At it's peak, Tikal was the dominant City of the Mayan culture, being home to over 100,000 people and having Governance over a further 400,000 - making it easily the largest of all Mayan Cities. That alone tells you something of the scale, with over 3000 buildings in it's central area. The temples are amongst the largest seen in the Maya world.
The oldest recorded building dates to c.900 B.C.E, but the majestic City was already in decline by 1000 A.D and was ultimately abandoned.
The temples are huge and impressive, most of which you can get to the top of, via (steep!) steps. You can freely walk on most of the other structures. The Gran Plaza is the main attraction, but centuries of earth still cover other significant temples, that spread far into the jungle, such is the scale of the City.
There is also an abundance of wildlife and birds - even toucans, if you're lucky enough to spot one !
Also check out the layout model before going in.
Most amazing !- the sheer scale and the reward of a spectacular view from the temple tops.
Travel tips- St Elena and Flores ( worth a stopover) serve as Tikal's hub, with many colectivo's heading for the site on a regular basis. 60 pesos return and takes about 1 hour & 20 minutes. Entrance is 150 Quetzales ( 14 GB pounds/ 9USD), open 6am - 6pm. Plenty of bathrooms, eateries and stalls for essential fluids on site.
Guides are expensive and in my view are too slow and restrictive. They say get there early ( for their benefit !) - the site is often shrouded in mist until 10am, so you wouldn't climb the temples anyway !
I spent 11 hours there and would recommend a full day. Buy the map !! It is a huge place, not well signed, so you can take it easy and lap it up ! Wear trainers or boots for walking and if you intend to climb the temples, flip-flops have no place here !
This is a tourist destination, but it's size means you can easily enjoy relative peace at many of the structures.
My rating 9.5/10
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| Wild Ocellated Turkey |
