Tikal

Tikal was the reason we wanted to come to Guatemala in the first place - although when we started to research it we found there are many other reasons to explore this beautiful, fascinating country.

Tikal is a Mayan temple site, much bigger and earlier than Chichen Itza, which we'd visited 6 years ago. It has 38 temples, of which five are very tall, poking up above the canopy of the surrounding rainforest.

For a birder with an interest in ancient culture (or the other way round) it's a perfect place. There are parrots, toucans and hummingbirds everywhere and the forest echoes to the sounds of howler monkeys - the ideal soundtrack for the sacrifices that used to take place here to appease the gods below.