cactus paddles are a superfood
Your favorite jungle hideaway, El Panchan, is still fabulous!
Remember the 1st time you went to Palenque in the 1990s and everybody cool stayed at a mystic camp on the road to the ruins? They said you could trek through the jungle to the pyramids, stopping to take a swim in a stream, perhaps crossing paths with local Campesinos to trade artifacts or purchase newspaper-wrapped parcels of mushrooms. Maybe you recall how dreamy & fabulous it all was?
Well, guess what? El Panchan is still fabulous! The whole jungle compound seems much tidier than before. I heard rumors of a change in management after the vibe got too druggy a few years back. The central attraction of Don Mucho’s pizzeria is too big for my likes (and don’t get me started on pizza!), but the vibe of the neighboring camps suits me just fine. Stone & cement paved paths cut thru the lush jungle, swimming pools are abandoned, but cabanas are screened in, bathrooms have running water, and easy conversation is found at every corner.
The 3 nights that we spent at El Panchan flew by. It took hours to say goodbye to all the friends we had chatted with. We seriously debated extending our stay to include the 25th-anniversary celebration of Don Mucho’s. I think if we were to redo our trip we would have stayed at least a week, but we were at the beginning of a 15-day adventure in Chiapas, so we pressed on to the Selva Lacandona, Ocosingo & San Cristobal.
Some travelers get stuck at the jungle camp- ATRAPALENQUE- atrapado means trapped! Falling into the easy groove of camp life, and finding a slow hustle (connecting buyers of psychedelic mushrooms with foragers, making jewelry, selling rocks, slinging pizzas) earning just enough money to pay for the rent of their hammock & plenty of cold caguamas. A couple of weeks or months here would be a lovely escape from real life or just a welcome social respite from the isolation of travel.
Doña Felipa’s kitchen is the best place to eat at El Panchan & one of the best in all of Chiapas!
Visuals of a visit to El Panchan
I only took 39 photos in my 3-day visit to El Panchan. Here’s my little compilation of all of them: a visit to El Panchan.
. This jungle camp of relaxed cabanas and even more chilled out restaurants & bars is best enjoyed IN THE MOMENT- and not through a lens or screen. You never know when you will catch sight of a howler monkey, some tropical birds, or adorable sereques!
Best Place to Eat in El Panchan: Doña Felipa
The best place to eat in El Panchan is a little fonda tucked behind Don Mucho’s- follow the signs for the reception for Jungle Palace and follow the laughter to Doña Felipa’s kitchen. Ask what’s available, “Que hay para comer?”
I highly recommend her enormous handmade quesadillas, possibly with grilled bistec and a generous helping of her special salsa de ajonjoli. If she has (cactus paddles), go for it because she slices them extra thin & they are delicious! Her menu is typical of regional eateries: eggs, chicken, chorizo, pork & grilled beef offered as tacos, quesadillas, or al gusto (entree prepared as you like, ie ala mexicana, frito, served with rice & beans, tortillas & salsa…
Breakfasts are $55 pesos and include local coffee, made in the cafe de olla style, but without sugar. We had huevos con nopales and huevos ala mexicana several times. I have to say that coffee has improved leaps & bounds over the last decade in Chiapas. So happy to see the gorgeous coffee grown in the area consumed locally! It used to be so much Nescafe!
Ooh! This is also a great place to drink beer! Caguamas are $45 pesos. Ask for glasses & share with friends.
Doña Felipa is from Oaxaca. She married a Palenque local and lives on a ranch outside of town. All of the food waste is transported to her ranch to feed the chickens, turkeys & pigs. She’s super knowledgeable about agriculture & food traditions of the area. I love how she touches every table, even while her grandchildren were visiting. This is the kind of warm hospitality that makes eating memorable, and is not so often found in the wilds of the jungle.