The Peten–Guatemala’s jungle-clad lowlands–is a treasure house, not just of biodiversity but of archaeology too. Some of the Maya world’s earliest, largest and most beautiful temple complexes were built here–think of Tikal or Yax-ha–but only a fraction of these have been excavated. Recent LiDAR surveys have revealed a mind-boggling 60,000 or so homes, palaces, tombs and highways, including four major ceremonial centres with plazas and pyramids, that have lain previously undetected beneath millennia of rainforest growth. While a productive future for Mayan archaeologists seems assured, hidden sites don’t always translate into the greatest experience for an amateur explorer.
"Wake to a symphony of jungle birds and howler monkeys roaring up the dawn, and explore the nearby modern community of Uaxactun."
There are, however, a number of ways we can bring Guatemala’s spectacular ancient Maya heartland beyond Tikal to life for you. One of the best is to stay directly on site. At Uaxactun, for example, just a dozen or so miles deeper into the jungle than Tikal, a handful of luxury tents with proper beds and furniture inside provide supremely comfortable digs for the night, while a chef is on hand to prepare a delicious candle-lit dinner at the foot of an ancient pyramid. Staying here allows you to experience this wonderful site–home to the earliest known Maya astronomical observatory–in peaceful contemplation before and after everyone else has gone. Wake to a symphony of jungle birds and howler monkeys roaring up the dawn, and explore the nearby modern community of Uaxactun where you can learn from descendants of the ancient Maya about the natural resins, spices and flowers they gather from the forest, and, if you are so minded, visit a local community school.
Remoter still is the mysterious site of El Mirador close to the Mexican border in the far north of the Peten. For would-be Indiana Joneses, we can arrange a multi-day trek through the rainforest, following ancient paths and causeways that link El Mirador with its satellite complexes, Nakbe and El Tintal. This is exploring in style–you’ll stay in private luxury tents, enjoying private-chef-prepared meals beneath the stars, sundowners atop mighty temples overlooking the rainforest and fireside conversations with resident archaeologists.
Or swap two legs for a four-wheel drive to explore the ‘lost’ cities of El Quinal and Rio Azul, only partially excavated, and offering a wonderful opportunity to combine archaeology with wildlife viewing. Jaguars, tapirs and ocelots all stalk this remote corner of the jungle, along with a profusion of bird life. If you’re short on time, or looking for the ultimate rainforest adventure, we’ll fly you in and out by helicopter to a purpose-built on-site camp accompanied by a leading expert in the ancient Maya. It’ll be just you, your guides and the creatures of the jungle here. No one else for miles. An unsuspected world conjured up for your imagination as you contemplate a vanished civilisation amid the towering rainforest trees.
