What and Where?

Tikal is an ancient Mayan city located in the Petén region of northern Guatemala. At its peak, Tikal was an important and influential city in the Mayan empire; however, its power eventually withered and today it stands as an important archeological site and a haven for tourists interested in Mayan history and architecture (1).  It also happens to be one of the prettiest places I have ever visited.  It’s so amazing, in fact, that I went twice… something I rarely ever do!

How to Get There from Xela…

There are many different options available to someone looking to go to Tikal from the mountain town of Quetzaltenango, or Xela, as it is commonly known.  I opted to go with a tour company and our route looked something like this:

Xela – Coban to see Semuc Champey – Flores to hang out at the lake for a day –

Tikal for a full day – Livingston to see the Caribbean and Los Siete Alteres – Guatemala City – Xela.  The whole trip took 4 days and was amazing.  There are many companies which offer this trip and it was not terribly expensive. I recommend going with Martin Días… see below for more information.

There are other options, of course, and most involve making your way to Guatemala City by chicken bus (up to 4 hours) where you would pick up another bus to Flores (about 8 hours).  In Flores it is only an hour or so to get to the Tikal site and there are plenty of mini-busses waiting to take you there.

You can also fly from Guatemala City to Flores.  I have never done this, but for those who may not feel fit for a long and probably uncomfortable bus ride, it would be recommended to investigate this option a little more.

Excavation… a Long Process!

The archeological site at Tikal is pretty massive!  It covers about 222 square miles of jungle territory encircling the main center of the ancient city (2).  While it appears that Tikal was never completely forgotten about by the local people after its fall from power, in time it was eventually reclaimed by Mother Nature.  A small percent of the site has been uncovered and catalogued by archeologists and universities over the years, and many of the temples are currently being restored; however, due to the great scope of the city there is undoubtedly an enormous amount left to be uncovered (3).

What You Will Find There…

There is much to see at Tikal.  The site is huge and there is a lot of walking involved in seeing it all.  In fact, it’s so expansive that one full day of strolling about from 6:00am to 6:00pm probably isn’t enough to soak it all in.  That being said, you can see a lot in a day.  The main highlights for me included:

• Climbing Temple IV, standing above the tree-line and being able to see the tops of the other temples peaking through.
• Climbing anything which I was allowed to climb and having beautiful views of the site!
• Standing in the main plaza and trying to imagine what it would have been like to live there where the city was at its peak.
• Having a tour guide explain the history of Tikal and its architecture.
• Seeing and hearing all of the wild animals: lots of howler monkeys, birds, spiders, etc…
• Sharing the experience with Leslie and all of my friends from Xela!

Impressions of the Site…

Without question, this is a must-visit archeological and cultural site.  Its natural beauty, jungle surroundings, animal life, interesting architecture and mysterious history make it one of the most fascinating sites I have ever visited. The most amazing thing is that archeologists are continuing to uncover more of the site each year.  You can’t help but admire the Mayans when standing in the middle of the main plaza of Tikal for everything they were able to accomplish as a society so many years ago.

Supporting a Great Company:

I very rarely pay tour companies to take me anywhere… I prefer to leg it on my own; that being said, Tikal was so awesome that I forked over the money to go not once, but twice! But we didn’t just see Tikal on this trip; we also visited the natural wonder known as Semuc Champey and we went to the Caribbean Coast where we enjoyed rock jumping at “Los Siete Alteres” and a super pretty boat ride along the Rio Dulce. I did this trip each time with Martín Diaz.  I highly recommend his services, and you can get in contact with him at his website: http://www.guateguides.com/

 

Bibliography:

1)      “The History of Tikal – Mayan Ruins of Guatemala.” About.com Latin American History. About.com, n.d. Web. 22 June 2014. <http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/Maya/p/The-History-Of-Tikal.htm>.

2)      “General Information on Tikal National Park, Tikal National Park Management, Tikal National Park Regulations, Interesting Facts about Tikal, What to See in Tikal National Park, Getting around Tikal in a Self Guided Tour, General Information of the Tikal Maya Archaeological Site in Guatemala.” General Information on Tikal National Park. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2014. <http://www.tikalpark.com/generalinfo.htm>.

3)      “Tikal.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 June 2014. Web. 22 June 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tikal>.