Exploring the Ruins of Tikal, Guatemala

Old Jan 4th, 2020, 06:50 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Exploring the Ruins of Tikal, Guatemala

Visiting Tikal

Tikal was once one of the most important Maya cities in Mesoamerica. The city reached its height from 200 – 900 AD, with an estimated population of nearly 90,000 inhabitants. By the time the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century, the city was completely swallowed up by the surrounding jungle. This is a stop that is not to be missed on your trip to Guatemala.

The ruins of Tikal are enormous, the core city covers over 16 square kilometers, and has largely been excavated. It is estimated that in its entirety, Tikal actually spans over 60 square kilometers, but the majority of the ruins are still buried beneath the thick jungle.

The tallest temples at Tikal reach more than 70 meters into the sky, well above the forest canopy. It is hard to imagine structures so enormous lost in the jungle until you visit Tikal. Walking through the impossibly thick forest, steep mounds of earth jut skyward all around the surrounding area, covered in lush vegetation and thick vines. Many of these still hide large buildings and temples, waiting to be uncovered. It took us several hours to explore the ruins, and we still did not see it all. Our full trip report on Tikal, Guatemala with photos can be read on mymola.com


jaiifred is offline  
Old Jan 4th, 2020, 07:38 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,464
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for this inspiring report. I’ve been to a number of other classic Mayan sites but never Tikal, which I feel I should due to its importance. Sounds as mind-blowing and eye-opening as Palenque and Copán, which I visited for the first time last summer.

best wishes—Daniel
Daniel_Williams is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
1txgrl
Europe
6
Nov 4th, 2004 05:49 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -