Bonampak, Chiapas – The Maya’s colourful paintings

A smaller, less known Maya town is located 140 km south-east of Palenque close to the Guatemalan border. Bonampak was probably only a secondary principality. But here in the hot and humid rain forest something was conserved that decayed in other places long time ago. In three rooms of a temple 3 m high well preserved murals are found that are thought to be the most elaborate in Mexico. The colourful works of art show scenes from courtly life as well as acts of war. These murals proofed for the first time that the Maya that were thought to be peaceful entered into campaigns and killed enemies.

We are stopped at the access road to Zona Arceológica Bonampak about 9.5 km in front of the destination. Everybody has to park his car here and pay 70 Peso pp to the ejido that owns the road for a bus shuttle to the excavation site where the gate to the pyramid site opens for another 41 Peso entrance fee. We overnight at Campamento Lacadones, a small eco tourism project where we park on a grass field for 35 MXN pp. There is a river to swim in, but it contains muddy water in this season.

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