Heading East from Guatemala City, this relatively diverse geographical region ranges from deserts, rainforest and mountains inhabited by creoles, latinos and some interspersed Mayans. The main towns are Chiquimula and Esquipulas, n the East and Flores Island in the North. The main reason to visit these regions are the Rio Dulce and Izabal Lake with is incredible hot springs as well as the main attraction in Guatemala, Tikal, set within lush tropical rainforest, is found in the North of the country. Tikal is one of the most impressive Mayan archaeological sites in existence today. Despite being a well-visited site, the remoteness of the ruins amid the jungle has helped to keep it in an excellent state of preservation. Tikal ruins are fascinating and according to historians, the area around Tikal was settled about 900 BC, and its importance grew over centuries until the 8th century AD when Tikal became the greatest city in the Maya world. The site was abandond for a number of centuries, yet the local people passed down their knowledge about mysterious ruins deep in the forest for generations, but it was not until the 19th century when first explorers arrived to excavate the phenomenal Tikal.
Flores island is one of the hubs to visit the main attractions in the region andan be found in the middle of The Peten Itza lake and is connected to the mainland by a causeway. It was the last independent Maya state to hold out against the Spanish conquerors, when they arrived.
The town of Livingston is a great stop off and home to the Garifuna people originated from the African slaves. The Ipala volcano is stunning and the black Christ of Esquipulas are all found in this region.
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This town is on the Caribbean Sea coastline and quite possibly the most relaxed destination in Guatemala or all of Central America! This Garifuna outpost of the African slaves mixes their Caribbean culture with Latino culture and some Mayan ruins to boot and is the best place to visit the Rio Dulce from …The food is pretty amazing also!
One can’t deny the fact that Flores was put on the map by the nearby ancient Mayan city of Tikal. These magnificent ruins are the highlight of the area. From Flores, tours to Tikal run every day and it’s one of the most convenient places to stay to see Tikal. However, as more travelers came, Flores began to grow into the tourist hub it is today. Now, the quaint streets are lined with arts and craft stores selling Guatemalan goods.
Guatemala is dotted with Mayan ruins,of course, but Tikal is quite possible the most impressive. The location in lush rainforest with gigantic temples rising from the canopies is really a sight to behold! The city is thought to have been one of the most powerful of the ancient Mayans, and dominated much of the Mesoamerican region from 200BC to 900AD. This privileged archaeological site is in an impressive state of preservation due to its remoteness!
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