Editor’s note: Guatemala is one of my favorite places on the planet, and I’ve been to Tikal twice – once in each of my trips to the country. I’d happily go again. (You can read my latest article about the place here.) Like writer Sam Spector, I am always amazed visiting ruins of the great civilizations of the past, and Tikal is truly one of the gems of the Mayan world. For more of Sam’s writing, be sure to click here to visit his index page.
As I frequently write, I prefer seeing the old as opposed to the new. In particular, ruins fascinate me. I also am excited any opportunity that I have to speak Spanish. The trip that really set off my travel bug was when I went to the Mayan ruins of Mexico when I was 15. Ever since then, I have wanted to visit any Mesoamerican ruins that I could and one of the top spots on my list was Tikal, the ancient Mayan capital in Guatemala. In 2015, I had the opportunity to go to Guatemala and Belize (see my article on Belize here and one on Guatemala here) and made sure to hit up this bucket list spot. I share that I went to Antigua, Guatemala and Belize because you can get to Tikal from either. I took an early morning flight from Guatemala City to the town of Flores and from there went on to Tikal, and once I finished my day tour, I had my driver take me to the border with Belize, so it is possible to do as a day trip from either country.
With that said, let me back up and say that while I was rushed, I wish that I could have had a few days in the area because Flores itself is well worth visiting. Flores is the capital of the Peten Department and has a population of about 45,000 people. This jungle town is incredible and historic as it is on a beautiful lake, Lake Peten Itza, and has a bridge connecting to an island in the middle of the lake that has Flores’s old town. Flores was historically known as the Mayan city of Nojpeten and there is evidence of human civilization here dating back to the 10th century BCE and an actual settlement down dating from 250-400 CE making it one of the longest continuously inhabited cities in the Americas. When Hernan Cortes conquered the Mayan Empire, many fled to the island and Cortes, needing to move on to Honduras, let them be, and the island remained unconquered until 1697. While I only had time to enjoy a delicious breakfast at a lakeside restaurant, there is much to see and do in this town from exploring to hiking, caving, ziplining, etc.
The ruins of Tikal are about an hour and a half drive north of Flores. While the town of Tikal originates from approximately 200 CE, it was often in the shadow of Mexico’s Teotihuacan, which prevented the city from achieving its greatness. After Teotihuacan went into decline, Tikal reached its peak from approximately 700 CE until 900 CE until the city’s population declined due to warfare, deforestation, soil erosion, and nutrient loss. The city was largely abandoned and was not discovered by European archaeologists until the mid-19th century. Upon arrival at Tikal, you will walk a path through the jungle to get to the ruins. On this way there is incredible flora and fauna, where I saw colorful mushrooms, spider monkeys, toucans, brightly hued birds, a tarantula, termite mounds, and coatimundis, an animal that looks like a cross between a weasel and racoon with a long striped tail. Finally, you will reach a clearing where you will see many funerary pyramid temples that Tikal is known for.
The most famous temple is the Temple of the Great Jaguar, known as Temple I, which is the temple that everyone sees pictures of, often taken from the base of the Temple of the Masks (Temple II) directly across from it. This temple looms 50 meters over the Main Plaza and was built in the early 8th century as the funerary pyramid of the ruler Jasaw Chan K’awiil I. At the top is an ornate roof comb and it is built in a step pyramid fashion. The top has wood and designs of lentils. While the pyramid was uncovered by archaeologists in 1955, the tomb of Jasaw Chan K’awiil I was found inside it in 1962, with jaguar skins, shells, pearls, mirrors, ceramics, and jadeite jewelry placed on the king’s body. The Temple of Masks was built for his queen, Lady Lahan Unen Mo’. Next to the Temple of the Great Jaguar are the ruins of what is dubbed Temple 33, that at one point rose 33 meters. This complex predates the Temple of the Great Jaguar by a few hundred years and contains several burial chambers. While much of the complex was destroyed, you can see a stela monument from one of the kings and a giant mask on the wall of the west side of the temple.
While standing on the main plaza and being surrounded by pyramids and temple ruins is a remarkable experience, the highlight is walking a bit further through the jungle. You will pass a temple known as the “Lost World” which is part of the largest complex, much of which has not yet been discovered or excavated. Remarkably, archaeologists presume that only 15% of the temples, pyramids, and ruins of Tikal have been excavated and entire pyramids remain undiscovered underground. Through the trees, you will spot Temple IV, which stands at over 70 meters in height and is the second tallest known temple in the New World after one in Chiapas, Mexico. Like the Temple of the Great Jaguar, it has the Mayan Peten roof comb, and visitors can climb this pyramid, which was built in 741 CE. Temple IV has carvings and faces on it, which are less common here than at other Mayan sites like Copan in Honduras. Many known this temple as it was used in a scene for Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope as the base for the jungle moon. You will see this view from atop the temple as you face east and look out over the Great Mayan Forest, the second largest preserved forest in Latin America after the Amazon, spanning across Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. From this view, you will see other pyramids and temples popping up through the jungle and random forested mounds, which likely have unexcavated temples underneath.
Perhaps Chichen Itza, being named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, is better known than Tikal, but for any lover of Mesoamerican ruins, spending at least a full day at Tikal and another day in Flores is something that should be put on your list. When people think “pyramids” they often think of Egypt, but if you prefer wildlife and jungles to sand, then the ruins of the Mayans might impress you more, with Tikal being one of the greatest gems.
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