| TIKAL NATIONAL PARK, GUATEMALA |
 In the far north of Peten Province, Tikal National Park comprises 222 square miles. But, much more than that, Tikal is a small part of the largest contiguous expanse of rainforest left on the North American continent. The northern third of the Peten Rainforest has been designated as the Maya Biosphere Reserve that encompasses an area of 5400 square miles. This ambitious project, the Maya Biosphere Reserve, is falling short of it's ambitious goal of preserving a pristine rainforest in Central America, but it does provide an important buffer zone around the protected core area in Tikal National Park. | |
| Temple II | Leo Urbanksi at Tikal |
| Spencer Smith on steps of Temple II | |
The primary attraction in Tikal of course is the ancient Mayan temples and ruins. This is the largest of the Mayan archeological sites and by far the most impressive. Best of all, Tikal is in a remote area of Guatemala and difficult to get to. Therefor it is very uncrowded and lacks the throngs of visitors that come to Mayan sites like Palenque or Chichen Itza in the Yucatan. Many butterflies can be seen at Tikal as well as considerable other wildlife. Spider and Howler monkeys, coati, agouti and armadillo are protected here and readily seen. Jaguar, ocelot, tayra and tapir are present as well, but much harder to see. The area is fantastic for birding with toucans, parrots, parakeets, motmots, trogans, guans, and rapters. Ocellated turkeys cannot be missed and king vultures are often sighted. While butterflies can be observed at Tikal, the Guatemalan collecting permits do not provide for capturing specimens here. Still a visit to Tikal is highly recommended as a part of your visit to Guatemala. Daily flights leave Guatemala City to Flores for a day at Tikal and return the same evening. Or, you can overnight in Peten for a longer visit. Travel Quest can make any necessary arrangements that you may require or desire. | |
 Temple II at Tikal |
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Temple II sits across the Main Plaza from Temple I. The temple is fully excavated and stands 125 feet above the plaza floor, although it's original height may have been 140 feet or more. The temple dates from about A.D. 700. The temple consists of a three terraced pyramid, resting on a large platform, and visitors are still permitted to climb to the top. The top of the pyramid, especially early in the morning, is a great place to listen to howler monkeys. The climb to the top is a difficult endeavor but well worth the effort. Promotional pictures for Tikal, particularly those produced by the Guatemalan Tourist Authority INGUAT, frequently show scarlet macaws flying across the face of this temple. Scarlet macaws are not currently found at Tikal, although they may have been here in the past. The large colorful birds are fairly numerous in the Rio Pasion area about 25 miles to the south. |
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| This picture of Leo was taken in 1999 standing in the North Acropolis area of the Main Plaza, about 40 feet higher than the plaza floor. Quite a few butterflies were to be seen in this area and in particular the nymphalid Chlosyne janais. This is also another good spot to listen to howler monkeys. The howl of these monkeys is one of the signature characteristics of Tikal. Early in the morning they can sometimes be heard from as far as a mile away. Only six square miles of central Tikal have been mapped and explored for archeological constructions. This is a very small part of the 222 square miles preserved in the National Park, but these six square miles have revealed over 3,000 separate constructions including temples, palaces, shrines, ceremonial platforms, ballcourts, terraces, causways or residences. Most of these remain unexcavated and the rest of Tikal unexplored from the archeological standpoint. |
 Leo Urbanski at Tikal |
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 Spencer Smith on steps at Temple II |
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Spencer Smith pauses on the steps on his way up Temple II in 2001. Unlike the previous photo, this picture shows how high these steps actually are. Tikal was discovered in 1848, but very likely natives living in the area had always known about it. The first official expedition was made to the site in 1853. No excavation took place for over 100 years until 1956 when the University of Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the Guatemalan government, inaururated an 11-year excavation program. The National Park was not created until 1970. |
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