DAY 2 - TEMPLES OF TIKAL - (B,L,D)
After breakfast transfer to the Tikal National Park. En route a stop will be made on the edge of lovely Lake Peten Itza at El Remate, an area reknowned for its wonderful wood carvings.
There are a few lakeside market stalls where you can meet some of the delightful Mayan people and the friendly children who make it very hard to resist a bargain.
Hidden for 1,000 years in the midst of rainforests teeming with wildlife
are enormous ceremonial cities with magnificent Temples and Pyramids built by the mysterious Mayan people.
Of the park's 222 square miles only 10 square miles of central Tikal has been mapped and over 3,000 separate buildings have been revealed: temples, shrines, ceremonial platforms, residences, ball courts, terraces, causeways and plazas.
THE TEMPLES OF TIKAL in the Peten region
of Guatemala is the most fabulous site of all!
Overnight stay at the Jungle Lodge
Hotel or The Tikal Inn, situated in the heart of the Tikal National Park.
Imagine the ceremonies where human sacrifices were offered to the Gods.
Listen carefully and you will hear the still-beating heart of a dying Civilisation . . .
"America, say historians, was
peopled by savages; but savages never reared these structures; savages never carved these stones." John Lloyd
Stephens, Explorer (1839)
DAY 3 - ISLA FLORES - (B,L,D)
The adventurous can get up before dawn to watch the sun rise from the top of Temple IV and after breakfast there will be more time to explore Tikal on your own.
When you are ready you will be driven to the island of Flores on Lake Peten Itza. After lunch on the shores of the lagoon you will enjoy a boat trip on the lake.
It is also fun to explore the cobbled streets lined with handicraft stores, shopping for Guatemalan goodies. The shops stay open into the evening and you can purchase wonderful garments made of fabulous woven fabrics.
Overnight stay at the colonial-style La Casona de la Isla Hotel overlooking the lake.
This hotel is located on the waterfront of Lake Peten Itza. It has a restaurant, a bar, a swimming pool, and is located quite close to the main markets in Flores. This is a great place to spend the final night of the trip, as it offers a unique cultural experience and insights into Guatemalan village life.
DAY 4 - DEPARTURE - (B)
Transfer to the airport in Flores at a time most convenient to your departure flights.
We can also arrange pick up and drop offs at the Belize border and at any hotel in San Ignacio in Belize. See Transfers under the rates below. |
Whilst Europe was deep in the "Dark Ages", the inhospitable and hostile jungles of
Central America were being transformed into the home of one of the World's Great
Civilisations - The Maya Empire.
Temples, Pyramids and Palaces were built by peasant farmers and slaves
without the benefit of beasts of burden or even the wheel.
These were painted in the
sacred colours of the Maya; red, blue, yellow and green and were ruled over by
immensely powerful Kings who were regarded as living Gods by their subjects.
Meet & Greet at Flores Airport or the Belize/Guatemala Border and transfer to the Ecolodge El Sombrero situated on the edge of Yaxha
Lagoon for an overnight stay.
After a guided tour of the site, return to the Lodge to relax in hammocks overlooking the lake.
