Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
La Danta pyramid complex, El Mirador
The Maya Biosphere was also featured on U.S. television with the filming of
Survivor
Guatemala
at the Mayan ruins of Yaxhá. The spectacular ruined city is rivaled in magnifi-
cence only by Tikal and El Mirador, and its splendid setting next to a tropical lagoon com-
plete with hungry crocodiles is second to none.
Survivor Guatemala
certainly catapulted Guatemala and Yaxhá into the collective con-
sciousness, and many people believe it is just a matter of time before the treasures hidden
in the Petén forest gain greater notoriety and become an engine for the preservation of this
incredible but often-overlooked adventure-travel destination.
The remote site of Uaxactún lies just 23 kilometers north of Tikal on an unpaved road
through the jungle passable by 4WD vehicle. The Wrigley Company once had a busy
chicle extraction operation here, complete with an airstrip. Today the airstrip lies in disuse,
with the ruins and small community built around it. Many of Uaxactún's residents make
their living from gathering forest products such as chicle, allspice and
xate
palm leaves. In
