How To Visit (And Camp Overnight) At Tikal In Guatemala • Indie Traveller

Travellers head to the island town of Flores in the north of Guatemala for one main reason: to visit Tikal National Park. Located just outside of Flores, Tikal is one of the largest Mayan archaeological sites in existence and is a highlight of any trip through Central America.

The whole area is so impressive that it was used as a filming location in Star Wars IV, which sums up Tikal perfectly. It’s quite simply…out of this world (sorry, had to say it).

There are a lot of different ways you can see Tikal, from going by yourself for just a couple of hours, or by dedicating days to exploring every stone and engraving on all 3,000 or so monuments. You can also camp overnight right near the entrance to the park, with the night’s soundtrack compliments of the howler monkeys running amok.

I’ve visited several Mayan ruins recently, including Chichen Itza and the Palenque Ruins in Mexico. Tikal was easily the best site I’ve been to, due to the sheer size and intricacy of the…