Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
282 discover Mayan
ruins at lago
de petexBatún,
guateMala
If you like your Mayan ruins
a little less grandiose than
Tikal but all to yourself, then
try those in and around Lago
de Petexbatún, a spectacular
expanse of water ringed by
dense forest to the south of
Sayaxché. The region is home
to several ruins, including Dos
Pilas, Ceibal and Yaxchilán,
though the most impressive is
the partially restored Aguateca
- a fortified city perched on a
high escarpment overlooking
the lake.
The best base for checking
out these atmospheric ruins is
Chiminos Island Lodge on Punta
de Chiminos, a peninsula that
juts into the lake. It was here
that the last of the Petexbatún
Maya sought refuge as the
region descended into warfare
at the beginning of the ninth
century. Although little of their
citadel remains today, the lodge
was set up by two archeologists
who wanted to preserve the site
and also protect the surrounding
wildlife and jungle.
The lodge's six thatched jungle
bungalows (all set well apart from each other)
are built on stilts from fallen hardwood. Each
can sleep up to five people and has a bathroom
and its own water-treatment system. The closest
archeological attractions can all be reached from
the lodge by boat, walking and on horseback
in a day. While the crowds are bustling around
the more well-known Maya sites in Guatemala,
you'll have had a day's unhurried adventure
in the jungle, enjoying these ancient sites in
splendid isolation.
(Clockwise from top) Stelae
in Aguateca; Indigenous girls
from San Mateo wearing
traditional costume; The
view from the Royal Palace,
Aguateca
Need to know
Aguateca is a short boat ride
from the lodge then 20min walk, while Dos Pilas
involves a short boat cruise then a 2.5hr walk. The
lodge also organizes three-day trips to Yaxchil
á
n,
staying overnight in a jungle lodge. Buses go from
Guatemala City to the town of Sayaxché (8hr);
alternatively you can drive from Flores to Sayaxché,
from where there's a river cruise (1.5hr) to Lake
Petexbatún. For prices, reservations and links to
archeological articles related to the Petexbatún
area see
W
www.chiminosisland.com;
T
+502 2471
0855.
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