Flores to Palenque: Crossing the Guatemala-Mexico border at El Ceibo Using Public Transport

Travelling from Flores in Guatemala to Palenque in Mexico, using public transport via the El Ceibo border crossing.

My time in Guatemala comes to an end. It was time to go and explore the Palenque Archaeological Site.

So, having stayed a week in Flores, hanging out plus visiting Tikal National Park, where the temples rise majestically out of the jungle.

Exploring Tikal National Park:

From Flores, you need to walk back across the causeway to the Terminal Central de Buses in Santa Elena:

The colectivo to El Ceibo, the Guatemala-Mexico Border:

​The colectivos stop 200 metres before the Guatemalan immigration. Journey time was four hours and 30 minutes. Cost was 60Q, which is about 8 USD.

Crossing the Guatemala-Mexico Border

Leaving Guatemala: VERY EASY!

Entering Mexico: LONG AND DRAWN OUT. Go to one office for COVID questions. Go to another office and get asked about the length of your stay.

The rules are, if staying longer than seven days, you pay the 594 pesos entry tax. So if this applies to you, you go off to the bank and pay. Yes, you get a receipt. They even take credit cards.

Then it’s back to the immigration officer, who then stamps your immigration card and passport. This takes about an hour. And Mexico is one hour ahead.

Passport stamps:

​Once across the border:

Colectivos from El Ceibo to Tenosique can normally be found a 10-minute walk from Mexican immigration.

I say normally because the day I was travelling, there were none.

​Why? One of life’s little mysteries, I guess.

El Ceibo is a nothing town. There are just a few shops and not much else. No ATMs. So change your leftover quetzales in Flores or at the border on the Guatemalan side.

I was travelling with four French travellers.

So in the absence of regular public transport, we stopped a 4×4 pickup and hitched a ride in the back for 50 MXN:

We arrived in the centre of Tenosique, then it’s a 30-minute walk to the outskirts of town, where we took a colectivo to Palenque. They run half-hourly and go via Zapata (which adds about an hour to the journey). The fare is 90 MXN, and the trip takes two hours or so.

Total costs using public transportation (2021 prices): 60Q + 50 pesos + 90 pesos (8 USD + 2.50 USD + 4.50 USD) = 17 USD or 127Q. The cost of the tourist shuttle in 2021 was 230Q.

Verdict: the journey was long and very hot, but just another day at the office. 13 hours door-to-door in tropical weather.