The complex funeral rituals and medical practices are evidence of the distinct spiritual and cultural systems framing life and death in the Palenque community.

UNESCO: Intangible Cultural Heritage

Palenque de San Basilio was one of the walled communities called palenques, which were founded by escaped slaves as a refuge in the seventeenth century.

UNESCO: Intangible Cultural Heritage

The Cultural Space of Palenque de San Basilio encompasses social, medical and religious practices as well as musical and oral traditions, many of which have African roots.

UNESCO: Intangible Cultural Heritage

Continue on to Sayil, where you will find a pyramid with a delicate roof-comb not unlike the ones you will find in the larger Maya sites of Calakmul and Palenque south from here.

BBC: The forgotten ruins of Mexico��s Ruta Puuc

Central to the cultural space of Palenque de San Basilio is the palenquero language, the only creole language in Latin America with a lexical Spanish basis and grammatical characteristics of Bantu languages.

UNESCO: Intangible Cultural Heritage