Piercing through the jungle canopy in northeast Guatemala, the temples at Tikal are an impressive site, with steep sided limestone pyramids reaching upwards of 60m. Smaller structures have been claimed by the jungle, with a tangle of roots clinging onto the rock, adding to the atmosphere of this ethereal place. At dawn and dusk, the jungle comes alive with the calls of monkeys and birds.
Located in north-eastern Guatemala, Tikal was the largest Maya city of the Classic era (AD 250-900) reaching a population of 75,000 at its height. It was once the cultural centre of the New World (as revealed by the many tombs and artefacts that have been recovered), and its reconstructed architecture still tells the tale of its former inhabitants. Tikal speaks hauntingly of a lost world that was remarkably advanced for its time.
HOTEL RESIDENCE LA GANCIA
Lake Peten Itza, Guatemala
