Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
compound on a raised platform comprising 12 courtyards surrounded by 33 buildings,
which housed palatial residences. This arrangement was in place around AD 900, though
there is evidence that the site had been occupied for the previous 14 centuries. What's
unique about some of the courtyards here, like
Patio 1
, is that they were completely en-
closed by buildings, a layout not found elsewhere in the Maya world. Outside the South
Acropolis to the east are
stelae
bearing dates from the 9th century, among the latest recor-
ded dates in the Maya lowlands.
Campamento Ecológico El Sombrero (
Click here
)
in Yaxhá can arrange horseback rides
with a night spent sleeping in hammocks (Q150 per person). To get here independently,
you'll need a 4WD. Should you wish to spend the night, Nakum has a handful of tent plat-
forms, free of charge, but bring food and water.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Parque Nacional Laguna del Tigre
A vast expanse of seasonally flooded forest cut through by slow-moving rivers, this
3340-sq-km park in the northwest corner of El Petén forms the largest protected wetlands
area in Meso-America. Though its northwestern reaches are threatened by government-au-
thorized petroleum extraction operations, it remains a haven for endemic wildlife.
El Perú (Waká)
Trips to
El Perú
are termed La Ruta Guacamaya (the Scarlet Macaw Trail), because the
chances of seeing these magnificent birds are high, chiefly during their February-to-June
nesting season. Several important Classic-period structures and stelae at the jungle site
have led archaeologists to believe it may have allied with Calakmul, Tikal's great rival to
the north.
El Perú is located 62km northwest of Flores in the Parque Nacional Laguna del Tigre.
From the riverbank, it's a 20-minute walk to the site entrance, then a half-hour climb
through primary-growth forest to the ruins. If you arrive independently, the resident
rangers will set you up with a guide.
A number of stelae, in various states of deterioration, occupy four plazas. Stela number
16 in plaza 3 (the original lies under a thatched roof next to a fiberglass replica) portrays
