Malpasito Ruins

Top choice in Tabasco


The Maya ceremonial site of Malpasito is 600m (signposted) uphill from the village of the same name. Apart from the beautiful setting, what’s remarkable about this little-visited site, dating from AD 700 to 900, are its petroglyphs. More than 100 petroglyphs showing birds, deer, monkeys, people, and temples with stairways are scattered around the Malpasito area, of which about 10 are at the archaeological site. Interpretive signs are in Spanish and English.

You need your own wheels to get here but if you do, the site is easily accessible if you're driving between Tuxtla Gutiérrez and Villahermosa. It's located just over the border of Chiapas on the main highway 145D, 115km north of Tuxtla Gutiérrez (1¾ hours), or 140km (two hours) south of Villahermosa.