Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
El Mirador,
deep in the jungle near the Mexican border, involves an arduous journey of
two days from the nearest village but is well worth it for the opportunity to visit one of the
largestandearliestMayancitiesinexistence.Thetallest,andsomeofthelargest,manufac-
tured pre-Columbian structures can also be foundhere in the form ofthe massive La Danta
and El Tigre pyramids, with bases the size of three football fields. A typical round-trip it-
inerary to El Mirador takes 5-7 days, depending on how long you want to stay at the ruins
and if you want to stop at other nearby sites on the way back.
The most natural starting point and hub for any in-depth Petén explorations is the island
city of
Flores,
with its pretty pastel-colored houses and quiet streets; it's unlike any other
town in Guatemala. Its sister city of Santa Elena, on the mainland shores of Lake Petén
Itzá, is an equally logical choice for a base, though it's not nearly as attractive. Many con-
servation organizations and adventure travel outfitters are based in Flores/Santa Elena. Air
and ground service connects Flores/ Santa Elena to most of Petén, other parts of Guatem-
ala, and Belize.
In southern Petén, the
Petexbatún
region harbors many fascinating archaeological sites
set alongside the Petexbatún Lagoon. If you have an extra few days after checking out
Tikal,Yaxhá,andLakePeténItzá,andifyou'reabigfanofMayanruins,byallmeanscon-
tinuesouthandcheckoutthePetexbatúnregion.Farthereast,theareasurroundingthetown
of
Poptún,
along the road connecting Petén and Izabal, lies at a comfortably higher elev-
ation and is an excellent destination for cave tubing, spelunking, hiking, and hanging out
at area lodges. A requisite stop along the Petén-Izabal Highway is
Finca Ixobel,
the most
popular of the Poptún lodges, and with good reason. If you're heading north into Petén
fromIzabal,you'llwanttospendanightortwoinPoptún,assumingyouhaveenoughtime
to visit Tikal.
Some of Petén's attractions, Tikal National Park for example, can easily be explored on
your own. The remote location and rugged topography characterizing the great majority
of Petén's parks and ruins, however, means you will probably find yourself needing the
services of an experienced guide sooner or later. Another issue to consider is that hiring
a guide provides locals with tangible evidence that the local environment and the Petén
forestsareworthmorestandingthancutdownforcattleranchingortimber.Italsoprovides
a much-needed source of income and broadens cultural horizons. There are several outfit-
ters, based mainly in the city of Flores, offering excellent guided trips to some of Petén's
more exotic offerings and all of these work with local communities to ensure the sustain-
ability of their tourism practices. While there is certainly a glut of tour companies in and
around Flores, not all of them are reliable, and many of their owners are not in the least
socially or environmentally conscious. Try to stick to one of the recommended outfitters.
