Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Access to the caves begins from the town of Dolores, 24 kilometers north of Poptún.
From there, a gravel road leads to the settlement of Sacul Abajo. A rough dirt road con-
tinues to the village of Las Brisas, which is the final jumping-off point for the remaining
3-4-hour hike to the Zactun entrance. Dr. Ric Finch, a retired geology professor, has been
leadingtripstoGuatemalasince1987.InApril2007,togetherwithAntiguaresidentcaver/
explorer Mike Shawcross, Finch led a cavers' trip to various sites in Guatemala, including
the Chiquibul caves. Finch and Shawcross scouted the access routes and contacted local
guides in the village of Las Brisas. The trip may be replicated in the coming years. For
more information, contact
Rutahsa Adventures
(299 Allen Hollow Rd., Cookeville, TN
38501, 931/520-7047 U.S.,
www.rutahsa.com
)
.
The
Río Chiquibul
originates in the hills of Belize and flows westward into Guatemala,
going underground in many places through the Chiquibul cave system. It's a cool jungle
river perfectly suited for rafting trips.
Maya Expeditions
(tel. 2363-4955,
www.mayaexpeditions.com
)
offers 1-3-day river trips ($85-130) via raft or kayak combin-
ing a visit to some little-explored caves along the river's course. Longer trips, including
horseback riding to Mayan sites, are also available.
Tikal National Park, the oldest and best known of Guatemala's national parks, was created
in1956.Itencompasses575squarekilometers(222squaremiles)ofprimarytropicalforest
and protects a vast array of wildlife, as well as harboring the remains of one of the May-
an civilization's greatest cities. Tikal is understandably high on the list of priorities for any
visitor to Guatemala and shouldn't be missed, as it affords the unique opportunity to com-
bine a visit to a site of mammoth historical importance both in terms of natural and hu-
manheritage.Owingtoitssingularimportanceinthespheresofnaturalandhumanhistory,
UNESCO declared Tikal National Park a World Heritage Site in 1979.
Tikal's towering Temple I dominates the city's Great Plaza and is an icon for Guatemala
itself,muchliketheEiffelTowerandParis.Perhapsnotasreadilyapparent,TikalNational
Park also represents the ongoing effort to protect what remains of Petén's tropical forest
ecosystem. The park is at the edge, geographically speaking, of the Maya Biosphere
Reserve, but at the very heart and soul of what conservationists and archaeologists are try-
ing to protect. The conservation of Petén's rich archaeological and natural treasures has
the potential to provide a livelihood to a growing population of
peteneros
long after any
perceived benefits from clearing the forests for short-term gain. The lessons learned from
Tikal's 50-plus-year existence can help conservationists better manage newer parks deeper
inside the forest reserve, which will eventually be open to increasing numbers of visitors.
