Who has never dreamed of seeing Tikal, of discovering its Mayan treasures, its pyramids guarding science and secrets?
Guatemala, keeps in the heart of its jungle a bewitching archaeological site: the Mayan pyramids of Tikal.
For the traveller keen on history and mystery, a visit to the site is a must. For others, the visit is worth every diversion, Tikal is an architectural vessel that beats in the heart of the jungle.
Angkor, Machu Picchu, Petra, Persepolis, Palenque, Tikal is one of the great cities that have survived for thousands of years
Often abandoned then forgotten, buried in a protective jungle, these cities still keep many secrets. Tikal as we can see it today represents only a tiny part of the original city.
Tikal is not as popular as Machu Picchu and this is probably due to the architectural hardness (cubes, steps, rectangles, steps) and surely also to the dark stone.
Yet Tikal is well worth a visit: one reason alone is enough to convince the most recalcitrant: see the site at dawn
The sun rising over the jungle which awakens to the song of howler monkeys, the vegetation which exhales the light mist, the first bird songs… This discovery of Tikal is a beautiful adventure.
You have to return to the site in the middle of the night, cross part of the park in the dark to finally climb a pyramid and wait there for the divine spectacle.
No wonder the Maya worshipped the sun. It climbs slowly, the first rays climb the steps and warm the traveller.
In Tikal, the star seems to be taking its time to admire the buildings
In the time of the Mayan Golden Age, the sun, Kinich Ahau was transformed during the night into a jaguar. The cat crossed the world of darkness and resurfaced in the morning.
In the early morning, the city of Tikal also seems to be reborn from its long night.
The sunrise over this thousand-year-old city is worth all the sacrifices: leaving Flores at 3am, suffering the mosquitoes, the damp cold of the jungle… and the overwhelming heat as soon as the sun returns.
