TIKAL NATIONAL PARK  (PARQUE NACIONAL DE TIKAL)

Located in Central America in Northern Guatemala area of Peten, 60 Kms. by paved road from the area's governing city of Flores, Peten. There is no Tikal village or town.

The Ruins area contains about 24 sq. kms. About 80% are still unexcavated. Only 30 per
cent of the ruins within the park has been mapped.

Tikal was declared a National Park by the Guatemalan Government in May of 1955,
and a National Monument in 1970. It was the first National Park established in
Central America .

Tikal National Park is located within the 6,000 square mile Maya Biosphere in the
northern part of Peten, Guatemala. 

Archaeologists tell us Tikal was the largest capital of Maya Cities and at its height
during its Classic period from 500AD and had a population of 50,000 to 100,000
persons. For reasons not yet clear Archaeologist believe that around 870AD,
construction slowed and the city began to decline. It was completely deserted
by the end of 900AD. Tikal has an estimated 3000 structures. The partially
restored area consists of nine groups of courts and plazas. There are 5 large temples.
One of the most impressive and tallest structures, Temple 1V, is 229 ft. (70 mts. high.
This governing and religious center of the ruins covers about 500 acres (200 hectares).

Since a Spanish governor rediscovered this vast city in 1848 Archaeologists from all over
the world have been excavating. Some structures are almost fully restored but the vast majority
is high mounds with stones and lush growth of jungle trees and vegetation.
Tikal Ruins are located in the middle of Tikal National Park in northern Guatemala and
is truly a wildlife sanctuary covering more 200 square miles. Over 285 species of
exotic birds, monkeys, jaguars, pumas, tapirs, small deer, and many, much more and
rare wildlife endangered live there. Hundreds of orchid species and more than 30
hardwood species. Tikal a birdwatchers paradise is one of the best birding areas of
Central America.

Tikal Visitors Center (open 6am to 6pm)….

The visitor’s center is located just before entering the trails that lead to the ruins. At the
entrance you will see a large model of the main ruins area showing the structures that once
existed. The visitors center also houses one of two museums, which consists of carved stone
monuments and many photos taken during the restoration in the 1960’s. Also there is a guide
service and information desk, and a restaurant overlooking the jungle. Various souvenir shops
 are located just beside the restaurant

A smaller Museum housing some of Tikals artifacts is located several hundred meters away near
 the hotel area. A small fee is charged in addition to the park entrance fee.

Tikal National Park Accommodations- Lodging  in Tikal Park

Listed are accommodations in Tikal National Park, El Remate and Flores and near by areas.

There are only three hotels for lodging within the Park boundaries. All are near the parking lot and
 Visitors Center. None have 24 hr electricity at the on this date in January 2007.

The Jaguar Inn (9 bubgalows)

Tikal Inn 917 rooms

(Jungle Lodge (44 rooms.) 

Other area lodging and accommodatrions

The village of El Remate located 32 Km before arriving to Tikal ruins offers a good option for
lodging and is a good base for your stay in the Peten area. Being the closes acomodations befere entering Tikal National Park, El Remate has several good hotels and numerous smaller places to stay plus several places for camping. A good option to the often crowded area of Flores or the expensive hotels in the Tikal Park. Located on the Lake Peten Itza, El Remate offers good Swimming, Birding, Horseback Riding, Boat trips etc… Located just 2 kms from El Remate is the Biotopo Park Cerro Cahui. This park is great for Jungle Walks, Hiking, Bird watching and has very good look out points over Lake Petén Itza.

Links to more information on TIKAL And MAYA

Yaxha is the third most Maya Ruins site many tourists after their visit to Tikal National Park. Ciebal is the second most visited Maya site after Tikal.

By land
Rental Cars....... If traveling from Belize, Crystal Auto Rental is the best rental company who let its vehicles cross the border from Belize into Guatemala. Crystal Auto Rental  LUCIO L. LANDERO   
Tel:  011-501-223-1600 Fax: 011-501-223-1900 E-mail: reservations@crystal-belize.com
Web Page: www.crystal-belize.com

These buses go to Belize passing the hotel every morning about  6 AM and 8 AM. Buy your tickets  at La Casa De Don David reception. Private small car taxi for two persons to or from Belize City Int’l airport to our place is an option instead of flying. ( we can arrange and it’s a 4 hr ride).

By Air from Belize

If you fly from Belize…Tropic Air (to and from Belize): http://www.tropicair.com

Arriving From/ to Coban

The minibus shuttle leaves everyday from Hotel Casa D Acuña in Coban, 4a Calle 3-31, Zona 2….Tel 951 0484. Leaves everyday at 7am via Sayaxche for Flores and La Casa de Don David, El Remate.  (4-5 hrs)  and returns to Coban leaving La Casa De Don David at 1pm. Purchase tickets in Hotel Casa D Acuña in Coban and La Casa de Don David, El Remate. There are also other second class local buses and shuttles.

Most tourist pay nothing to enter Belize. US dollars is OK in Belize and is accepted everywhere, usually the same rate everywhere (1US dollar = 2 BH dollars).. BECAREFUL ...many Americans pay double on their first visit. If the sales talk don't say US (meaning US dollars) when telling you the price, it is Belize (BH) dollars they are talking about.

Arriving From/ to Palenque Mexico… Traveling to Flores, there is collective transportation daily (in the early morning hours), check with travel agencies once you are in Palenque for what’s available. 

In Palenque, Mex Buy your tickets Viajes Misolja, Kukulcan, kijchan Balú or other agency, on the main street in Palenque. The service to Flores is not so good and varies from time to time. We get complaints regular on slow or varied service. The trip is about 8 hrs. by mini bus--boat--minibus. You'll arrive to Santa Elena (Flores) around 4 or 5 pm (normally to the entrance of the San Juan Hotel of the same Agency). There you are likely to be offered and almost pressured to buy some sort of service or tickets to Belize or Tikal or to El Remate.

Tourist often report lots of waiting and individuals selling tickets in this area. Remember nothing is free even when sold as such. Many taxi & mini bus drivers get a commission from the hotel they convince you to stay in.

The prices and services can vary a lot and if you've paid in advance its almost impossible to get any refund if your service isn't fulfilled.   If there several persons they will come collectivo to El Remate Or just walk 3 blocks to the main road and get crowded shuttle to el Remate.

These collective buses go to Palenque early every morning from Flores-Santa Elena, Peten, Guatemala. Again the service is such that we we can only sell the with you understanding these conditions. If you are willing to accept the not always dependable service we sell the tickets from El Remate to Palenque.

Any service or ticket purchased at La Casa De Don David is garranteed and if not completed we will give your money back if the fault is with the service offered.

www.fodors.com www.lonelyplanet.com www.hunterpublishing.com www.letsgo.com www.roughguides.com www.frommers.com There are at list a dozen other guides in various languages. Tikal Park or officially Tikal National Park ruins in Guatemala are probably the best restored examples of classical Mayan style.  Guatemala has the largest Maya population of any country, and in terms of numbers, they are the dominant ethnic group. There are at least 15 distinct Mayan groups in the country, mostly living in the highlands. After years of civil unrest and violence, in December of 1996 the leaders in signed a pact with the Guatemalan government guaranteeing land and  political rights, and freedom to practice their traditional religion. Mayan people produce beautiful textiles, pottery and baskets. Also see: www.lacasadedondavid.com/themaya.html The most well known of ancient Maya cities, Tikal ruins are located in the middle of the Tikal National Park. Also Tikal park is a great wildlife preserve covering 25 square miles and the first such park in Central America. This original Mayan city has been reclaimed by the jungle and even today it is with only a good deal of diligence that the restored ruins are not overgrown with trees and jungle vegetation.  The grounds are lush with tropical  plants and wildlife. Trees include zapotes, from which chicle, a base for chewing gum is derived, Spanish cedar, ceiba, a tree sacred to the Maya, mahogany and over 25 other precious hard woods. There are troops of spider and howler monkeys, 285 species of birds, 209 of which are resident species: including hawks, toucans, hummingbirds, parrots, king vultures, and ocilated turkeys. Outside of the ruins area live jaguar, puma, ocelot, pecarry, small deer, and many other animals, many rare and endangered. Tikal was one of the principal cities of the Maya civilization. At least 10,000 people lived within the mapped portion of the city, which encompasses six square miles and more than 50,000 people in the surrounding areas. The maps reveals over 3000  separate structures including temples, palaces, shrines, ceremonial platforms, residences, ball courts, terraces, causeways, and plazas, most interconnected with aqueducts and cisterns for holding water. In the main ceremonial precincts there are 200 stone monuments, known as stele. Stelae were elaborately carved with glyphs, a form of writing, and other images that tell stories about the current and past rulers of that time.  Come visit our bed and breakfast, stay in our guest house or bungalows and see what a great vacation can be. The Tikal Ruins are the most spectacular of the Ruta Maya and the entrance to Tikal National Park is only 15 minutes from the hotel.  A bus stops at the HOTEL entrance at 5:30 am and it will take you to the park entrance by 6:00 am (opening time) to catch the early morning mist rising from the pyramids. Sunrise is a special experience from the top of one of the temples. Tikal is the most magnificent and the largest set of partial restored ruins in Guatemala. Tikal is the most important on the Ruta Maya and clearly the most significant for seeing jungle and wildlife. Tikal ruins were officially discovered in 1848 and minor excavations commenced in 1877.  Restoration began in the 1950s, and today, extensive excavations make it possible for guests to imagine what it was like back during its zenith, 550AD to 900AD. The park covers 25 square miles and most of it includes ruins with over 10,000 estimated structures. Less than a dozen or so have been reconstructed or excavated to any marked degree.  Plan on just hitting the high spots if you are only there for the day. You could easily spend two days to a week or more and not see every ruin that has been escavated.  Plan to walk a good deal and try to climb at least one or more of the temples. The view from the top is great. more information at www.tikalinformation.com Birding and wild life in the area is great. It is a  bird watching paradise. Very often you see monkeys, toucans, vultures, hawks, owls, coutimundis and others on your walks through the jungle trails. The tranquil feeling of seeing the jungle from the top of temple #4 at 212 feet up gives great satisfaction and reminds one of the importance of protecting the rainforest forever, as well as getting some clue as to why they were built in the first place. In some of the dwellings there is also a sense of airconditioning as the structure some how seems to capture or creates natural breezes that really help offset the heat and high humidity. On certain temples you can see the temples of other major ruins towering from the giant trees of the rainforest. Your travel to Tikal will be one of the most impressive parts of of your visits to Latinamerica. see bird list