The ruins of Tikal are among the most remote in the entire world. If you want to visit here then you must take a plane from Guatemala City. I strongly sugggest that you spend the night before your departure in Antigua. Tikal is enormous, encompassing more than six square miles. There are more than 3,000 structures. The best place to stay in Tikal is the Jungle Lodge. My favorite thing to do here is to sit on the top steps of Temple of the Giant Jaguar and wait for sunset. At sunset the skies above the Great Plaza fill with green parrots as troops of spider and howler monkeys swing amid the ceiba, zapote, and mahogany trees. Howler monkeys add to the excitement by imitating the sounds of jaguars. The entire plaza comes to life with a broad assortment of jungle inhabitants. There are over 285 known species of birds, jaguars, pumas, ocelots, fox, deer and other rare animals. One word of caution. The hike back to the Jungle Lodge is about a mile and a half.





Those who have seen the movie Apocalypto will remember this pyramid. It's the one where the heads rolled down the staircase.