Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tikal National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, combines ancient Mayan ruins and
spectacular tropical rainforests.
National Parks
Tikal National Park,
the oldest and best known of Guatemala's national parks, was cre-
ated in 1956 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. It encompasses 222
square miles of primary tropical forest and protects a vast array of wildlife, as well as har-
boring the remains of one of the Mayan civilization's greatest cities. Tikal is understand-
ably high on the list of priorities for any visitor to Guatemala and shouldn't be missed.
Laguna del Tigre National Park
is a vast park on the northwestern corner of Petén en-
compassing important wetlands, the largest in Central America. It also contains the only
remaining populations of scarlet macaws in Guatemala, which are being protected via on-
going conservation efforts at a biological research station. Oil drilling, present before the
park's creation, continues inside the reserve, despite protests from environmental groups
anditshavingbeendeclaredaviolationofthepark'sintendeduse.Alsogoingoninsidethe
parkare the clandestine activities ofloggers, wildlife poachers, drugtraffickers, andsmug-
glers of illegal immigrants across the border to Mexico. The western border with Mexico
