Palenque Mexico to Tikal Guatamala via El Ceibo

[Lonesome George]

I know there has been a thread on this recently but I couldn't find it. I'd like to here from anyone who's been on the road crossing from Palenque to Tikal THROUGH EL CEIBO NOT the Frontera Echeverria way.

I believe there is a fully paved road route through El Ceibo and the only problem is that the Guatamala side do not have the facilities to stamp the bike in. A trip to the Belize border however will sort that out. Have I got this right? Am planning to be that way in about a week. Anyone else around?

[Plasticsun]

We're in San Christobal right now and we'd be very interested in finding out what you learn about this. That route would be ideal for us but we won't be leaving until after the new year.

If you're in the area and want to meet up for a let us know!

Eric + Sabrina
2wheels2boots.com

[sasper]

Let us all know how the road is over there. I'll be crossing over in a month or 2 and would love to do it off the beaten path a bit.

[MikeS]

Argentina-Alaska: May 2007

If you scroll down my blog to 'viva mexico', there's a section when I crossed from Guatemala to Mex using the river crossing from a place called Bethel (I think, my maps were terrible though), it was west from the main road south of Flores (the turn off may have been from Sayaxche on Ruta 5) , I went to Palenque from there. Think it might be a different crossing from the one you mention but still an option.

[Sjoerd Bakker]

Here is a picture of the highway in Guatemala from El Ceibo to the east http://www.pixcelgallery.com/viewpho...d/100478/sid/5 ( grumble grumble, I am having a hard time getting pictures posted,somehow they changed the sequence of icons and steps that neeed to be followed , working on it, will try again)
Here is the link you were probably thinking of Palenque to Tikal via moto; possible? - ADVrider
A new post there says that El Ceibo is now fully up to speed on issuing TVIP for Guatemala

[Lonesome George]

Today I crossed from Palenque to Flores (near Tikal) on a fully paved road. This route is now totally up and running and will surely become the favourite route for bikes who want to get from Palenque to Tikal. Fully sealed road, 220 miles and the whole thing took us under 8 hours (left Palenque at 8, arrived at Flores 3:30)



Details below...



We left Palenque at 8 a.m. A few miles out of town we took a road to the right, signposted as La Liberdad. It's a short cut towards Tenosique. After 30 miles you turn right (signposted Tenosique) and in another 30 miles you enter Tenosique. There is a PEMEX just as you enter town. About 500 metres past the Pemex is a hotel on the left (Don Juan I think) which, from the outside looked OK. It took us just under 2 hours and about 60-70 miles to get to Tenosique. But then we got lost in town for 30 minutes. After the Hotel, at the traffic lights, turn right and then there is a roundabout. I went left (third exit) and went into town. I think I should have just gone straight ahead...



From Tenosique to the border (El Ceiba) was about 45 minutes and 40 miles. Good road, but no services and nothing at El Ceiba. The Mexican side of the border has FULL services for checking out of the country. A Bancajeto to cancel your temporary import card for the bike in an air conditioned room. Unfortunately I didn't check whether they are open on Mondays, a previous thread said they are shut on Mondays. I was there on a saturday. Perhaps the next person who goes by can check. It took us 15 minutes to check out of Mexico!
Immediately as we crossed the border a guy stopped me to get the passports stamped. He's in the first (and only) white and blue building on the left. Took 5 minutes, cost nothing. He then points across the road to a parked up lorry on stilts. That's where you get the bike stamped in. The two guys in the “building” were fantastic. Friendly and helpful and absolutely no whiff of bribery at all. They apologized as the electricity wasn't working and I had to jump into a tuk-tuk to go to a photocopy shop as you have to have a photocopy of the Guatemalan stamp that has just been put in the passport. (Other photocopies needed were, driving license, passport photo page and Bike title)



Once I'd done that he got me my temporary Guatamala bike import papers and a sticker to put on the bike. Cost – 40 Queztals ($6) (There was a little mix up as he was worried about my bike being able to leave Guatamala as my license plate said “Alaska” not “USA” but we sorted that out.) This side of the border took about an hour but 20 minutes of that was me getting the photocopy. When we left they insisted on taking our photo on the bike. THAT'S never happened to me before at a border crossing.









We then had the wheels ceremoniously sprayed with something that cost 20 Q ($3) and we were on our way. Under an hour and a half for the whole thing and actually quite a pleasant experience. The El Ceiba side of the border has nothing in the way of hotels. But on the Guatamala side I did see a hotel on the right 500 meters into the country. Looked OK if you were stuck for somewhere, there's nothing else for 150 miles.



It took 2 hours 45 minutes to get to Flores, about 150 miles on a really good road (except for the topes). Total mileage from Palenque to Flores – 220. 150 miles from the last PEMEX in Tenosique to the first gas station I saw in Guatamala which was 20 miles before Flores. So fill up in Tenosique.

[brianrossy]

from my website about El Ceibo...

We headed off for the border about 8am the next day. The general exit was easy, although a little timely with all three of us. No hassles though. On the other side at the massive new El Ceibo crossing things were fairly smooth as well. Firstly we checked ourselves into the country at immigration and then moved on to check the bikes in. At El Ceibo there is no credit card facility to pay the Banjercito temporary vehicle import permit (TVIP). It is NECESSARY to bring $400 USD to pay the fee plus a little extra for other small fees. All in all it cost about $440 or so to exit and enter at El Ceibo and was quite an easy border crossing. Highly recommended!

[MikeS]

$440 wow! - I paid $20 to get me and my GS1150 across the border river between Guatemala and Mexico on a small launch boat in 2007. That's progress I guess...

[AnjinSan]

Hi guys,

we are currently in Palenque and we were thinking to cross tomorrow into Guatemala via El Ciebo crossing. Is the Banjercito office still closed on Mondays or now it is open all week?

If it is still closed, what do you suggest? Stay in Palenque 1 more day or just go to Tenosique?

Thanks,
Alex

[masukomi]

Originally Posted by AnjinSan

Hi guys,

we are currently in Palenque and we were thinking to cross tomorrow into Guatemala via El Ciebo crossing. Is the Banjercito office still closed on Mondays or now it is open all week?

If it is still closed, what do you suggest? Stay in Palenque 1 more day or just go to Tenosique?

Thanks,
Alex

You're probably on the road again by now, but my vote would be to head for Tenosique. The road from Palenque to there will probably take you longer than you're expecting. We generally prefer to get to borders as early in the day as possible to allow for more time to find somewhere to stay if things end up taking unexpectedly long.

Can't offer any info on the Benjercito being closed or not. But, I do know we didn't have to pay $400+ to get OUT of mexico.

[masukomi]

er... just went back through my notes and Plaeque is way closer to Tenosique than I thought. I confused the fact that we left late (having visited the Palenque ruins in the morning ... well worth it) with it taking long to get there.

[AnjinSan]

Hy guys, a short update about the crossing on Mondays:

People that I've asked about this elusive border crossing had various opinions ranging from it does not exist to it does but the only Banjercito is in Tuxtla Gutierez. Turns out the border crossing is OK and there is a Banerjcito..

Even with the schedule of the Banjercito it was so fanny: everybody we asked on the road from Tenosique to El Ceibo said that it is open today (Monday). Police guys at the 2 check points, the military guys and the top of the top... the border guys at the border crossing itself. We stopped, we asked if the Banjerito is open and they said yes and motion us to park the bike so they could check it!!
We were starting to reach for our documents when another guy came from the Adauna building and said to our first guy "Hey, man, today is Monday, they cannot pass today as the bank is closed". This alone made the trip to the border worth it (and it was a ride with nice views too).

So heads up for other travelers: The Banjercito is indeed still closed on Monday!

[AnjinSan]

We just crossed today the border between Mexico and Guatemala at El Ceibo border crossing and here are the details of how it went for us. Hopefully it would help others that head in the same direction.


Yesterday indeed we returned to Tenosique (which in fact wasn't that bad, I had time to write a new post for the R.R. and order some parts for the moto )

As masukomi mentioned the road from Palenque to Tensosique might take a long time (especially if you go on back roads)
After confirming that the Banjercito is closed on Mondays we returned to Tenosique searching for accommodation.

We ended up at Luz de Luna hotel which is on Street nr 26.
So for others who might get there on Monday or those who are just coming in from Guate and don't want to drive all the way to Palenque, we recommend this place. It was 280 pesos per room (tiny but very clean room) with A/C, WiFi and TV-for those who care about TV ) and secure (locked gate and with a guard) parking for the bike.
There are cheaper places in town but the 2 hotels that we've seen looked really shabby and the rooms where not that clean.

Getting to El Ceibo:

In Tenosique there aren't too many signs with El Ceibo but we noticed that if we follow the signs for La Palma then it would get us out in the same direction and then after the second PeMex there will be a sign for El Ceibo to the right. Of course, just stopping and asking is much better and entertaining (for me as I don't speak Spanish almost at all )

Crossing the border:

On Mexican side everything is straight forward. I would just say that normally you should first register out your bike in Adauna/Banercito building, and then get the exit stamps for your passport. We arrived at 10 AM (the previous day a guard said that Banjercito would open at 9 AM but he said that we better come after that hour...) and there was nobody there. We practically woke up the guy at the counter

Everything was super official and friendly. No hint of any problem. Very professional!

Then we passed on the Guatemalan side. Here you should first stamp your passport then import your bike.
Here how it went for us:
- for passports you go into the first building. The border guards will point it to you even before you have time to get off the bike.
- no A/C in the building, but a friendly guy. Long time to write things by hand but you can admire the map of Guatemala in the mean time.
For the bike:
- you still go to the truck. But now it is parked on the same side of the road. They have power and even A/C but still no copy machine. So you will have to take the tuk-tuk to go and make copies of your documents.
- it is better to have copies of your documents already made and readily available with you. You would still need to go with the tuk-tuk to make a photo copy of the passport with the stump you just got for Guatemala BUT you would save some money for the others. It cost us 0.5 pesos per copy in Tenosique. And I was asked for 5 quetzals/copy (sorry for the miss-spelling...) at the place where the tuk-tuk... uhmm tuck me

Also you need to pay 160 quetzals (~22 US dollars) for the moto permit at the bank which is in another truck right near the truck for the Adauna.
Please have cash with you. There is no tarjeta paying at the border and the nearest cash machine (they told me) is in La Libertad (~2 hours one way driving). I had only 100 pesos left and no quetzals but US dollars were OK and at a fair exchange rate.

While I was running around doing the above things, Andreea was relaxing (watching the bike) and chatting with the gorder guards. They were very friendly, wanted to take photos with the bike (and on the bike). Everything was relaxed and with a lot of smiles. Again no hint of anything unprofessional. Also no tramitadores in sight.
The hole thing lasted for us arround 1 hour (on the Guatemalan side) and during this time we were the only "foreigners" there. Nice and quiet!

Also there was no additional paying for anything and no spraying of our wheels with anything. After we had all our papers, we just say good bye to all the guards gathered around us and left.

That was all.
We would highly recommend this border crossing. No traffic, nice scenery along the route and safe and professional border point, with friendly people.

Good luck to everybody.