Mayan ruins of Tikal
Summary
Tikal is the premier Mayan site. Giant monuments spread amongst a vast complex cleared in the middle of the Guatemalan jungle make this a must if you have any interest in Mayan or pre-Colombian civilizations. Being in the jungle also offers an array of wildlife where you can often see monkeys, agoutis and a variety of tropical birds
Two main tips – #1 Wander round and get lost on your first visit, especially when heading out on some of the paths to the farther temples, and then go with a guide to have them piece it all together. This makes sure that you don’t miss out on that great feeling of wonder, discovery and adventure as you first make your way around the complex and soak it all in
#2 – go when it is raining (which it often does at this time of year – June). You’ll get wet, but just wear a waterproof and this way you will largely have the place to yourself. We, for example, were the only ones in the Gran Plaza for an hour or so, which was magical. Plus, once the rain drops off, it still takes 30mins or so for visitors to join
highlights
#1 Looking across the vast network of Tikal's ruins from one of the lookout points, with the tops of the temples poking out in the distance (and also the view that was used in the very first Star Wars movie)
#2 Those wonderful moments when you have some of the temples completely to yourself (and easy to do if you visit when it is raining)
#3 Wandering through The Gran Plaza temple area and imagining what it must have been like in its pomp
#4 Enjoying the jungle all around you, complete with the wildlife living in the trees all around you
Other Travel Tips
- It makes most sense to stay in the park overnight as that way you can enjoy the site in the early morning and late afternoon when the hoards of tourists haven’t arrived yet / have already left. Plus, you’ll be doing quite a bit of walking, so not having to do the drive from Flores and back each time will help with energy levels. We stayed for one night in the Jungle Lodge and was would recommend
- If staying outside of Tikal in Flores, I would really recommend Las Laguanas Boutique Hotel – a gorgeous series of lodges on the lake. We stayed here for a few nights to relax after what had been a busy few days and was heaven
- If you’ve developed a taste for Mayan ruins and keen for a bit of adventure, I would highly recommend the one day helicopter trip to El Mirador which is 70km / 45 miles to the north of Tikal. El Mirador was at its height in the pre-classical period of 600BC – 100AD (far before the classic Mayan period 150AD – 900AD of Tikal), has only seen excavation start relatively recently and has, it is now being realised, some of the most massive pyramid complexes in the world. La Danta, for example is 72 metres tall and is built on a platform that is 180,000 square metres and 2.8 million cubic metres, making it the biggest pyramid structure in the world. See Helicopter ride to El Mirador in the heart of the Guatemalan Jungle for my tips on this unforgettable experience
- Books – if you have an interest in Mayan history or Pre-Columbian American civilisations in general, I’d recommend reading 1491 by Charles Mann. It gives an insight into what these civilisations were like before Europeans arrive and the level of their sophistication. Great introductory read
- If staying a bit longer in Guatemala, see my Itinerary for 10 wonderful days in Guatemala and generally for useful tips for your time there
Experiences nearby
The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences
Other Ancient Ruin Experiences
Score Detail
Background - how many times have you asked someone what a travel experience was like and the response was "amazing" or "awesome"? That response is nice to know, but it makes it hard to differentiate that experience compared to others. That is exactly what these scores are trying to do - differentiate the experience by giving a score out of 10 based on 6 categories and then giving an overall experience score
This overall experience score is calculated by: take the highest of the "Culture" or "Nature" score (1-10) + "Fun factor" (1-10) + "Avoiding the crowds" (1-10) + highest of the "Unique" or "World Famous score" (1-10). Then convert into a score out of 100
Extra detail - the logic being that I find all of the 6 individual scores important, but I don't want to mark an experience down just because it doesn't cover both "Culture" and "Nature", or because it isn't both "World Famous" and "Unique". Take the examples of Safari in The Serengeti and walking through Rome - they both appeal at opposite ends of the nature / culture spectrum, and you can have a fantastic time without needing to appeal to both sides. So, their overall scores aren't penalized for their lack of one or the other, and I've done the same for "World Famous" vs "Unique". But . . . I do think that the "Fun factor" of an experience is important, irrelevant of other factors, and so is "Avoiding the Crowds" (or where there are crowds that add to the experience). So, both of these scores are standalone