Palenque

Palenque's days as a sleepy little village are far behind. Locals have obliged the needs of travelers in search of the ruins at the Palenque Archaeological Zone, Bonampak, and Yaxchilán by opening a string of restaurants and lodgings on and around Avenida Juárez, the main thoroughfare, and along La Cañada, a popular tourist destination west of downtown. Although Palenque is not a really cute place, it's colorful enough, with cinder-block buildings gussied up in coats of vivid yellow, orange, and blue paint. You can listen to a marimba band in the square or buy a sugary pastry from a vendor on a bicycle.