PETÉN - Guatemala - page 547

The relative lack of inscribed monuments found at Yaxhá has made tracking its history a
bit of a challenge, though it appears it was a major player during the Classic period. It is
believed Yaxhá was locked into an ongoing power struggle during much of this time with
its smaller neighbor, Naranjo, about 20 kilometers northeast. Yaxhá's sphere of influen-
ce was almost certainly limited by the proximity of Tikal and the architecture here shows
many similarities to that of the latter site. Naranjo eventually overran Yaxhá in A.D. 799.
Spanish friars passed through here in 1618, and Austrian explorer Teobert Maler visited in
1904. Much of the site remained unexcavated until recently. A German-Guatemalan effort
is conducting the site's ongoing excavation and restoration.
Yaxhá's highest structure is Structure 216, offering wonderful views of the lagoons
and forests from its summit. Watchers of Survivor Guatemala will probably recognize the
temple from numerous aerial shots shown during the program's run. It features a broad
central staircase and rises to a height of about 100 feet. Access is via a wooden staircase
built into the temple's side.
The temples at Yaxhá appear constructed from a very light-colored limestone markedly
different from the stones used elsewhere in the Mayan world, giving the ruins a very dif-
ferent feel. You'll find the ruins spread out over nine plazas with 500 mapped structures,
including temples, ball courts, and palaces. Other highlights include the recently restored
North Acropolis, surroundedbythreetemples,twoofwhicharefairlylarge.Apathknown
as Calzada Blom leads almost one kilometer north from here to the Maler Group, a com-
plex featuring twin temples facing each other across a plaza similar to the setup at Tikal. A
number of weathered stelae and the broken remains of a large circular altar further adorn
the complex. Another great location affording wonderful views closer to the heart of the
ruined city is the top of an unnamed astronomical observation pyramid between Plaza F
and Structure 116.
The parking lot and restrooms are on the east side of the park near Plaza C, along with
a small museum. There are two boat docks here, one below the parking lot and one at
the western end of the site. You can camp for free at Campamento Yaxhá, a designated
lakeside campsite below the ruins proper. A more comfortable option is the friendly Cam-
pamento Ecológico El Sombrero (tel. [phone], www.ecosombrero.com ) , about 200
metersfromthemainroadbeforeyoucometotheparkentrypost.Its13comfortablerooms
arehousedinthatched-roofbungalowsfrontingthelake.There'sadock,butit'snotrecom-
mended for swimming because of the crocodiles. A restaurant serves adequate food, with
the variety of menu items on offer heavily dependent on whether or not there's a group
staying at the lodge. If you're just stopping by, you'll probably end up eating pasta, which
actually seems a delicacy when you're in the middle of the jungle. The lodge arranges boat
trips to Topoxté and guided tours of Yaxhá.
A series of roads leads to Yaxhá. About 31 kilometers east of Ixlú, on the road toward
the Belize border, a well-marked turnoff leads a further 11 kilometers north to the Yaxhá