This post is the second in the Guatemala series about our time in Flores visiting Tikal and Yaxha Mayan ruins. In my last post, I shared our experience at Semuc Champey.
Los Amigos, Flores
On December 19, we left Utopia Eco Hotel in Semuc Champey at 7 am and arrived in Flores by 5 pm. This time we booked a private taxi, and the ride was much more comfortable. Flores is the capital of Petén department, and the old part of the city is located on an island on Lake Petén Itzá.
We would be staying at Los Amigos Hostel on the island for four nights.
We checked in to our private room upstairs, and after an early dinner, turned in for the night.
The next day, Kavya enjoyed some hammock time at the hostel. Here again, we were the odd ones with a 10-month old among other backpackers, but after the first night, we were comfortable.
Tikal
We booked a Tikal sunset tour through Los Amigos. Tikal is a major site of Mayan civilization and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was Tikal that had put Guatemala on my radar as a potential vacation destination.
“Tikal is to Guatemala what the Great Pyramids are to Egypt, a national symbol and a source of pride in the past”
Tikal National Park
We left the hostel in a shuttle, and after an hour-long drive, we met our local guide at Tikal National Park. As we walked to some of the sites near the entrance, the guide gave a quick history lesson on Mayan civilization, Tikal’s significance, etc.
Tikal National Park includes thousands of ruined structures, and the majority of them are yet to be excavated. To go from one site to the other, we had to hike through the jungle, and the guide helped us spot howler monkeys and a tarantula. Coatmundis were everywhere.
Temple IV is the tallest Temple in Tikal and was built around 741 AD. It is still being restored. A series of steep wooden steps took us to the viewing platform. It was a clear day, and we had a great view of the jungle and few other temples.
Later, we made our way to the Grand Plaza. It’s an impressive complex with Temple I and II facing each other and North Acropolis to the side.
We made our way up the steps on one of the structures in North Acropolis to watch the sunset, which was okay. For me, the illuminated Temple I saw just before sunset was impressive.
Coincidence
We made our way back to the shuttle and arrived at the hostel for dinner. As I was ordering food, I saw a familiar face at one of the tables. It was Mike the tefrom New York. I had met him the year before (Dec 2012) when I was on a solo backpacking trip in Urique in Chihuahua, Mexico.
It was an unbelievable coincidence. I introduced Mike to my family, and we chatted about our travel in Guatemala. By the end of the night, we decided to go to Ixpanpajul Natural Park the next day.
Ixpanpajul
The next day after lunch, we left for Ixpanpajul. It is a privately managed park that is popular for zip-lining. We were mainly interested in their canopy walk through several suspension bridges.
The hike was steeper than I expected but fun. After a couple of suspension bridges, we arrived at a rest area with some hammocks. It was a good place to take Kavya out of the baby carrier and let her play around a bit.
Closer to sunset, we made our way to one of the last suspension bridges with beautiful views of the jungle. After enjoying the sunset from here, we made our way down and got the shuttle back to the hostel.
Yaxha
The staff at Los Amigos recommended Yaxha National Park as another place to explore around Flores. It is the third-largest ruin in Guatemala after Tikal and El Mirador. The last stretch of the road to Yaxha is rough, so we booked a van for our Yaxha trip.
It took us around two hours to reach Yaxha. It is less popular than Tikal and more remote than Tikal, resulting in much less tourists. We got a map at the entrance and didn’t see a need to hire a guide.
One of the first sites we visited was one of the ballcourts.
Then, we explored some of the sites in Plaza B and Plaza E.
Yaxha also has a twin pyramid complex similar but much smaller than the one in Tikal.
Finally, we made our way to Structure 216 – a pyramid with a beautiful view of Lake Yaxha.
We took Kavya off the baby carrier and placed her on a wide platform.
The sunset from Yaxha was incredibly beautiful. Maybe it was the overall landscape and watching it from a pyramid that made it unique.
We had a fantastic time in Flores exploring Tikal and Yaxha. It was fascinating to see some of the Mayan civilization’s structures and know more about its history. Kudos to all the researchers, the local government and the community for maintaining these unique sites.
The next day, we took a bus to our next destination Antigua. In my next post, I will share more about our experience in Antigua and Lake Atitlan.
Resources:
Tikal National Park | Ixpanpajul Natural Park
An excellent resource on Mayan ruins – The Mayan Ruins Website
The family that inspired us to visit Guatemala – Family without Borders
Lonely Planet: Thorn Tree Forum | My Report
Disclosure: I am not affiliated with any of the individuals or organizations mentioned in this post.
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