Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This biotope ismanaged byGuatemala'sUniversity ofSanCarlos Center forConservation
Studies (CECON) and was established for the protection of white-tailed deer. The biotope
formsacorridorconnectingtheareaaroundElMiradortothatsurroundingRíoAzulwithin
thelarger
Mirador-Río Azul National Park.
ItalsoprotectstheMayanruinsofNaachtun.
Naachtun lies 25 kilometers east of El Mirador and about one kilometer from the Mex-
ican border in a remote pocket of jungle. A Late Classic site, its architecture bears strong
influence from Tikal and Calakmul, probably owing to its being caught in the tug-of-war
between these two great rivals. At least 45 stelae have been found here.
The biotope is in fairly good shape because of its remote location and the absence
of roads, with abundant wildlife, including many of Guatemala's endangered spe-
cies—jaguars and other jungle cats, such as margays and ocelots, brocket deer, crocodiles,
riverturtles,monkeys,tapirs,peregrinefalcons,andmealyparrots.Theplantdiversityhere
and within the Mirador-Río Azul National Park is said to be the highest in the Maya Bio-
sphere Reserve with a particularly high concentration of mahogany trees. Little has been
done to promote tourism to the reserve and it remains a delightfully remote natural oasis
off the beaten tourist trail.
Access to the biotope is along the road connecting Uaxactún to Río Azul, a little more
than halfway. The road is passable only in the dry season, and then only via 4WD. You can
also hike or ride on horseback to the site from Uaxactún in about two days. Trips can be
arranged through
Campamento El Chiclero.
Parkfacilitiesarerudimentaryandonlyabout40visitorsmakeithereeveryyear,mostly
foreigners. The park rangers have an encampment on the shore of one of the lagoons and
will allow you to stay and cook there. Basic shelters for setting up a tent or stringing up a
hammock are available, as are showers.
This vast park on the northwestern corner of Petén encompasses important wetlands, the
largest in Central America. It also contains the only remaining populations of scarlet
macaws inGuatemala, whicharebeingprotected viaongoingconservation effortsatabio-
logical research station. Oil drilling, present before the park's creation, continues in the
western part of the reserve, despite protests from environmental groups and their having
been declared a violation of the park's intended use. In 2006, the Guatemalan government
granted further oil exploration concessions in the park's multiple-use zone.
Visitors to this park should limit their activities to those centered around the Scarlet
Macaw Biological Research Station and the site of Waka'-Perú, as the security conditions
and the loss of much of the local habitat prevent me from recommending more in-depth
explorations of this wild frontier.
