Great Plaza
Two facing temples.
Mike Vondran derivative work: MrPanyGoff — CC BY 2.0 · Unknown — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Laslovarga — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Simon Burchell — CC BY-SA 3.0
The greatest and best-known of the ancient Maya cities, set deep in dense tropical forest in northern Guatemala. It was one of the most powerful kingdoms of the Classic Maya world, peaking between the sixth and ninth centuries with tens of thousands of people, before it was abandoned and swallowed by trees for centuries. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, for both its culture and its nature. At its heart lies the Great Plaza between two facing pyramid temples: the Temple of the Great Jaguar with its steep stairway and the Temple of the Masks, flanked by the North and Central Acropolis with layered palaces and temples. Visitors climb a wooden stair to the top of Temple IV, its tallest building at about 65 metres, to see the other temple crests rising above a sea of trees. The forest around the ruins is a vast reserve, home to howler and spider monkeys, toucans, parrots, ocellated turkeys and long-tailed coatis, and howler calls echo between the temples. The site is huge and walking between its sights takes hours, so a guide helps. Heat and humidity are high and mosquitoes plentiful, so carry water, repellent and a hat. Petén is a vast, thinly populated region, so travel by day on tourist shuttles or known tours, and keep away from the Mexican border areas.
Two facing temples.
Above the trees.
Monkeys and toucans.
Tikal National Park, northern Petén, about an hour and a half from Flores
Q150 for foreigners, from the Ministry of Culture site or BANTRAB branches; sunrise entry is Q100 more with a guide.
Not by day, though it helps on so vast a site; it is required for sunrise entry.