The Selva Lacandona is located in the southeast of Chiapas. It is a unique place for its natural beauty, Mayan culture, exuberant wildlife and humid jungle climate. This natural paradise is perfect for ecotourism and adventure tourism.
The Lacandon Maya are an indigenous community that lives on the banks of the Lacantun River. On an almost virgin land, this community has settled down and is mainly dedicated to agriculture and, recently, to tourism.
To get to Bonampak, you have to pass through the indigenous community of Lacanjá, where the famous Lacandons live and where there are currently 22 camps. If you have the time, we highly recommend that you experience sleeping in the jungle in one of these camps.
It may seem too rustic or wild to spend the night in the jungle, but these camps are more like ecotourism centers and really do have all the amenities. What is different is living with this Mayan community, getting to know their dialect, traditional dress and other customs.
Moreover, these camps are very economical. We stay at the camp “Los Lacandones” which, in addition to being cheap, has hammocks and a view of the Lacanjá River. In fact, with the heat, there is nothing better than bathing in the river – a great place to connect with nature!
Almost all camps offer guided tours to different points in the Lacandon Jungle. There are tours from 1 hour to 2 days. After visiting Bonampak in Mexico, you can go to Black Cork Falls, Las Golondrinas Falls and the Lost City, an archaeological site that has yet to be studied.
On these excursions, you will also have the chance to see wild animals of the Lacandon Jungle such as toucans, howler monkeys, tapirs and, with a little luck, even the scarlet macaw. The trails of the Selva Lacandona are very well marked and the landscapes you see are really impressive and beautiful, you will not be able to resist the urge to take a walk.
The most extreme trek is to Laguna Lacanjá, which is further into the jungle, 14 km from the community. The hike is a bit heavy and takes about 3 hours, but it is super interesting to see everything in the jungle. You can go and return the same day, or camp and return the next day.
We did the two day tour and that’s where we got to experience and learn the most from the Lacandons. Even though they are already extremely modernized, we could see that they still have their wild side, as they still hunt and can live off what nature itself provides.
When we reached the lagoon, we followed their footsteps and went to bathe in what they were fishing for what we were going to eat. But the feel of the sand was not at all pleasant and later we learned that there were crocodiles. They are supposed to do nothing, but if we had known, we would not have done it. We recommend you to be very careful when traveling in the Selva Lacandona, this kind of danger does not necessarily appeal to us, so ask the locals beforehand if everything is safe.
Best weather : It is very hot all year round, but from November to February the weather is much better for visiting the Selva Lacandona.
Rainy season : It usually rains from June to October. If you are planning to visit other destinations in Chiapas, it is best to avoid this season.
High season : If you don’t like crowds, avoid visiting Chiapas during the vacations or during Easter.
It all depends on where you want to visit. The most convenient for any type of trip is to arrive at the Tuxtla Gutierrez airport. You can stay in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Comitán, or Chiapa de Corzo. All of these places are very close to Tuxtla, so you can get there by car or by public transportation.
There are buses from Palenque to the community of Lacanjá, ask at the market for the route that goes there.
Don’t forget that sometimes the cell phone signal is lost, so we recommend that you don’t rely on your GPS, but have a printed map handy in case of emergency! Anyway, the locals are very friendly, so don’t hesitate to ask !
Find the best rental car for your trip to Mexico through our partnerships with the best site to book your car: Discover Cars. They offer competitive rates because they search all the major car rental companies and find the best price.
Find the best rental car for your trip to Mexico through our partnerships with the best site to book your car: Discover Cars. They offer competitive rates because they search all the major car rental companies and find the best price.
Cenote + Corcho Negro Waterfalls : $180 pesos (about 7,50€) per person – 1 hour
The Lost City + Las Golondrinas Waterfalls : $280 pesos (about 11.50€) per person – 2 hours
Lacanjá Lagoon + 2 previous tours : $580 pesos (about 23,50€) per person – 9 hours
Rafting + Lost City : $1000 pesos (about 40,50€) per person – Half day
Cabins : In the town of Lacanjá there are 22 Lacandon camps. “Ya’ajche” has cabins from 300 pesos per night. We recommend “Los Lacandones” with cabins from 500 pesos per night, clean, economical and with a view of the river.
Camping : At “Los Lacandones” there is also a campground in front of the river, it costs 100 pesos per tent and includes bathrooms and showers.
Each Lacandon camp has its own restaurant. At “Los Lacandones”, breakfast costs about 60 pesos and meals about 120 pesos. There is not much variety but you can eat well.
In the community of Lacanjá, there are also some local restaurants where you can eat for about 60 pesos.
Do you have questions about visiting the Selva Lacandona? Are you planning a trip? Write us a message!
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