Description
Tikal is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centers of the Pre-Columbian Mayan civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Peten basin in what is now northern Guatemala. Situated in the department of El Peten, the site is part of Guatemala’s Tikal National Park, and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya. Though monumental architecture at the site dates back as far as the 4th century B.C.
Regarding the wildlife, agouti, white-nosed coati, gray foxes, spider monkeys, howler monkeys, harpy eagles, falcons, ocellated turkeys, guans, toucans, and green parrots can be seen regularly. Jaguars, jaguarundi, and cougars are also said to roam in the park.
