Tenosique
Tenosique is a small city of about 35,000 inhabitants (2020) in the Mexican state of Tabasco. It is best known as the source of a traditional dance called el Pocho. Tenosique is the home town of Pino Suarez, hero of the Mexican Revolution and a former vice-president of Mexico. It is a riverfront town on the banks of the Usumacinta River.
Understand
Like many Mexican cities, Tenosique has an overly pompous long name that nobody but government officials actually uses. The long official name is Tenosique de Pino Suárez.
El Pocho
El Pocho is a traditional Mexican dance that is iconic of the state of Tabasco. Tenosique is the town that preserves the tradition, which dates back far before the time of the Spanish conquest. El Pocho is performed by a complex cast of costumed characters who play out a timeless story of good vs. evil. By the end of the dance, el Pocho (the evil God) is vanquished. The dance is performed annually from January 20 (Day of St Sebastian) until Shrove Tuesday.
Get in
By bus
ADO has hourly departures from Villahermosa to Tenosique. The 3-1/2 hour trip costs as little as M$200. Autobuses TRT has 3 daily departures and other 2nd class lines have less frequent departures.
- 1 Terminal de Autobuses ADO (Estacion Nueva), Prolongacion Calle 20. Ugly and run-down bus station. Poorly maintained facility with inadequate staffing.
By train
Tenosique is a stop on the Tren Maya intercity railway that loops through the Yucatan Peninsula. It is on the section between Campeche and Palenque. Tickets can be purchased at major stations or on the official Tren Maya web site. The Tenosique stop begins service December 31, 2023.
- 2 Tren Maya Estacion Tenosique (Train station), 7 de Noviembre, Luis Donaldo Colosio. Trains stop here to let passengers on and off. This is not a full-service station, the nearest full-service station is El Triunfo.
By car
Tenosique is 215 km east of Villahermosa, capital of the state of Tabasco.
From Villahermosa, take federal highway MEX-186 (Carr. Villahermosa - Escarcega) until the km 147 marker, where you'll find the junction with federal highway MEX-203 (Carr. Emiliano Zapata - Tenosique). Take MEX-203 for 75 km and you'll reach Tenosique.
Get around
The town itself is compact and easily explored on foot, but most travelers will likely arrive by train and want to visit the Maya sites so a taxi is the best option. There are also moto-taxis that are an inexpensive (and fun) way to get around. You can flag one down on the streets, or you'll likely find them near the Malecon or the Tren Maya station.
See
Tenosique is not a touristic city, but it has great potential. Travelers with an interest in archaeology may be interested in two well-explored and documented Mayan sites that are within the municipality of Tenosique. Both are maintained and operated by INAH. (There's a third site called Panhale that is not yet open to the public).
- 1 Pomona Archaeological Zone (Pakbul) (Carretera federal MEX-203 Emiliano Zapata-Tenosique a la altura del kilómetro 47+920), ☏ +52 993 352 1022. Daily 08:00 - 17:00. Small Maya site with several pyramids and other well-restored structures. Climbing the pyramids is still allowed at this site. It's a beautifully maintained site in a natural setting with colonies of monkeys living in the trees around it. The site museum has a number of artifacts recovered from the site. Bring water, snacks, hat, and mosquito repellant because there's no store nearby.
- 2 San Claudio Archaeological Zone, Carretera internacional Tenosique-El Ceibo KM 38. Daily 09:00 - 17:00. Maya site from the late classic period, probably peaked around 600 AD. There's 94 identified structures at the site in five groups. Buildings include pyramids, platforms, a ballcourt, and an astronomical observatory. Archaeologists found the remains of 35 humans buried at this site. The site covers an area of 70 hectares.
Do
There's not much to do in Tenosique other than walk along the Malecon or go fishing on the river.
- 1 Malecon, Malecon, Centro. The Malecon is a pleasant downtown area where you can walk along the riverfront, pose for selfies in front of the town's letters, or stop to admire their mural. Boats can be hired for a sightseeing ride on the river.
Festivals
- Carnaval de Tenosique - January-February: The Tenosique Carnival is a much bigger event than the town's small size would seem to indicate. The reason for its outsize popularity is that it's a historic Carnaval that preserves Prehispanic traditions and Mexicans often travel great distances to see the throwing of flour and the traditional Danza de Pocho, a folkloric dance performed nowhere else with the authority and authenticity of the Tenosique performers. Hotel rooms are typically booked a year or more in advance for the Carnaval season.
Buy
Eat
- 1 El Lienzo, Calle 28, Centro. Daily 12:00 - 23:00. Unpretentious but clean local cantina that serves basic antojitos.
- 2 Los Tulipanes, Calle 65, Ingenio. 07:00 - 19:00. Regional cuisine with unpretentious but friendly service. Hope you like eggs for breakfast. Limited lunch menu, but what they have is tasty. The pierna en adobo is recommended. Cash only (no credit cards). M$60 (breakfast), M$130 (lunch).
- 3 Palms Cafe, Prolongacion Calle 28 s/n, Lazaro Cardenas, ☏ +52 934 342 6108. 11:00 - 22:00. Relaxing place with outdoor patio tables and air conditioned inside dining. Light food including sandwiches, burgers, fries, and pizza.
Drink
Sleep
- 1 Hotel La Roca, Calle 39 #318, San Miguelito, ☏ +52 934 342 4945. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Moderate hotel with comfortable rooms and friendly service. Nice swimming pool. On-site restaurant available.
- 2 Hotel Hacienda Tabasqueña, Calle 26 #512, La Trinchera, ☏ +52 934 688 0447. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Comfortable hotel in the downtown area, rooms are air conditioned and have TV, WiFi, minibar, hot and cold water. Parking lot is not on-site. M$700.
- 3 Hotel Central, Calle 26 and Calle 19, Centro, ☏ +52 934 342 0130. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Moderate hotel with friendly service and servicable but dated furnishings. Easy walk to park or river. Ample on-site parking. M$700.
- 4 Hotel Luz de la Luna, Calle 26 #171 Luis Gómez, ☏ +52 934 134 8675. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 12:00. Small basic rooms with cable, internet and air conditioning. Ample on-site parking with security cameras.
Connect
Cell reception is pretty good in the town of Tenosique but it's always 4G (as of 2023). Cell coverage can get spotty if you go east of town or if you go south towards the Guatemala border.