El Petén
With its strategic position on the west bank of the Río de la Pasión, the independent kingdom of Ceibal amassed considerable power controlling commerce…
Must-see attractions in El Petén
El Petén
Buried within the furthest reaches of the Petén jungle, just 7km south of the Mexican border, the Late Preclassic metropolis at El Mirador contains one of…
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El Petén
This impressive sight is also impressively hard to get to, requiring 4x4-only driving or horses. Nakum was a significant port on the Holmul river, a…
El Petén
The Classic Maya sites of Yaxhá, Nakum and El Naranjo form a triangle that is the basis for a national park covering more than 37,000 hectares and…
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El Petén
Laguna Petexbatún is a 6km-long lake south of Sayaxché, approached by an hour's lancha (small motorboat) ride up the Río Petexbatún, a tributary of the…
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El Petén
The ruins of Aguateca stand on a hilltop at the far south end of Laguna Petexbatún. Defended by cliffs and split by a ravine, the city enjoyed military…
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El Petén
Covering the western end of the San Miguel peninsula are the remains of Tayazal, among the last of the Maya capitals. The chiefly Classic-era mounds are…
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Estación Biológica Las Guacamayas
El Petén
A scientific research center within the Parque Nacional Laguna del Tigre, Scarlet Macaw Biological Station offers wildlife-watching/archaeology tours and…
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El Petén
When they were discovered in 1979, these caves created a stir in the archaeological world. Measuring 3km long, they're packed with hieroglyphic texts and…
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Tikal
Templo I, the Templo del Gran Jaguar (Temple of the Grand Jaguar), was built to honor – and bury – Ah Cacao. The king may have worked out the plans for…
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Tikal
About 400m southwest of the Gran Plaza is El Mundo Perdido (Lost World), a complex of 38 structures with a huge pyramid in its midst, thought to be…
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El Petén
This ruin, deep in the jungles of Laguna del Tigre, has several important Classic-period structures and stelae. Carvings here have led archaeologists to…
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El Petén
If you have the time, it's well worth visiting this ruin. It has fine carvings on display, particularly the hieroglyphic staircase, with five 6m-wide…
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Tikal
Templo IV, at 65m, is the highest building at Tikal and the second-highest pre-Columbian building known in the western hemisphere, after La Danta at El…
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Tikal
The Acropolis del Norte predates the nearby temples significantly. Archaeologists have uncovered about 100 different structures, the oldest of which dates…
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El Petén
The most striking feature of Tikal is its towering, steep-sided temples, rising to heights of more than 44m, but what distinguishes it is its jungle…
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Tikal
This museum exhibits a number of superb ceramic pieces from excavations, including incense burners and vases, with descriptions of their uses and…
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Tikal
South and east of the Gran Plaza, this maze of courtyards, little rooms and small temples is thought by many to have been a palace where Tikal's nobles…
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El Petén
The second-largest stela in the Maya world can be viewed amid a protected jungle zone at the remains of a Late Classic Maya kingdom, an hour's walk (7km)…
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Colección Dr Juan Antonio Valdés
El Petén
The collection on display here, on the north side of the airstrip, holds a remarkable wealth of Maya pottery from Uaxactún, Yaxhá and as far away as…
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Tikal
West of the Gran Plaza, across the Calzada Tozzer (Tozzer Causeway) stands Templo III, still undergoing restoration. Only its upper reaches have been…
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Tikal
This Japanese-funded research center is devoted to the identification and restoration of pieces unearthed at the site. The 1300-sq-meter facility has a…
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El Petén
The most significant temple in Grupo E, Templo E-VII-Sub is among the earliest intact temples excavated at the site, with foundations going back perhaps…
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El Petén
At Parque Natural Ixpanpajul you can ride horses, mountain bikes or tractors, or zip line your way through the jungle canopy. The big attraction is the…
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Tikal
Templo VI is one of the few temples at Tikal to bear written records. On the rear of its 12m-high roofcomb is a long inscription – though it will take…
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Museo Regional del Sureste de Petén
El Petén
Displaying some important finds from southern Petén sites, this small museum is the main draw of Dolores, a town 25km north of Poptún along the CA13. The…
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Tikal
Between Templo IV and Templo III is Complejo N, an example of the 'twin-temple' complexes erected during the Late Classic Period. This one was built in AD…
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El Petén
This stunning spring-fed tributary lies just a 90-minute boat ride from Sayaxché, during which you pass birdlife and a mix of farms, fields and forests…
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El Petén
On an island near the far (south) shore of Laguna Yaxhá is Topoxté, a Late Postclassic archaeological site, with ruined temples and dwellings – some 100…
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Greater Astronomical Complex (Plaza F)
El Petén
To the northwest of the site stands one of Yaxhá's most ancient constructions, the Greater Astronomical Complex (Plaza F). The arrangement includes an…
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El Petén
About a 20-minute walk to the northwest of the airstrip are Grupo B and Grupo A, the latter featuring the more formidable structures around the city's…
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Tikal
Templo V is a remarkably steep structure (57m high) that was built sometime between the 7th and 8th centuries AD. It consists of seven stepped platforms…
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Tikal
The larger of Tikal’s two museums is in the visitors center. It houses a number of carved stones from the ruins. The photographs taken by pioneer…
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Tikal
Complejo Q and Complejo R, about 300m north of the Gran Plaza, are very Late Classic twin-pyramid complexes with stelae and altars standing before the…
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Tikal
To the west of the Acrópolis del Sur is this broad grassy plaza, reached via a path to its southern edge. Built in the Late Classic Period, the seven…
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El Petén
The trio of pyramidal temples at the North Acropolis are built atop older structures dating back to 100 BC. Comprising of seven platforms, the…
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El Petén
The imposing Palacio A-XVIII affords the most panoramic view of the site from its summit. It's located on a path leading back to the village from behind…
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Tikal
Excavation has hardly even begun on the mass of masonry just west of the temple, known collectively as the Acrópolis del Sur (South Acropolis). The…
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El Petén
One of several temples located in Grupo E, a 10- to 15-minute walk from the airstrip, between the Catholic and Evangelical churches on the right side…
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El Petén
One of several temples located in Grupo E, a 10- to 15-minute walk from the airstrip, between the Catholic and Evangelical churches on the right side…
