Just off the road to the ruins, El Panchán is a legendary travelers’ hangout, set in a patch of dense rainforest. It’s the epicenter of Palenque’s alternative scene and home to a bohemian bunch of Mexican and foreign residents and wanderers. Once ranchland, the area has been reforested by the remarkable Morales family, some of whom are among the leading archaeological experts on Palenque. El Panchán has several (mostly rustic) places to stay, a couple of restaurants, a set of sinuous streams rippling their way through every part of the property, nightly entertainment (and daily drumming practice), a meditation temple, a temascal (pre-Hispanic steam bath) and a constant stream of interesting visitors from all over the world.
