Benemérito de las Américas Getting there & around

Getting there & away

On the highway toward the north end of town, Cooperativa Rápidos de la Selva and Transporte Benito Juárez run combis to Palenque (M$60, three to 3½ hours) every 30 or 45 minutes from 4:30am to 5:30pm, stopping at Crucero Corozal (M$20, 45 minutes) and San Javier (M$25, one hour) en route. Línea Comitán Lagos de Montebello, on the highway toward the south end of town, runs seven vans to Palenque (M$60, three to 3½ hours) between 4am and 3:15pm, and 10 along the Carretera Fronteriza and Pan-American Highway to Comitán (M$150, five hours) between 3am and 2pm.

The arrival of foreign travelers might raise eyebrows at Benemérito’s river embarcadero (1km off the main street); the traffic here seems to run more toward contraband than tourists. Notwithstanding, you can hire a lancha for M$1500 (negotiable) to take you three or four hours up the Río Salinas and Río de la Pasión to Sayaxché (Guatemala), a base for visiting the interesting Maya ruins of Ceibal, Aguateca and Dos Pilas. On the way, you have the opportunity to stop and see more ruins at Pipiles and Altar de los Sacrificios.

An alternative is to take a lancha a short distance downriver to Laureles, on the Guatemalan side (colectivo M$5, especial M$150). Buses leave Laureles at around 3am, 4am and 5am for El Subín (Q$20, 2½ hours), a junction on the Flores–Sayaxché road with plenty of minibuses and buses to both towns.

Benemérito has no immigration post; you must pick up or hand in Mexican tourist cards at Frontera Corozal.