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Mayan sacred place in present-day Guatemala
Photo: David Germain, CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons
Uaxactún is a village and ancient Maya city in a remote area of Guatemala's Northern Lowlands, beyond the more famous ruins of Tikal.
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This is the larger of the two main excavated parts of the ruins, which formed the political center of the ancient city during its later period, during what Europeans would call the early Middle Ages. It includes some of the larger buildings, though they're not as big as the biggest ones in Tikal.
Arguably the most interesting part of the ruins - this was the much older political center of the city, from around the same time as the Roman Empire. It's centered around the "astronomical complex": three side-by-side temples that the sun rises behind on the winter solstice, equinoxes, and summer solstices respectively, as viewed from a nearby pyramid. The pyramid itself is surprisingly well-preserved for its age, showing striking, huge "masks" on each side, because it was actually enclosed within a larger pyramid whose structure was removed by early archaeologists.
A natural cave in the jungle that blows out a stream of cool air during the heat of the day. Big enough to crawl down into if you dare - there are bats and gnarly bugs inside.
This is the OG place to stay in Uaxactun, and seems to be the only officially registered accommodation in town. Despite sometimes being called "Campamento"), the main accommodation there these days small cabaña-style rooms (concrete walls, open-air ceiling with mosquito netting, sheltered by a higher-up thatched roof). It's not super clean, the mosquito netting doesn't work perfectly, and there are no electrical outlets except when Antonio (a cool, laid-back older guy) runs the generator for a couple hours in the evening. The rooms and bathroom block do have solar-powered lighting, and the (cold) showers work well. For wifi, go to Restaurante Uaxactun.
Seems like it might have its own wifi internet. Possibly newer or more comfortable than El Chiclero, but you'll have to check for yourself.
By bus
As of June 2024, you can take a white bus (Q70, 3-4 hours) from the old market in Santa Elena (a few blocks from the bridge to Flores Island), which leaves once a day at about 14:00, though the…
By bicycle or foot
It is 23 km from Tikal along a hard-packed but bumpy dirt road. Permission to travel this road on foot or with a bicycle is at the discretion of the Tikal park staff.
By thumb
Hitchhiking to Uaxactun is probably tricky these days.
By plane
Though for decades Uaxactun was a fly-in community only easily accessible by plane, its airstrip has been disused since the early 2000s, and is bisected by a fence near the middle, so could dodgy to…
Though local teens might argue that the best way to get around here is by motorbike, and tours may cut off some of the distances by car, the main way to explore the village the ruins is on foot.
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Articles and travel topics about Uaxactun and Guatemala.
Culture & historyThe Maya civilization was one of the great Mesoamerican and Pre-Columbian civilizations. The Maya were renowned for having the most sophisticated and developed writing system in the Western Hemisphere as well as their…
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Nature & adventureGuatemala has more than 30 national parks preserving many types of ecosystems including dense lowland tropical jungle, mountainous forests, volcanic peaks, and the subterranean wonders of natural caverns.
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Culture & historyThe indigenous peoples of North America are the tribes and nations whose ancestors were already on the continent when European explorers and colonizers arrived.
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Nature & adventureVolcanoes come in many shapes and sizes, and their eruptions vary hugely in both frequency and intensity. Many volcanoes are tourist attractions and are worth a visit provided you take due care, in particular keeping a…
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