IN GUATEMALA

Livingston

 

Livingston is a small Guatemalan town catering to backpackers and adventure tourists.  It is located south along the coast from Punta Gorda, and can be reached via boat in 1 ? hours.  There is ferry service twice daily from Punta Gorda to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala; from Puerto Barrios, travel on to Livingston can be arranged.  Boats can also be chartered from Punta Gorda for travel directly to Livingston.  From Livingston, trips can be made up the Rio Dulce River.

 

Tikal

 

Tikal is the Mayan ruin against which all others are measured.  The ruins of Tikal include more than 3,000 structures extending over six square miles and including palaces, temples, ceremonial platforms, ball courts, terraces, plazas, avenues and steam baths. The ancient Maya began building Tikal around 600 B.C., and for the next 1500 years the area was an important religious, scientific, and political center.

 

The Tikal National Park is not only home to an ancient Mayan City. Screeching howler monkeys and squawking parrots provide nature's soundtrack to all visitors in the area. From monkeys to white lipped peccary, brocket deer, coati-mundis, toucans, scarlet macaws, parrots, ocelots; even the seldom jaguar can occasionally be spotted. Along with many vegetation spices there is also an abundance of tropical flowers.

 

It is difficult to reach and enjoy Tikal from Punta Gorda during a regular weekend but a 3 day holiday weekend makes the trek doable or the visit can be made at the beinging or end of the Belize experience.