Following our Spanish classes, we took a short flight from Antigua to Tikal deep in the northern jungles of Guatemala (technically a shuttle from Antigua to the Guatemala City Airport, flight to San Benito, and shuttle to Tikal). Tikal is the ruin of an ancient Mayan city now part of Tikal National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tikal was the capital of a powerful Maya kingdom (city-state) inhabited as early as 1000 BCE for agriculture. The height of Tikal was during the 8th century CE. The city had a very advanced water management and filtration system using reservoirs, canals, and dams. By the end of the 9th century it fell into decline due to droughts, environmental degradation, water contamination, overpopulation, and famine. After being abandoned, it was swallowed by the jungle, and only officially revisited in 1848. Early archeologists started to clear, map, and record the ruins in the 1880s. In 1956, major excavations began by the University of Pennsylvania Tikal Project. In 1979 through 1984, the government of Guatemala continued archeological projects at Tikal.
We stayed in one of the beautiful hotels onsite the Jungle Lodge Hotel. The hotel is delightful with a pool to cool off in on hot afternoons, a restaurant, and beautiful landscaping. You’re literally in the jungle and we saw monkey mamas with babies in the trees right outside our room. Power is limited at night and we did have a visit from wildlife inside our room, but the front desk will relocate anything that might get inside. They have amazing birds including toucans, howler monkeys (that serenade you throughout the night), spider monkeys, coatis, and many other spiders, snakes and jungle animals. Our shuttle driver showed us a video of the elusive jaguars that live here, but you’re not very likely to actually see one as they are very shy (and nocturnal).
Our first day, we took a tour of Tikal through our hotel and bought our tickets for Tikal online (though the entrance has very helpful staff from the National Park and you can buy tickets here as well). In the afternoon, we relaxed by and in the pool. We went back the second day on our own to adventure and enjoy. One interesting fact is that the jungle really does reclaim the temples and each one has to be regularly excavated/cleaned or the jungle takes back over and the temples just appear to be steep hills.
Thanks for reading! As a little reward… are some videos of the spider monkeys in Tikal (the final one has two mamas and their babies). Enjoy!