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Tikal is the name given to this ancient maya city, located at the north of Guatemala, in the Peten province. It's magnificent pyramids, temples and palaces keep hidden secrets that the time and the jungle take away centuries ago.
The ruins of the city itself are located inside the Tikal National Park, 65 kilometers from the city of Flores, through a paved road.
The Tikal National Park is part of the Maya Biosphere Reserve.
The Park has an area of more than 57,600 hectares and it is the only place in the world that UNESCO declared to be both a Cultural and a Natural Heritage of Humanity.
Fauna includes spider monkeys, toucans, raccoons, coatis, howler monkeys and more than 200 species of birds.
The archaeological importance of this site lies in his more than 3,000 buildings spread over 16 square kilometers, including palaces, temples, ceremonial platforms, terraces, residences, plazas and causeways. In the area of the park there are also more than 200 stone stele, where the ancient mayas write in form of "glyphs" and tell us the most we know about this marvelous culture.
Tikal is one of the most important of the hundreds of maya archeological sites discovered in the jungles of Guatemala,
Mexico, Belize and Honduras. This region is called La Ruta Maya.
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Some of the main temples and structures are the following:
- Templo I del Jaguar Gigante (Temple of the Great Jaguar),
it is more than 135 feet height and was erected about 700 AD.
- Templo II de las Mascaras (Temple of the Masks), is 120 feet height.
- Templo III del Sacerdote Jaguar (Temple of the Jaguar Priest), is 160 feet height.
- Templo IV de la Serpiente Bicefala (Double-Headed Snake) is the tallest structure of Tikal with 200 feet height.
There are flights twice a day from Guatemala City. The Santa Elena International Airport also receives flights from Cancun and other cities.
Transportation services are quite good between Santa Elena and Tikal. Services in the park include guided visits, camping areas, toilets, restaurants, souvenir shops and two museums.
More information on Tikal:
For accommodation, check our hotel guide for this area.
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