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Mark Moxon's Travel Writing

Guatemala: Tikal

Moonrise over Temple I
Moonrise over Temple I

There's a strong argument that Tikal is the most impressive of all the Mayan sites in Central America. At a whopping 65m, the site's tallest building – the inspiringly named Temple IV – is the second-tallest pre-Colombian structure in the western hemisphere, second only to the 70m-high La Danta in El Mirador (which is also in Guatemala but requires a difficult five-day jungle trek to reach, so it's for die-hard fans only). Temple IV at Tikal is half as tall again as the main pyramid at Caracol, and it's no surprise that the sunrise tour to Tikal, where you climb to the top of Temple IV to watch the sun rise over the Gran Plaza, is a popular jaunt.

One of the twin pyramids of Complejo Q
One of the twin pyramids of Complejo Q
Temple I
Temple I
Peta climbing a pyramid in Complejo Q
Peta climbing a pyramid in Complejo Q
One of the temples on the Acrópolis del Norte
One of the temples on the Acrópolis del Norte
The Gran Plaza, with Temple I on the right and the Acrópolis del Norte  in the centre
The Gran Plaza, with Temple I on the right and the Acrópolis del Norte in the centre
The view east from Temple IV, with Temples I and II on the left and Temple III on the right
The view east from Temple IV, with Temples I and II on the left and Temple III on the right
The sunset from Temple IV
The sunset from Temple IV
The sunset from Temple IV
The sunset from Temple IV
The sunset from Temple IV
The sunset from Temple IV