Birdwatching in Mayan Ruins
5 days
Discover the Maya Empire, located in the jungles of the lowlands of Guatemala. The Mayan Cities reached the peak of their civilization and domination around the sixth century A.D. The Maya excelled at astronomy, calendar-making, mathematics, and hieroglyph writing and left behind an extraordinary amount of monumental architecture.
Tikal, Jungle Ruins
Hummingbird
Lake Peten
Peacock
Highlights
Explore the richness of the forests of the Mayan Cities where hundreds of bird species prosper. See the keel-billed toucans, parrots, neotropical raptors, the rare orange-breasted falcon, and many more.
Itinerary
Today you will be welcomed at the airport of Flores Island and be brought to your hotel. The hotel is located directly next to Tikal, known as ‘The Mayan City of Voices’. You will go on a bird watching tour through Uaxactun.
This Mayan site is located in the north of Peten and is one of the most outstanding Mayan cities constructed during the preclassic period. This site represents features of a very complex society, where its leaders used the symbolism of buildings and masks as the base of their power.
Here, the oldest architecture has been found in the vault of the lowlands, including copies of murals that have figures of leaders, always in mythological contexts. Together with a professional guide with a lot of knowledge in Mayan Ruins and birds, you will explore this site off the beaten track.
In the morning you will be taken on a sunrise tour through the temples of Tikal. While it is still dark, you will hike through the jungle for about 45 minutes before arriving at the highest temple of the city, Temple number four, in time to watch a spectacular sunrise over the Mayan ruins.
As the sunrise reaches its peak, you will hear the jungle canopy wake up. Monkeys, birds, and other animal species create a fantastic cacophony, which is a truly magical experience. The rest of the day you will have plenty of time to discover the rest of Tikal, ‘the city of voices’.
Tikal is a great place for bird watching because of its location in the rainforest. More than 400 bird species have been reported in northern Guatemala. The tops of the ruins are the perfect viewpoints to see canopy birds like Keel-billed toucans, different species of parrots (Mealy, Red-lored, White-fronted, White-crowned), and Neotropical raptors.
Tikal is also one of the best sites to see the rare Orange-breasted Falcon. The exuberant forest and the impressive Mayan temples are both majestic and mystical.
Today you will go on a tour to discover the impressive Mayan city of Yaxha. This is the third-largest Mayan city known in the lowlands of Guatemala, located in the north of the lagoon with the same name. It is a stunning place for nature, birdwatching, and of course, Mayan Archeology.
The tropical forests have the largest variety of botanical species in the world. The abundance of water in this impressive Mayan site makes way for a greater diversity of fauna. Yaxha National Park has reported more than 40 species of mammals, 14 species of amphibians, 45 species of reptiles, 22 species of fishes, and 150 species of birds.
The bird-watching experience in this area is as impressive as in Tikal, and you will find a wide variety of exotic avian species. From the remarkable solstice observatory, you can observe swarms of Red-lored Parrots, White-fronted Parrots, Mealy Parrots, and White-crowned Parrots, flying over the canopy of the Yaxha rainforest in search of their evening roosting sites. At the lagoon, you may even observe the rare Jabiru.
After breakfast, you will go on a boat tour of Lake Peten. It has several islands, one of which is Flores. The amount of archeological sites, flora, and fauna make Lake Peten Itza a great travel destination. This wildlife paradise is a perfect destination for those who love nature and want to go outside to observe countless species of birds.
Unfortunately, today marks the end of the trip. After breakfast, you will be taken to the airport. You can extend this trip with one of our other tours. Contact us for more information.
map, expenses & price
Birdwatching in Mayan Ruins
Expenses included:
-All private transportation.
-Four nights of hotel accommodations.
-Domestic flights
-Professional certified guides.
-Tours and activities as listed.
-All park entrance fees.
-Breakfast and two lunches.
Per person starting at $800
Extension
Explore this huge piece of Natural Paradise, and the archeological site of ‘El Perú’, 20 minutes west down the river. Additionally, nighttime observation of the local crocodile, along with the opportunity to fish for the distinguished white fish. Overlooking the broad sleepy river, it is a remarkably isolated destination and we offer you a convenient, eco-friendly jungle lodge. Duration from: 2 days. Price from $380
