Visit Tikal, the treasure of the Maya

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Day 6: Tikal Inn - Visit Tikal - Flores

Before starting the story of all the experiences we have had at visit Tikal, we will make a brief summary, explaining the reason for the last minute changes we decided to make yesterday after visiting Yaxhá and enjoying a sunset in Tikal.

Sunrise in Tikal

Our initial idea, since we started preparing this trip to Guatemala and Honduras for free, was to be able to make the famous Sunrise Tour in Tikal, even the main reason we chose to stay at the Tikal Inn. Last night, after consulting the weather forecast and several people in the park, we confirmed that in these last days, the sunrise in Tikal, was not at all what we were looking for. Not only because of the fog that rose with the sunrise, something we believe can be spectacular, but the forecast was a totally cloudy sky, which would leave a zero visibility on Tikal.
If you stay in Flores you can choose to book a day trip to Tikal in advance.


Given this, we prefer not to risk getting up at 3 in the morning, the tour starts at 4, not only see nothing, but having to move with the guide that puts the hotel, being quite predictable, after the experience, that is not to our liking.
After this decision to abandon the idea of ​​doing the Tikal sunrise tour, we leave at 7:30 in the morning of the Tikal Inn, after a rather unfortunate breakfast, willing to devour the icing we have a few meters away: visit Tikal, the treasure of the Maya.
The first thing we do when we arrive at the box office is to pay 150 quetzales per person, to which we add 20 quetzales for a map, which we strongly advise, since the areas to visit are very well specified and for that price it is well worth not be lost.
After a few minutes assessing the route that we must do, since the sky is still quite covered, we decided to follow a route that takes us first to the Grand Plaza, passing first through Group F, our first contact with the visit Tikal.

Tikal trails

Once we are facing the Large square, the first thing we do is verify that it has been a success not to do the Dawn Tour, since the day is still quite cloudy and all the people that we cross, who return from the tour, comment that they have not been able to see anything.

The sky is still cloudy over the Great Plaza

The Large square is he most impressive place in Tikal Without a doubt. This is where you have a more impressive vision of the architecture that we can find, product of more than 1000 years of construction.

The driveway leads us to meet, almost in front, with Temple I or Temple of the Great Jaguar, 47 meters high, built in 700dC by Ahh Cacao, whose tomb was found inside.

Temple I or Temple of the Great Jaguar

From Temple I, we just have to turn to enjoy stunning views of Temple II or Temple of the Masks, 38 meters high also built by Ahh Cacao in 700dC, which highlights the wooden carved lintel, which It is believed that he represents his wife.

Temple II Visit Tikal

If you want to have stunning views of the Large square, do not hesitate to go up to Temple II, to Temple I it is prohibited, from which you have stunning views, which we assure you will become part of the unforgettable memories of trip to Guatemala.

Views of Temple I from Temple II

After our experience, we recommend that the Large square be your first stop at visit Tikal, thus avoiding the majority of people who enter the park later and go directly and en masse to this area, for being the most famous and important.

Visit Tikal, the treasure of the Maya

After being, we would say that practically 1 hour, delighting in the Large square, we approach until Central Acropolis, from where we have stunning views of the Jaguar Temple and Temple II and from where we enjoy a while of those who do not forget, in front of one of the symbols of Guatemala.

Temple I from the Central Acropolis

Stunning views of the Grand Plaza

The Central Acropolis is an architectural labyrinth of structures, arranged in a series of seven inner courtyards, which, it is believed, was the place where the nobles resided in Tikal.

Road to the back of the Central Acropolis

If in the Great Plaza we were practically alone, here we can say that we do not cross anyone, giving a much more special air, if possible, to this part of Tikal, which we must recognize is truly impressive, reminding us, saving the distances, not by Better or worse, our visit to Machu Picchu, some years ago.

Central Acropolis

Just for this vision, we have to say that it is already worth the trip to Guatemala. We recognize that it is much more impressive than we had imagined and it is that as much as you have read or by many images that you have seen, this is another one of those places that must be seen once in a lifetime.

Central Acropolis

After a good time touring practically all the rooms of the Central Acropolis, we return to the area from which you have the best perspective of the Large square and seeing that the sky seems to want to give us a truce, beginning to shine the sun, we decided that we can not say goodbye to this place, without sitting down, with no one around and enjoying the scene that we have in front of us, one of the most beautiful that we could not even have imagined.

Grand Plaza from the Central Acropolis

We assure you that if you like photography, this is one of the most impressive points, from which to enjoy almost 360º views over the Grand Plaza.

Tikal

From here and despite not wanting to say goodbye yet, we approach the North Acropolis, right in front of where most of the stelae and altars of Tikal are located and where its huge platform locates 8 funerary temples built over more than 300 years.

Steles in the North Acropolis

From here we also have a unique perspective of the Large square, from where you have more focused views of Temple II, not from the Central Acropolis, where we were a while ago.

Views of Temple II from the North Acropolis

When we realize, we look at the clock and see that we have been in this area for almost 2 hours, almost half the time that everyone says it takes tour Tikal, so we decided that the time has come to continue the visit and head towards the South Acropolis, an impressive platform of 25 meters, which has not yet been fully excavated and where we find several palaces that surround the structure.

Tikal

Right next to the South Acropolis we find the Temple V, the second tallest temple in Tikal, with 51 meters, which was built between 550-650 AD.

Approaching Temple V

Temple V. Visit Tikal

From here, being alone in the area, we continue to the Square of the Seven Temples, west of the South Acropolis and 300 meters away, surrounded by the sounds of the jungle and surrounded by vegetation that makes us imagine that it could be the scene of any adventure movie or videogame.

Paths to visit Tikal

The Square of the Seven Temples It receives this name for the seven small temples located in the eastern part of the square, where we can also find a triple ball game, unique in the Maya area.

Square of the 7 Temples

Although as we said before visit Tikal It is turning out to be a much less crowded experience than we imagined, as we move away from the Large square and the main temples, we also began to notice how the few people that crossed us disappear, leaving us practically alone in all the places we are reaching. If you have time do not hesitate to make a complete visit and it is that although you have already seen the most impressive temples, the rest of the structures and points farther away are still impressive.

More practical information to prepare your trip to Guatemala

- 10 essential places to visit in Guatemala
- 10 essential tips for traveling to Guatemala

Visit Tikal

From the Square of the 7 Temples and after crossing with a group of nuns who make us smile after hearing their comments about Tikal, we go to the Lost World at 150 meters, one of the most spectacular areas of Tikal.

Visit Tikal

The Great Pyramid Square or Lost World it is the architectural complex where we find the oldest structure of Tikal, called Great Pyramid.


From here we continue to the Palace of the Bats 180 meters, surrounded and accompanied by the sound of a howling bun, which seems to want to conquer Tikal.
We passed through this structure, where we passed yesterday on the way to Temple IV to watch the sunset in Tikal and we follow the road going there, to turn and access the Complex P or Group H, before passing through the Complex N, where the Twin Pyramids are, still without digging.

Stunning views from Temple IV we had yesterday

Twin Pyramids

Complex P is very photogenic and probably when you arrive you will enjoy it in total solitude since not many people get here, as it is one of the most remote areas of the most central and busy area of ​​Tikal.

P. Visit Tikal Complex

After enjoying more than 15 minutes taking photographs from all possible perspectives, we continue our way to the O Complex, in which its structures have not yet been excavated and where we can see a stele and a smooth altar at the base.

Complex O

From here we continue to the R Complex located 400 meters, in the middle of the Maler Causeway, where we find 4 stelae and several smooth altars, in front of the East structure.

R complex

From here we follow the path and reach the area where we start the visit to Tikal, where the idea was to turn left to know the last point, Temple VI or Temple of the Inscriptions but after consulting the map and see that it is about 30 minutes away and that from where it is after we will have to return by the same way, we value it and seeing that it does not enter into the group of the most important, we decided to end the visit to Tikal when it is 1 noon, that is, 6 hours later of having started it this morning.
After the experience we really have to say that we have succeeded fully with today's planning and the times have been perfect, telling us that we have hired a shared van that will take us to Flores, where we will sleep tonight, at 3 in the afternoon .

Tips for visiting Tikal

- Although we had read that with 4 hours is enough time to visit TikalIn our experience, we believe that this time is quite fair. We have been 6 hours, telling that we have not gone up to Temple IV, where we went up yesterday to see the sunset in Tikal.
- Bring plenty of water. There are some beach bars where they sell water, soft drinks and some snacks, but they are quite far from the main areas.
- We had read that Tikal was very crowded, maybe it was at the time, but our experience has been that early in the morning, you can avoid organized groups, getting ahead of the main visits and so visit Tikal practically alone.
- One of the doubts we had was how to get from Tikal to Flores. Having no information about it and wanting to avoid having to hire a private transport, we chose to hire the van service shared with the hotel, for $ 12 per person. Then we saw that at the entrance door to Tikal there were always shared vans for Flores, announcing the departures, so we understand that it is not necessary to contract the service with the hotel, since from the same entrance it can be managed.

Seeing what time it is to go to look for a place to eat, although before we miss a while, walking around some shops that are in the surroundings, seeing in some of them wood carvings that really call us a lot of attention and that we cannot resist, since we just found one of the ones we were looking for.
Taking advantage of the purchase we ask the owner some place to eat, since we do not want to do it at the hotel and the Tikal Dining Room recommends us, telling us that the other two that are in the enclosure are expensive and of worse quality. We do not need more to go there and sit at the last table that is free, where we ordered some nachos with guacamole and two sandwich with coca and beer plus two coffees for 156 quetzales.

Eating in Tikal

It's 2:30 in the afternoon when we get back to the Tikal Inn, where after picking up our backpacks, we leave punctually at 3 in the afternoon in a shared van that leaves us in 1 hour and a quarter at the Hotel Villa del Lago in Flores, which will be our accommodation tonight.
Seeing what time it is and realizing that we have arrived just in time for what we wanted to do in Flores, we took a quick shower and left, practically running, to arrive on time at the edge of the Peten Itza Lake to enjoy a unique sunset, accompanied by a few local bathing.

Sunset in Flores

It's not 6 in the afternoon when it's time to discover Flores, a small island where tourism abounds and with it the good roll and where also, so that we are going to lie, we would have stayed a few more days.
After enjoying some streets full of color and changing some money to dollars in a store where we see a cartel that advertises it (we have to say that they make us a great change and in the end we end up changing something more than expected), since In a few days we will go to Cayos Cochinos and there we will need dollars to pay, both the tickets to the park, and the extras of our hotel.

It's already 9 at night when the time comes to find a place to have dinner and we decide to stop at Terrazzo, a restaurant highly recommended in the forums, where we ask for some special house potatoes, a plate of pasta, paninis and two lemonades For 251 quetzales, plus a courtesy coffee for the wait we have suffered in the service, since they are very saturated because the dining room is full.

Having dinner at Terrazzo in Flores

From here it is more than recommended, although the prices are more expensive than anywhere else, since the dishes are not good, if not very good. Mind you, big, big plates!
It's 10 o'clock at night when we return s our hotel willing to work for a while to recover these last two days without connection and rest for tomorrow waiting for us a long day of transfers to reach Semuc Champey, the place where we will say goodbye and give you the Welcome to the new year.

Day 7: Flores - Lanquín - Semuc Champey (How to go from Flores to Semuc Champey)

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Video: Tikal, ancient city, maya civlization, Guatemala, ruins, rainforest, star wars, treasure hunters (March 2024).