Tikal National Park (Guatemala)

In the heart of the Guatemalan jungle, surrounded by lush vegetation, lies one of the major sites of the Mayan civilization, Tikal. There are over 3,000 separate buildings dating from 600 BC to AD 900, including temples, residences, religious monuments decorated with hieroglyphic inscriptions and tombs. Although archaeological work started around 80 years ago, it's estimated that still 80% of the ruins remain unexcavated, making Tikal one of the most promising sites used to decipher some of the unknown Mayan secrets. Tikal National Park protects over 222 square miles of rainforest, with over 2,000 plant species identified in the park area and with over 54 species of mammals, including the howler monkey, spider monkey, giant anteater, nine-banded armadillo, coati, kinkajou, tayra, paca, puma, margay, ocelot, jaguarundi and the mighty jaguar!