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Border Crossing: Guatemala to Mexico at El Ceibo

August 6, 2021 | Tagged: Mexico, Guatemala, Border Crossings

Crossing from Guatemala to Mexico at the El Ceibo border crossing, Flores to Palenque trip report​.
​Border Crossing: Guatemala to Mexico at El Ceibo
My time in Guatemala comes to an end. Time to cross another border, this time I travel from Flores, Guatemala back into Mexico at the El Ceibo border crossing and further to Palenque.

Flores is the most popular town for travellers to base themselves when visiting the ruins of Tikal where the temples rise majestically out of the jungle:

From the small island (you can walk around it in 15 minutes), of Flores with the town of the same name, to Santa Elena is a 20-minute walk, where I got a direct colectivo to the border post at El Ceibo which was quite a result as I was expecting to need to change at the junction on the Naranjo road 20km short of the border.

More than a year later I travelled from Flores/Santa Elena to Belize and the Melchor de Mencos border crossing
​Border Crossing: Guatemala to Mexico at El Ceibo
​It's a nice ride:
​The colectivos stop 200m before Guatemalan immigration. Journey time was 4 hrs 30. Cost was 60Q
​Border Crossing: Guatemala to Mexico at El Ceibo
​​Border Crossing: Guatemala to Mexico at El Ceibo
​Once across the border:

El Ceibo - Mexico to Tenosique colectivos 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. A few shops and not much else. No ATMs. So change your leftover Quetzals in Flores or at the border on the Guatemalan side.

I was travelling with 4 French travellers.

So in the absence of regular public transport, we stopped a 4x4 pickup and hitched a ride in the back for 50MXN:
​Border Crossing: Guatemala to Mexico at El Ceibo
We arrived in the centre of Tenosique from where it's a 30minute walk to get the colectivo to Palenque on the outskirts of town. They run half-hourly and go via Zapata (which adds about an hour to the journey. Fare is 90MXN and the trip takes 2hrs +:

Border formalities:

Leaving Guatemala: VERY EASY!

Entering Mexico: LONG AND DRAWN OUT. Go in one office for Covid questions. Go to another office and get asked by a non-smiling border officer about the length of your stay.

The rules are, if staying longer than 7 days, you pay 594MXN 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 stazi-like immigration officer who then stamps up your immigration card and passport. This takes about an hour. And Mexico is 1 hour ahead.
​
I wonder if they like to employ the sourest of Mexicans, who are always a very friendly and smiley bunch?
​
But, at least this time both the Guatemala guy and Little Miss Unsmiley didn't put the passport stamps on brand new pages!
​Border Crossing: Guatemala to Mexico at El Ceibo
Total costs using public transportation in 2021: 60Q + 50P + 90P (8 USD + 2.50 USD + 4.50 USD) = 17 USD or 127Q.

The cost of the tourist shuttle in 2021 was 230Q. And even using this requires a change of vehicle at the border.

Tourist shuttles do not cross into Mexico and if they have screwed you by not organising anything on the other side, you will be the sour one here.

And I guarantee you, if you chose the easy option, that your day will still be long so if you are in a hurry, fly.

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

  • ​Border Crossing: Belize to Mexico at Santa Elena
  • Border Crossing: Guatemala to Belize at Melchor de Mencos
  • Border Crossing: Honduras to Guatemala at Corinto
  • Border Crossing: Nicaragua to Honduras at Las Manos​​​​
  • Border Crossing: Costa Rica to Nicaragua at Peñas Blancas
  • ​Border Crossing: Panama to Costa Rica at Paso Canoas
  • Border Crossing: Costa Rica to Panama at Sixaola / Guabito
  • Border Crossing: Nicaragua to Costa Rica at Las Tablillas​
  • Border Crossing: El Salvador to Nicaragua by boat
  • Border Crossing: Mexico To Guatemala at Ciudad Hidalgo
  • Border Crossing: Senegal to Mali at Kidira / Diboli​
  • Border Crossing: Albania to North Macedonia
Next Post:

​Nomadic Backpacker gets vaccinated against Covid in Mexico

Previous Post:

​​​Backpacking the Mayan Ruins of Tikal | Guatemala


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  • HOME
  • About
    • ABOUT Me
    • About the Blog
  • Sitemap
  • ADVERTISE
  • BORDER CROSSINGS
  • DONATE
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  • Travel Advice
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  • destinations
    • United Kingdom
    • Belize
    • Honduras
    • Panama
    • Costa Rica
    • Nicaragua
    • El Salvador
    • Guatemala
    • Mexico
    • Africa
    • Turkey
    • The Balkans
​