Tikal National Park – An Amazing Archaeological Treasure
Now that we are safely in our new Airbnb apartment in Antigua Guatemala, we finally have time to catch everyone up on the last several days of intense travel! To summarize what we have done, we’ve traveled north from Lake Atitlan to Flores, Guatemala which we used as a base to explore Tikal National Park.
And the next day we traveled from Flores back south to Antigua Guatemala. It’s been quite the whirlwind covering approximately 808 miles/1300 km over a 48-hour period, but it was well worth the effort.
Even if our posteriors are extremely sore.
Let us show you how we pulled off this crazy travel detour!
Getting to Flores
On September 25 we departed Panajachel at 4 pm in a small “collectivo” 15-passenger van.
We were packed in like sardines!
It was scheduled to drop us off in Antigua Guatemala, where we would pick up a second shuttle that would take us to the Fuente del Norte (FDN) bus station in Guatemala City by 8:30 pm.
Unfortunately, landslides blocked the preferred, more direct route to Antigua Guatemala, so we had to take a longer route.
Despite this, we made it to Antigua Guatemala in about 2.5 hours (only about 20 minutes late), and the shuttle (minivan) that was to take us to the FDN bus station waited so we did not miss our transfer.
After another hour or so in the minivan, we arrived at the FDN bus station with time to spare. We checked in at the ticket counter, waited for the night bus boarding and luggage check-in to occur, and then were on our way to Flores at 10 pm sharp!
We arranged our combined shuttle/night bus travel to Flores through the Maya Travel San Pedro travel agency in San Pedro La Laguna. Their ticket prices were extremely competitive, and their service was excellent, even when we had questions during our journey.
We splurged and bought the luxury night bus service which featured super cushy seats that reclined to a near-horizontal position.
Ticket prices were 575 quetzales/$73.23 USD per person.
The Maya de Oro night bus was a fun experience! It is basically like first-class seating in an airplane, but without any sort of meals or amenities to speak of.
Really, it is all about the cushy reclining seats. And much to my surprise, I actually fell asleep for 5 hours! Rhonda wasn’t so lucky though.
My sensory deprivation setup may have had an influence.
Rhonda tells me that I even slept through two military bus boardings!
At two different checkpoints, Guatemalan troops boarded the bus and examined the passports of passengers. They were apparently looking for a bad person from Bolivia, and since I didn’t fit the physical stereotype, they were kind enough to leave me alone.
The entire trip from Guatemala City to Flores was just over 8 hours long, and we arrived in Flores the next morning at 6:15 am on September 26.
Getting From Flores to Tikal National Park
Once we arrived in Tikal, we quickly hired a taxi (40 quetzales/$5.07 USD) to take us to our hostel – Casa Maya Itza. Since it was just for one night we splurged on a room with a private bath and king-sized bed for 247.05 quetzales/$31.98 USD.
We dumped our luggage in our room, got dressed for humid jungle weather, and waited 45 minutes for our 8 am shuttle to take us to Tikal.
Through our hostel prior to our arrival, we booked a Tikal tour package that included 2 admission tickets, transportation to/from Tikal, and an interpretive guide. Total cost for 2 people = 600 quetzales/$77.67 USD.
And at 8 am sharp, our shuttle driver came to pick us up!
Thankfully our shuttle was an actual small bus with better legroom and seats than the shuttle from Panajachel. But it wasn’t nearly as nice as the night bus!
Still, the bus was comfortable enough for the distances involved.
Our driver took us around Lago Petén Itzá…
Through pueblos and pretty countryside…
And after 1.5 hours, we finally reached the gate to Tikal National Park.
We all showed our passports and exchanged quetzales for entrance tickets at the bank attached to the entrance.
Then we drove through the gate, traveled another twenty kilometers or so through the jungle, and eventually parked at the visitor center.
Tikal National Park Orientation
For those unaware, Tikal was the capital of one of the most powerful kingdoms in the ancient Mayan civilization. It is absolutely huge, with estimates of its peak population being as many as 90,000 inhabitants over a 120 square kilometer area.
Our group was first led by our tour guide to the visitor center entrance, which features a scale diorama of Tikal National Park, and all of its archaeological sites.
He described our 4-hour route for the day, gave us a chance to get supplies at the shops provided, and then we were off!
Site maps were spaced throughout the park for those wanting a more detailed perspective of the places we would go.
First Stop – Complex Q/Complejo Q
We hiked along jungle paths for about 15 minutes, and eventually reached our first tour stop – Complex Q.
Complex Q is the largest of 9 twin pyramid complexes in Tikal National Park. This group of excavated and unexcavated structures features the impressive East Pyramid, as well as 9 smooth steles and altars. As was explained by our guide, Complex Q was the most important ceremonial ritual site in all of Tikal.
We approached the complex from the south and the East Pyramid immediately got our attention.
In a side building, the carvings on an impressive restored monument depict how human sacrifices were bound to the aforementioned altar and dispatched.
Second Stop – The Great Plaza/Gran Plaza
We spent about 45 minutes in Complex Q, but we needed to move onwards to even more impressive areas. Namely, the Great Plaza!
After another 10-minute walk through the jungle, we reached the Great Plaza.
This shockingly impressive complex is made up of a number of temples and acropolises, that apparently took over 1000 years to build. Most noteworthy, are Temple I (Temple of the Great Jaguar), Temple II (Temple of the Mask), Acropolis Central, and North Acropolis.
Please click on the links to find out more about their history!
Temple I – Temple of the Great Jaguar
When first entering the Great Plaza, Temple 1 (Temple of the Great Jaguar) demands your attention.
It is 47 meters high and was built in the year 700 AD by the governor Jasaw Chan K’awii I (Mr. Cocoa), whose tomb was discovered inside the temple.
Temple II – Temple of the Mask
Temple II (Temple of the Mask) is on the opposite side of the Grand Plaza from Temple I.
Also built in 700 AD by the governor Jasaw Chan K’awii I, it is called the Temple of the Mask because of the carved mask-like depictions in frescoes near the top of the 38-meter tall structure.
Visitors are allowed to climb to the top using modern stairs installed at the back of Temple II.
North Acropolis
The network of structures making up the North Acropolis contains 8 funerary temples that took more than 300 years to build. Apparently, most of the engraved steles that are found here are responsible for describing the history of the governors of Tikal.
And inside one of the temple structures is the largest carved mask in Tikal. It is over 3 meters tall!
Acropolis Central
Acropolis Central is a maze of what is estimated to be over 1000 residences in the entire complex, combining excavated and non-excavated sites.
Third Stop – Temple V
After spending nearly an hour exploring the Grand Plaza, we had to move on to other sites. The next stop – Temple V.
Temple V has the distinction of being the second tallest pyramid temple in Tikal, and is thought to have had a funerary function.
Even though it is very large, you don’t really know you are approaching it until you find a break in the jungle.
And then you are awestruck by what you see.
Fourth Stop – Mundo Perdido/Lost World
After spending about 15 minutes at Temple V, we continued onward on another 20-minute hike to Mundo Perdido (also called the Lost World). This is another impressive complex of structures, but of greatest significance is the oldest pyramid in Tikal, the Grand Pyramid.
The Grand Pyramid was not the only pyramid structure! On our way to the Grand Pyramid, others came into view.
But our main target was the Grand Pyramid itself.
You could scale to the top using the provided stairway, which was constructed after several tourists fell to their deaths trying to get to the top.
The view from the top was spectacular!
And here is a different perspective, in video form.
Last Stop – Temple IV
After being wowed by the view from Mundo Perdido, we thought we couldn’t do much better.
We were wrong.
Our last stop of the day was to be at Temple IV, the tallest temple structure in all of Tikal National Park, and indeed all of Mesoamerica. At 70 meters tall, this structure was thought to have been built to mark the reign of the 27th king of the Tikal dynasty, Yik’in Chan K’awiil in 740 AD.
It is easily seen from other areas of Tikal!
Thankfully there was a stairway leading to the top, bringing us to the level of the doorway in the previous picture.
And what a view it was!
Back to the Bus – AKA Wildlife Safari!
We hung out at the top of Temple IV for a long time, taking everything in and enjoying the cool temperatures at elevation!
But eventually, we had to climb down and make our way through the jungle back to our bus for our trip home.
It was a pleasant walk and I spent most of it talking to our tour guide in Spanish…
But we were lucky to have a bunch of different jungle wildlife sightings! So Rhonda had an opportunity to run wild with her telephoto zoom lens.
For example, we saw wild turkey…
Lazy howler monkeys…
Coati…
A Slaty-tailed trogon…
Two-inch long anoles…
And adorable baby spider monkeys!
We actually ended up spending 5 hours in the park instead of the original 4, but we didn’t mind! It was a great day to scratch our archeology AND zoology itch.
And after another 1.5-hour bus ride back to Flores, we stumbled back to our hostel room and collapsed.
What a day!
And early tomorrow we would be heading to our new Airbnb in Antigua Guatemala.
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6 thoughts on “Tikal National Park – An Amazing Archaeological Treasure”
What an amazing adventure!
The place is pretty magical! Highly recommend.
Thoroughly enjoying your travels.
Thanks for sharing.
Our pleasure!
What a beautiful park and so much history. Loved pictures of wild life.
Tikal was an absolute gem. Glad you enjoyed our post!