Tikal

Tikal is generally regarded as Guatemala's number one tourist attraction. It is well worth visiting. After visiting several other Mayan sites, I was pleasantly surprised by the dense, rich jungle here. The ruins themselves are large and numerous. It's fun to climb on the pyramids above the tree canopy and see the birds and distant mountains. I visited the site on two sequential days. The jungle is interesting to hike and full of wildlife, including anteaters (coati) and a unique species of turkey.

Logistics -- A highway of tourists runs from Semuc Champey south to Antigua and north to Flores. We decided to continue north to Flores and Tikal. We took a shuttle and stayed in El Remate at the Posada de Don David, a hotel on the lake. The following day, we took another shuttle to the park and stayed at the Jungle Inn. The Jungle Inn is a bit pricey for a private bath, but it is very spacious and comfortable. The garden grounds are wonderful and visited by birds, monkeys and coati (a kind of anteater).

As expected, Tikal is heavily tourist-ed and all the prices for food tickets, lodging and shuttles reflect this.