Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
al Geographic
articles on Maya sites to browse over coffee. Nightly specials include ve-
getarian fare.
Las Orquideas $$
( 5819-7232; Jobompiche Rd; pasta Q55-80; noon-9pm Tue-Sun)
Almost hidden in the forest, a
10-minute walk down the north shore from the Tikal junction, is this marvelous open-air
dining hall. The genial Italian owner-chef makes his own
tagliatelle
and
panzarotti
(smal-
ler version of calzones), and there are tempting desserts, too.
ITALIAN
Getting There & Around
El Remate is linked to Santa Elena by frequent microbus service (Q20) till around 7pm.
For Tikal, a collective shuttle departs at 5:30am, starting back at 2pm (Q30/50 one way/
round trip). Any El Remate accommodations can make reservations. Or catch one of the
public shuttles (Q30) or
San Juan Travel shuttles
( 5461-6010; Calle Playa Sur;
Q50) passing
through from Santa Elena to Tikal roughly hourly from 5am to 11am.
For taxis, ask at Hotel Sun Breeze (
Click here
)
. A one-way ride to Flores costs about
Q200; round trip to Tikal costs Q350.
For Melchor de Mencos on the Belizean border, get a minibus or bus from Puente Ixlú,
2km south of El Remate (Q25, 1¼ hours). Additionally, Horizontes Mayas (
Click here
)
offers daily departures to Belize City (Q160) at 5am and 7:30am.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Tikal
Towering pyramids poke above the jungle's canopy to catch the sun. Howler monkeys
swing noisily through the branches of ancient trees as parrots and toucans dart to a caco-
phony of squawks. When the complex warbling of some mysterious jungle bird tapers off,
the buzz of tree frogs fills the background and it will dawn on you that this is indeed hal-
lowed ground.
Certainly the most striking feature of
Tikal
( 2367-2837;
www.parque-tikal.com
; admission Q150;
6am-6pm)
is its steep-sided temples, rising to heights of more than 44m. But what distin-
guishes Tikal is its setting, deep in the jungle. Its many plazas have been cleared of trees
and vines, its temples uncovered and partially restored, but as you walk from one building
