Today we are going to travel from San Cristobal de las Casas to Palenque. The journey takes 5 hours even though it's only a distance of 213 kilometers. The reason is that the road is full of curves and it's not possible to go faster than 50 kilometers per hour. It's a very exciting day but also very tiring, so get ready.

To make this journey, you have two options.

1. Go in your own car
2. Go on a tour

Go in your own car - If you rented a car, take into account the following indications. The road is long and you have to be careful. Sometimes trees from the jungle fall onto the road due to rain. It's highly recommended that you leave with a full tank of gas because there aren't many gas stations along the way. Another common occurrence is that the local indigenous people try to stop you to ask for money, don't stop but be careful not to run anyone over. Bring some loose change.

Another important recommendation is to start the journey as early as possible. The reason is that halfway through the journey there's a town called Ocosingo. It's very common for the farmers of this town to close the road to protest about something. The protests start between 9 am and 10 am, so if you pass the town before that time, you'll save a long waiting time on the road until the demonstration is over.

Go on a tour - The safest option is to hire a tour to make this journey because the drivers have a lot of experience on the road and know the locals. The approximate cost per person is 1,300 pesos. There are several companies that provide this service. I recommend choosing a reputable one. It's also possible to request a private tour. This has a cost of around 4,000 mxn.

The itinerary of the journey is -> San Cristobal de las Casas -> Agua Azul -> Misol-ha -> Palenque

1. Agua Azul -> The first stop on the journey is the Agua Azul Waterfalls. A river of turquoise blue waters in the middle of the jungle. A beautiful place. You can swim in Agua Azul, so if you want, bring a swimsuit. There are also stands selling quesadillas and food.
2. Misol-Ha -> The next stop is the Misol-ha Waterfall. The waterfall is a beautiful place that looks like a romantic soap opera. Walk behind the cabin and enter the hidden cave. There's a restaurant where you can have a snack before going down to the waterfall.
3. Palenque -> Finally, we arrive at our destination. The ruins of Palenque are beautiful and to see them, you'll need approximately 3 hours.

You can visit Palenque on this day or the next. It's most likely that you'll be very tired, so I recommend recharging your energy and exploring the archaeological site at a more leisurely pace on another day.