Parque Nacional Tikal Travel Guide

 toonsarah Says:  There are two museums at Tikal, the Stelae Museum and the Sylvannus G. Morley Museum, located within a few minutes’ walk of each other near the Visitor Centre. We visited both on the morning after our “grand tour” with Miguel, while waiting for him to pick us up for our... 

 toonsarah Says:  A small ball court lies between Temple I and the Central Acropolis. This has the same design as most of these structures, with a long narrow alley flanked by two walls with horizontal, vertical, and sloping faces (we were later to see a variation on this design in Lamanai in... 

 toonsarah Says:  The whole of the north side of the Grand Plaza is occupied by the collection of buildings known as the North Acropolis. Unfortunately this is the point on our tour where I began to run out of steam (a combination of the longest walk I’d done in over a year, and the heat of... 

 toonsarah Says:  Unlike Temple II which it faces across the Grand Plaza, Temple I cannot be climbed. Also known as the Temple of Ah Cacao or Temple of the Great Jaguar, it was built around 730 AD and was the tomb of Jasaw Chan K'awiil (aka Ah Cacao or “Prince Chocolate”) who ruled from... 

 toonsarah Says:  This is another of the temples that can be climbed, but by the time we reached here the heat and long walk made me glad instead of a rest in the shade while Chris went up. The ascent is again by wooden staircase – shorter and steeper than that of Temple IV, but not the... 

 toonsarah Says:  All the temples of Tikal were built to face towards each other, and that is most evident here at the Grand Plaza, where Temples II and I face each other across its expanse. They fill its shorter sides (Temple II to the west, Temple I to the east), while the longer ones are... 

 toonsarah Says:  Our next stop was Temple III, which lies between Temple IV and the Grand Plaza. Also known as the Temple of the Jaguar Priest, this was the last of the great pyramids to be built at Tikal, dating from about 810 AD. When intact it stood 55 metres (180 feet) tall. It is... 

 toonsarah Says:  The so-called Bat Palace lay on our route between Temples IV and III. This structure is built around a central courtyard and was originally two storeys high – the top storey collapsed but has been partially restored. The lower floor has a double row of rooms; one reaches... 

 toonsarah Says:  From the Lost World area we made our way to the furthest western edge of the ruins, where one of its most impressive and best-known structures is to be found. This is Temple IV, also known as the Temple of the Two-Headed Serpent from a carving found on it. The pyramid has... 

 toonsarah Says:  This 30 metre high pyramid dates from the late Preclassic period and was completed in the 4th century AD, although the structure that stands here today was built over four other pyramids, the oldest of which was constructed in 600 BC. It has a flat top that may have once had... 

 toonsarah Says:  We ate several meals in the Jungle Lodge’s large restaurant and found them of mixed quality. The breakfasts, which were included in our room rate, were reasonable. We had a choice of two, “American” or “Guatemalan”, so as we were here for two nights I naturally sampled one... 

 toonsarah Says:  We flew to Flores from Guatemala City Airport (Aurora International) with TACA on a small twin prop plane. I really love flying on these but nervous flyers should be prepared for something that looks and feel very different from your average modern jet. Unfortunately our... 

 toonsarah Says:  Tikal National Park was created on 26 May 1955 and was the first protected area in Guatemala. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. The park is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., every day of the week, 365 days a year. A fee is payable to enter (10 Q in November...