Mexico: Need help for the Palenque - Xpujil route

I have traveled this area extensively for many years (going back to the 1980s), but have limited experience with the bus on those routes. I have always driven, either my own car (drove from Seattle) or in rented cars from the Cancun/Playa del Carmen area. I have been to (or in some cases through) almost all these places, and more even further-off-the-tourist-trail places. Many of them do not have much to offer a casual tourist, and will be pretty "low end."

Some questions to help calibrate answers...

• Have you been to Mexico or Central/South America before?
• How many are in your travel party? If solo, male or female?
• Do you have unlimited time, or time-limited (if time-limited, how long is your trip)?
• How "adventurous" are you?
• Do you need western-style lodgings (modern, clean room, air-conditioned, familiar feeling...or is a hammock in an un-screened room or hut with a thatched roof OK)?
• Do you speak any Spanish?
• What are your primary interests in going here?

Palenque is awesome. Calakmul is way more awesome. There are many spectacular ruin sites and natural wonders around the region, and some of them get very few tourists - it's like being on a completely different planet from the over-tourism just to the east, around Cancun.

Have you considered renting a car? Of course, the bus is super-cheap and a car isn't, but having a car makes everything much easier and opens up unlimited additional options (I can think of many incredible places along your route that your bus would flash right past).

Edited to add: I now see you are traveling solo. That certainly ups the ante in some respects, and potentially heightens safety concerns.

• Male or female? Have you done much solo bus travel before in developing countries?

Hi David!

To answer your questions.
- Yes I have been once to South America (Peru) and also once in Mexico (visited Cancun, Tulum and Coba only though).
- I travel solo and I'm a male, early 40s.
- I have limited time, but my trip is 23 days (including flight to/from Quebec City).
- I am used to travelling alone, to go off of the beaten path, to visit less touristy places.
- I must admit that I would rather have a western-style lodging. I can settle for someday more basic, but only if I have to.
- I speak very little Spanish.
- My primary interests are Maya sites.

I don't want to rent a car, I want to rely on public transportation and maybe a tour or two for convenience if I don't have the choice.
The only issue I have is the Palenque to Xpujil route. All other parts of my trip can be easily done using ADO buses.
I'm just trying to fit Calakmul in my itinerary, but even though I would skip it, I still need a way to go back to Cancun and I thought that by staying a couple of nights in Xpujil would break the journey in two.

Thank you!

I've done your route except for the Palenque and Xpujil pieces. In general, ADO buses are great, and small "collectivos" typically shuttle locals around for less than taxis. I would consult a Lonely Planet book and see what they recommend regarding getting to and from Palenque (and maybe some current online blogs or vlogs). I recall seeing the bus itineraries to Palenque from the Campeche bus station. By the way, neither of my nor my friend's (US-based) chip-enabled credit cards would work in the Campeche ADO bus station for tickets. That's the only place where we needed cash to buy a ticket. I've taken buses at night in Mexico (ADO line) but not overnight, so I can't help with that. If you can avoid it, try to avoid it but either way you'll end up wasting time in some small town or another because it's very hard to not have some down time to kill on very long trips. Just think of it as a relaxing day and a chance to practice your Spanish. Most small towns have no safety issues.

PS. You can easily also get to Edzna (Mayan site) from Campeche bus not by ADO. Collectivos run there, my friend took one in December while I poked around Campeche. She spoke even less Spanish than I do, but Google Translate always helps. My favorite site was Uxmal, closest to Merida.

I have a Lonely Planet but it didn't help for the Palenque to Xpujil route :(

So a collectivos from Escárcega to Xpujil could be a good and safe alternative to finding a taxi or to waiting the next day for an ADO bus? Or maybe a 2nd class bus if there is any?

BTW, Edzna from Campeche and Uxmal from Mérida are definitely on my list :)

Colectivos are basically shared shuttles that are packed with locals (the driver usually waits until the shuttle fills up before leaving, and locals hail them from the street too although that may not work well for a tourist). Use can see what they look like via Google Images (just search for Mexico colectivos). Usually the destination is written on the front window, but often you have to ask if you're headed the right way and know where to get off (always ask and don't assume the driver will alert you). Locals are quite poor, so colectivos fill the gap in any public transport for a cheap fare. You don't have to be adventurous to take one, but some get really crowded (the windows are always open though). Second class buses are fine too, just not as luxurious as an ADO bus (but that's ok). Don't expect to see the schedules posted online, just show up at the bus station a day ahead and make sure you know the schedule.

I am not familiar with that town you mentioned so I don't know what's available. Taxis are very inexpensive outside of Cancun (particularly the rip off hotel zone) so you shouldn't have an issue taking one. Some are really beat up though, like the one I rode for ~ $2 USD in Campeche to get to a fort outside the town.

There are so many tourists that go to Palenque that I'm sure you'll be able to get better info on the ground.

Is it easy to find a taxi for a long route such as Escárcega to Xpujil?
I would like to have an idea of the cost.

A 2nd class bus is maybe what I need, but like you said, schedules are not posted online, so it's not easy to plan my trip.
Colectivos might get complicated because of my luggage.

I just want to make sure that if I take an ADO bus from Palenque to Escárcega, I won't be stranded in Escárcega. I would like to continue to Xpujil on the same day (and arrives safely, before dark).

Thank you for your help!

Is it easy to find a taxi for a long route such as Escárcega to
Xpujil? I would like to have an idea of the cost.

Colectivos can get you almost anywhere, and cheaply - but it may involve a bit of a wait, some inconvenience and minimal comfort. Some Spanish skills and creativity in communications (and a positive outlook) will help. No idea what the cost will be but it'll be cheap.

Colectivos might get complicated because of my luggage.

While many colectivo drivers will be very accommodating, some may not, and you never know. I'd be very careful about how much you are bringing along, and would hope you will be lugging no more than a medium-sized backpack. That may have to go up on the roof of a full collectivo. If you've got much more than that, it's going to greatly complicate things for you (not just the hassles of carrying a lot of gear, or trying to keep it with you inside a collectivo where it might displace another paying passenger), but if you've got more than a single, wearable pack, going solo you will need to leave unattended it as you tend to critical tasks, and the risk of theft should not be minimized).

The road between Escárcega and Xpujil is a major highway - an understatement. It doesn't look like a US Interstate or the Trans-Canada, but it carries a LOT of traffic, and LOTS of trucks, even at night. It is the primary road across the Yucatan Peninsula. At night traffic certainly drops off, and there will be times/places where it's quiet and you don't want to be stuck after dark, but the trucks will be rolling though all night long.

Palenque is very much on the gringo/tourist trail, and there will be no shortage of international visitors. Between Palenque and Xpujil, things "thin out" quite a bit. Mostly just small towns and tiny settlements, though Escárcega is an actual city with all the services most people would need. It's not a major tourism machine though, like the towns along the coast. Xpujil is a small town.

The road to Calakmul cuts south from highway 186 well before Xpujil. There's a tiny settlement at La Selva, just before the turnoff to Calakmul - that's where your bus/taxi/colectivo will need to drop you. There are a couple of tourist services there and nearby. Try Hotel Puerta Calakmul, a few hundred meters off the highway and technically inside the archological zone; it's not cheap but logistically makes a lot of sense - there's just not many choices around there (it's in Mexico's "empty quarter"). It's a very comfortable, safe place to stay, and whether you stay there or not they can probably point you to a tour operator or other way to get from the road in to the ruins (it's a long, thin, empty 1- to 2-lane road through dense jungle...enjoy the wild ocellated turkeys you will see wandering the road...). Don't skip Calakmul, it's worth the time/effort to get there. There are dozens of worthwhile ancient sites scattered around this area, if you have even a passing interest in ruins, it would be a shame to just blow past them all.

I don't think Colectivos are the right way to go for me then, as I do travel with a regular carry-on luggage plus a small backpack.
I'm very much into Maya ruins, so that would be a shame to miss Calakmul. But even if I did skip it, I need to find a way back to Cancun.

I think my options are, when arriving in Escárcego after an ADO bus from Palenque, to either find a taxi or a 2nd class bus to Xpujil right away. If I don't, then spend the night in Escárcega and take the ADO bus to Xpujil the next morning. However the last option means I will need to find a hotel room on the spot and I will lose a whole day. I just hope Escárcega is safe enough to walk around with a small luggage and that some hotel will have one available room for me.

I would love to know how much a taxi would cost and/or what are the 2nd class bus schedules.

Thank you again for your detailled answer!

By the way, if you're curious, here is what I had for my draft itinerary:
(note that I have already been to Tulum and Coba)

01- Feb 26 - Quebec City to Cancun to Valladolid
02- Feb 27 - Valladolid
03- Feb 28 - Valladolid (day trip to Chichén Itzà)
04- Mar 01 - Valladolid (day trip to Ek Balam + X’canche Cenote)
05- Mar 02 - Valladolid (day trip to Cenote Dzitnup or Grutas de Balankanché?)
06- Mar 03 - Valladolid to Mérida
07- Mar 04 - Mérida
08- Mar 05 - Mérida (day trip to Izamal)
09- Mar 06 - Mérida (day trip to Uxmal)
10- Mar 07 - Mérida (day trip to Mayapán or Celestún or Grutas de Loltún or Progreso?)
11- Mar 08 - Mérida to Campeche
12- Mar 09 - Campeche
13- Mar 10 - Campeche (day trip to Edznà)
14- Mar 11 - Campeche to Palenque
15- Mar 12 - Palenque (day trip to Palenque Ruins)
16- Mar 13 - Palenque (day trip to Bonampak/Yaxchilán)
17- Mar 14 - Palenque (day trip to Cascadas de Agua Azul + Misol-Ha?)
18- Mar 15 - Palenque to Xpujil
19- Mar 16 - Xpujil (day trip to Calakmul)
20- Mar 17 - Xpujil to Playa del Carmen
21- Mar 18 - Playa del Carmen
22- Mar 19 - Playa del Carmen (day trip to Cozumel)
23- Mar 20 - Playa del Carmen to Cancun to Quebec City

I believe I've been to every set of ruins on your list, with the exception of Bonampak/Yaxchilán (would love to have gone there, but when I was in the area, getting there was difficult/sketchy, as I recall it involved rafting down the river and pretty complex logistics that looked questionable to me; it has probably become more routine and less of an Indiana Jones experience since then, I'm sure you will find it rewarding).

Are you going to Celestun for the flamingos? The gulf coast side (and beaches) are totally different from the east Yucatan coast. We enjoyed the trip out to the flamingos - end of February I believe they should be there.

Not sure I'd spend a day trip to Cozumel. I love Cozumel dearly, have been there many times, and look forward to going again, but you go there for SCUBA diving; if you're not diving, I would think twice before burning a day on that (and it's too long for a comfortable day dive trip anyway).

By the end of this trip, I think you may be pretty wrung out, and you may want to just sit on a nice beach and toss back a few cold ones under a palapa while staring out at the turquoise Caribbean. Give yourself permission to do that after your long circuit around the Yucatan.

I would pick Tulum over Playa de Carmen (not a fan of the latter at all), and also to try to spend at least 2 full days in Merida (if you can). It's worth several actually, it's my favorite city in the Yucatan and there's plenty of museums and other things to do there. When in Vallodolid, be sure to vist Casa de los Venados (http://www.casadelosvenados.com). When in Tulum, you can also see the beautiful ruins there overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

I have seen many tours of Bonampak/Yaxchilán from Palenque, so I guess it's easier to do now.

I'm not so sure about Celestun, but if I go there, I would want to make sure to see Flamingos.
I might skip it though, I don't want to rush too much.

As for Cozumel, I am not diving.

"By the end of this trip, I think you may be pretty wrung out, and you may want to just sit on a nice beach and toss back a few cold ones under a palapa while staring out at the turquoise Caribbean. Give yourself permission to do that after your long circuit around the Yucatan."
That's funny you said that, cause having a day in Playa del Carmen and another one in Cozumel at the end of my trip was my way of relaxing on a nice beach :) But obviously, if I'm too tired at this moment, I will skip Cozumel.

I'm pretty confident about my itinerary, I've worked on it for a long time.
But again, my only concern is the Palenque to Xpujil segment :)

I have been to Cancun and Tulum (ruins) before, hence why I was favoring Playa del Carmen to finish my trip.
I have 1 and 1/2 day planned for Mérida, but on my last day, if I'm tired, I might just stay in Mérida (instead of doing one of those day trips I was interested to: Mayapán or Celestún or Grutas de Loltún or Progreso?).

If you to to Celestun, maybe it's a good idea to overnight there the night before so you can get to the flamingo boats early in the AM? It's a tiny place but at least you won't get there in the afternoon (I think it's still at least 2 hours from Merida if I'm not mistaken). I considered doing that myself, but there was too much running from place to place on my trip, so decided just to stay longer in Merida.

Cozumel is not a great "beach" destination. It is a great scuba diving destination. The two are quite different.

All the "development" on Cozumel hugs the west coast (facing the strait between the island and Playa del Carmen on the mainland). There is little in the way of sandy beaches on Cozumel's west coast (a handful of small patches here and there, none of which are impressive, and a few stretches at the far north and south ends, none easily accessible to a day tripper).

Most of Cozumel's west coast consists of what locals call "ironshore" - rock. It's fine for jumping in the water and going diving (or snorkeling) but not much fun for a sandy beach experience. There are breathtaking beaches on the opposite (east) side of the island, but there's nothing much there. You can drive to the east side, and some people do when they're taking a break from diving, but without a car or a taxi, it's not easily accessible, and the big surf + rip currents there are usually quite dangerous (otherwise, there would be hotels and condos there).

If you want to relax on a beach, Cozumel is not where you want to head.

Playa del Carmen has a lovely beach. It's town has become way over-touristed (it once was a delightful little fishing village). The beach itself is still lovely, though it can get badly crowded. There are no shortages of beautiful beaches up and down the coast; the challenge is finding one that hasn't become overtouristed. Some folks like Akumal, where there's a nice, long sweeping sandy bay plus a sheltered lagoon for snorkeling; it has become quite popular and is kind of an expat enclave (a lot of money and folks around the San Francisco Bay area have homes there, there's even a sort of "Grateful Dead" restaurant). The beach is pleasant. Parking and rapid development issues (plus being somewhat isolated from "real Mexico" may be a turnoff for some). Lots of beaches to choose from.

By that point, you may want to have low-demands and low-expectations for yourself. Vaya con dios.

🏝 🦩☀️ 😎

Agnes,
"I considered doing that myself, but there was too much running from place to place on my trip, so decided just to stay longer in Merida."
- The more I think about this, the more I think I'm gonna skip it, for the same reason as you mentionned.

David,

That last part of my trip will be my less stressful :)
I will decide while there, but thank you for all those precisions.

I just have to make a decision about the Palenque to Xpujil route :)
I have been thinking about this for a long time and I haven't booked any accomodation yet because of this.
I will have to decide for good this week-end!

How did you go? I'm currently facing the exact dilemma in a weeks time so I'm very interested in what happened.

jocks99,

It was far from being optimal, but here is what I did :
Cancun --> Valladolid --> Mérida --> Campeche --> Palenque --> Campeche --> Calakmul (day trip) --> Campeche --> Cancun

I hired a private driver through Kankabi Ok Tours that drove from Campeche to Calakmul, waited 3 hours at the site, then drove back to Campeche with a 1 hour stop to have dinner at the nice little town of Champoton. It was a long day, but I don't regret it, I had just enough time at the ruins and the ride was very pleasant. Since I loved Campeche, I didn't mind the extra nights there.

I was lucky enough to find some other guy who wanted to do the same trip, so we split the cost of the ride (it was 1785 MXN each).

Again, not optimal, but I was happy with the way it turned out!
Hope it helps.