Over the Easter Break we headed to Guatemala for a few days to check out Tikal, one of the Major sites of the Maya Civilization.
The magnificent ruins of Tikal are set within the Parque
Nacional Tikal, a protected nature reserve, located just west of the
Belize/Guatemala Border in the Peten.
Tikal was occupied during the Preclassic and Classic
periods, from 300 BC-900 AD. It was
rediscovered in late 1800’s. The
archaeological research and restoration of Tikal began in the 1950’s, and in
1979 Tikal National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We stayed at La Casa De Don David, a quaint little hotel in the village of El Remate. El Remate is famous for its woodcarvings and is set along the eastern shore of the Lago Peten Itza. El Remate is about 30 km south of Tikal and was a great base.
We arrived in El Remate on Thursday evening, and spent the night exploring the village and enjoying the sunset. The next morning we woke up bright and early ready for a day at Tikal. According to past visitors and guidebooks transportation to Tikal is affordable and readily available, with taxis, buses, and collectivos running on a regular basis. After about an hour, we finally were able to get a private collectivo headed north. We later found out that Good Friday is a national holiday in Guatemala and no taxis, buses, or collectivos are required to run.
We arrived at the park mid morning eager to begin exploring. Over 1,000 structures are scattered over 500 square kilometers, with many of the still hidden beneath mounds of earth. Several temples tower above the jungle’s canopy rising more than 60 meters. The site is truly amazing. We had a great day exploring through the jungle and climbing up the Maya temples.
We returned to El Remate and once again enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the lake. The next day we headed back to Belize to meet my parents at the airport. Though our trip was short, we had a great time, and we are so glad that we visited Tikal.
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