10 Points of Interest & Landmarks in Peten Department That You Shouldn't Miss

June 20, 2021 Rebbecca Marino

Discover the best top things to do in Peten Department, Guatemala including Great Plaza, Tikal, North Acropolis, Temple V, Topoxte Archaeological Site, Jorge's Rope Swing, Malecon Isla De Flores, Central Acropolis, Plaza Of The Seven Temples, Parque Central De Flores.
Restaurants in Peten Department

1. Great Plaza

Tikal National Park Guatemala
Excellent
89%
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10%
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5.0 based on 493 reviews

Great Plaza

Once the ceremonial, religious and social center of Tikal, this plaza is surrounded by huge temples, a palace, sculpted altars and a ball court.

Reviewed By RobertAleksandrowicz - San Jose, United States

The space littered with stelae and altars between Temples I and II on the east-west axis and between the North Acropolis and the place complex on the north-south axis is the Great Plaza, or the new downtown of Tikal because it was built relatively late in its history. What most visitors don't realize is that this plaza is built on a platform that's at least 4 meters high, and from this platform rise the temples and palaces around. The Great Plaza is a must-see for anyone visiting Tikal. Make sure to check the acoustics, but don't just clap. Stand in the middle of the plaza and face directly at the temple I, then the North Acropolis, then Temple 2. Each one will echo your clap.

2. Tikal

Selva Tropical 100 Flores, Departamento de El Petén, Tikal National Park 17013 Guatemala
Excellent
89%
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8%
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1%
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2%
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5.0 based on 1,011 reviews

Tikal

Reviewed By trvlwannab - Charlotte, United States

First, please allow me to promote Tikal Go, a tour company that provides standard and custom tours of Tikal. They did a great job for us & we highly recommend them. The ruins are among the best in the world. We’ve been to several of the more famous ones in Mexico, Peru, the UK, Italy, etc. If you appreciate historic archeological structures, find a way to go to Tikal….you won’t be disappointed. The sheer number of structures is amazing. They are in various stages of the way they were originally found to fully restored. I believe there are 6 major “pyramids”. We climbed to the top of 4 of them. In fact, you can explore inside & climb on almost all the structures. It is an awesome site from the top of the tallest pyramid, looking out over the top of the tree canopy to see the tops of 4 other pyramids peeking out from the canopy. Restrooms and small huts selling cold drinks are scattered through the expansive property. We especially enjoyed the opportunity to walk thru the mostly shady terrain as we explored. There is a main entrance building that has a restaurant, bathrooms & vendors. Other than that, there may be 1 or 2 more vendors as you start out on the path, but we appreciated not having a large number of vendors in the ruins area. We had brought umbrellas to protect us from the sun or potential rain, but never opened them. We did apply ample bug-spray and were never bothered. Near the end of our tour (not at the entrance/exit, but still in the jungle) we ate at a nice restaurant that was a much-needed break after our long walking tour. They had a nice lunch and refreshing cold water towels to put on the back of our necks. While it takes a little time to get to Tikal, it is worth the effort. I think they have a small local airport, but we drove in from the Belize/Guatemala border near San Ignacio. It is about 1 & ½ drive to the ruins. Since we were staying in Belize City the day before, we elected to spend the night in Isla de Flores. It is a wonderful little island, with many nice hotels and restaurants about an hour from Tikal.

3. North Acropolis

Tikal National Park Guatemala +502 2251 6224 http://mcd.gob.gt/tikal/
Excellent
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

North Acropolis

4. Temple V

Pet 3, Tikal National Park 17001 Guatemala http://www.tikalnationalpark.org/
Excellent
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Temple V

5. Topoxte Archaeological Site

Laguna Yaxha, Peten Guatemala
Excellent
64%
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32%
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5%
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4.5 based on 22 reviews

Topoxte Archaeological Site

6. Jorge's Rope Swing

North Shore, Flores Guatemala +502 3196 3196 http://www.facebook.com/jorgeropeswing/
Excellent
75%
Good
18%
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6%
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4.5 based on 102 reviews

Jorge's Rope Swing

Reviewed By IsabelleWestra - Utrecht, The Netherlands

We spent a great and fun afternoon here! Took a lancha over there from Flores for 40 quetzales (return per person). The entrance is 10 quetzales and they sell drinks and nacho and even pasta. There's a jumping platform and a couple of rope swings, very fun to play around with. Bear in mind that the Los Amigos party boat arrives around 15:15 - 15:30. If you want to enjoy the quietness, make sure you get there before that time.

7. Malecon Isla De Flores

Call 15 De Septiembre, Flores 17001 Guatemala
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4.0 based on 1 reviews

Malecon Isla De Flores

8. Central Acropolis

Tikal National Park Guatemala +502 2239 5000 http://www.tikalpark.com/#!/acropolis
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4.0 based on 1 reviews

Central Acropolis

9. Plaza Of The Seven Temples

Siete Templos, Tikal National Park Guatemala +502 2239 5000 http://www.tikalpark.com/
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4.0 based on 1 reviews

Plaza Of The Seven Temples

10. Parque Central De Flores

Calle Union 20, Flores 17001 Guatemala
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3.0 based on 1 reviews

Parque Central De Flores

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