Adventure in the Maya World

At the time of the Spanish conquest , the Maya occupied all of Guatemala except the low coastal strip of the Pacific. Guatemala's archaeological treasures are vast. There are vestiges of this ancient civilization scattered throughout the country but the northern lowland of El Peten has the greatest concentration of ruins excavated to date. Of these, the most famous and important is Tikal.

Around 10 square miles of central Tikal have been mapped, revealing more than 3,000 separate structures -- temples, palaces, shrines, ceremonial platforms, small and medium-sized residences, ball courts, terraces, causeways and plazas. Construction is concentrated around ceremonial precincts containing more than 200 stone monuments -- carved and plain stelae and altars. These figures only hint at the size and grandeur of Tikal, especially when you realize how little of the site has been excavated.

The massive ruins of Tikal are at the center of the 222 square mile Tikal National Park, which is crisscrossed by roads and trails leading to all the main archaeological groups.

A bonus for visitors to Tikal is that you get a ecotourism adventure thrown in. The ruins are surrounded by lush rain forest with 150 ft high trees and abundant wildlife. More than 280 species of birds have been recorded there, including blue and white herons, hawks, parrots and hummingbirds. Large bands of spider monkeys roam the area and, away from the settlement, jaguars, ocelots and pumas as well as peccary and small deer roam the forest.

But back to the past. Tikal is so big that you need two full days to see just the major parts properly.
There are only a few places to stay at Tikal itself and most people intending to spend a few days exploring the site shuttle back and forth from Flores.
Upscale accommodation is available at the Hotel Camino Real Tikal on the shores of Lake Peten Itza halfway between Santa Elena Airport and the ruins.

The easiest option by far is to choose from the huge range of tours to Tikal and the other sites of El Peten. These range from a one-day outing from Guatemala City to a nine-day orgy of archaeology which includes visits to the ruins of Ceibal, Aguateca, the Sacrificial Altar at Passion River, and a sojourn in Mexico to see the important Yaxchilan and Palenque sites.

- Nuevo Mundo -