in Colima. I studied Audiovisual Communications in Guadalajara and now I work and live between both cities.
I have always liked taking photos but it wasn’t until I was at university that I decided to pursue this passion for the rest of my life. Since I was a kid, my dad wanted to visit different parts of Mexico. However, I wasn’t really interested because I wanted to go to the US. When I became an adult I started to get more interested in visiting places inside my own country.
Visiting the Incredible Yaxchilan Archeological Site
So my trip to Yaxchilan all started when my boyfriend wanted to do something unique for his birthday. He invited me to Chiapas but to be honest I wasn’t that interested in visiting Chiapas. It was only until I started planning the trip, watching videos and looking at photos that I started to get excited. At first it was just about traveling with my boyfriend.
We were in Chiapas for about a week and Yaxchilan was my favorite spot. It’s a really unique experience. You feel disconnected from the outside world. This archaeological site was something new for me: everything from the immensity of the trees, to the ruins, river ride and the monkeys.
All in all, a trip to Yaxchilan transports you back into the past and connects you with nature in a deep way. When you go to other ruins in Mexico you often see people selling things and lots of tours. But not here. In Yaxchilan you feel as if you are living during the same time when they built the ruins.
My favorite spot here was the temple at the top of the hill – incredible! I also loved walking around, searching for monkeys and listening to their unique screams. To get to Yaxchilan you need to get in a boat in the river that separates Mexico and Guatemala. You should listen to the guide to know all the interesting details. This made me curious to visit Guatemala next.
Need to Know Before you Go
I stayed in a hotel in the center of Palenque and visited Yaxchilan during the day. It’s not that easy to move around Chiapas, so you need to book a tour that moves you from place to place safely. That way you can just relax.
Doing research to find a good tour company is very important. I had a great experience with Apasionado x Chiapas. I highly recommend them! If you are flying in you will arrive at Tuxtla Gutierrez but I suggest going directly to San Cristobal de las Casas and starting your trip from there.
Something we didn’t do and learned only when we got there was that it’s better to take a flight back from Villahermosa. This way you get to visit another place and not have to take a really long journey back to Tuxtla.
I marveled at everything in Yaxchilan, which is why I have lots of photos. I also loved the state of Chiapas as a whole. My trip there was just something completely different that I couldn’t compare to any other place I have been. Every natural spot is just so beautiful and large – everything is better than what you see in photos. And it’s not changed much by humans.
If you want to experience more of Chiapas then you should also definitely visit Palenque, Cascadas El Chiflon, Agua Azul, Lagos de Montebello, Canon del Sumidero, and the lovely little town of San Cristobal de las Casas.
Mexico is massive and there are lots of incredible places to visit. So I would recommend exploring all of Chiapas and if you have more time I just got back from La Paz and it’s a fantastic destination too if you are looking for something relaxing with incredible views. Thanks for reading everyone! You can follow my work at @carlosvenegasfoto and my travels at @carlosevc.
