By Gary Walther
It must have been a Raiders of the Lost Ark moment, when in 1848 Modesto Méndez and Ambrosio Tut, respectively the commissioner and the governor of Petén province in Guatemala, after days of plowing through dense jungle, laid eyes on Tikal, at its height (200-900 AD) the greatest of all Mayan cities.
It was overgrown by the jungle, but the roof combs of its tallest pyramids still punctured the treetops. It must have been clear to the two men that they had arrived at a place worthy of myth. (Which is probably why George Lucas used the ruin as a setting in his first Star Wars movie, Episode IV: A New Hope, released in 1977.) Still, it took more than another century (1956) before major archaeological excavations began to reveal the majesty of Tikal: More than 3,000 structures scattered over six square miles (so vast, that they have yet to be fully mapped or excavated); six great temple-topped pyramids; and at the center, Tikal’s great plaza.
It is surround by monumental structures: the stepped terraces of the North Acropolis, festooned with grotesque giant masks carved out of plaster and masonry; a steep pyramid called Temple I, whose roof comb towers 145 feet above the ground, that faces its mate across the plaza, Temple II, soaring 125 feet above the grass; and a complex of mysterious buildings called the Central Acropolis.
Then there is Temple IV (erected about 741), a pyramid that soars 212 feet and is the tallest Mayan structure ever built. Visitors can climb nearly to the top of this structure for the finest view of Tikal, a seemingly limitless billow rain forest.
The Deal
Straightforward: American, Continental, Delta, TACA and United are offering Business Class fares to Guatemala City from various U.S. gateways, for less than $1,000 round-trip. TACA, for instance, is offering $622 (plus taxes) Business Class fares from Houston and Miami to Guatemala City; and American, Continental, Delta, TACA and United, charge $662 from Los Angeles to Guatemala City.
Sample of Special Business Class Fares to Guatemala City Under $1,000
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Logistics
Flights from most departure cities are during the day, with the one exception being from LAX on Delta (an overnight flight departing at 12:50 a.m. and arriving at 6:32 a.m.) The return flight departs in the morning. From Guatemala City, you fly TACA to Flores (one hour), the town closest to the park. In September and October, the fare is $241 round-trip.
Where to Stay
La Lancha, 45 minutes from the park and owned by Francis Ford Coppola, is by far the most luxurious accommodation in the park area. That and the fact that the hotel organizes six-hour excursions ($120 per person, minimum two people) to Tikal, using its own Tikal-certified guides, make it the ideal spot. The lodge (10 air-conditioned, duplex casitas) sits in the rainforest above Lake Peten Itza. Through Nov. 20 and from Nov. 26 to Dec.19, rates are $110 per night for a Rainforest Casita and $175 a night for a Lake View. During the holidays the rates rise to $210 and $280, respectively.
Excursions to Tikal are made in La Lancha’s own vehicles and the guides remain with guests the entire time. The lodge can also arrange trips to other Mayan ruins in the region.