Aguateca One-Day Tour
Spend a day exploring the Mayan ruins at the Aguateca Archeological Site in Guatemala. Aguateca is found on a limestone bluff above the Petexbatún Lagoon in the department of Petén.
- Duration:
- 7 hrs
- Available Days:
- Every day
- Schedule:
- 8:00 AM
- Hotel Transportation Offered
- Mobile Ticket Included
- Offered in English, Spanish
This tour visits the Mayan site of Aguateca, which dates back to the Late Preclassic period.
The tour departs Flores and Santa Elena at 8:00 AM. You'll drive to the town of Sayaxché and board a boat that will take you down a river and through the Petexbatún Lagoon. This portion of the tour will give you exposure to some of Guatemala's jungle and river areas. Be on the lookout for birds and other animals as you make your way across the water.
On the other side of this lagoon is the Mayan site of Aguateca. Aguateca was once the capital of a powerful dynasty that descended from Tikal. The early settlements here date to the Late Preclassic period, but the site was at its peak between AD 600 and 830. Around AD 810, Aguateca was attacked, burned, and quickly abandoned.
Your tour guide will take you through the ruins, explaining their historical and cultural significance as you walk along. You'll visit the Palace Group, which was probably a royal compound, and the Main Plaza. There's another area that has structures that may have been used as Mayan workshops. Shells, tools, bones, and other objects have all been found here.
The tour leaves Aguateca around 3:30 PM and arrives in Flores and Santa Elena at approximately 4:30 PM.
Attractions Visited
The Mayan site of Aguateca is situated along the shores of the Petexbatún Lagoon in the department of Petén. The site dates back to the Late Preclassic period and was hastily abandoned around AD 810.
Read more:Aguateca Archaeological Site
The Mayan site of Ceibal is located near Sayaxché in Guatemala’s Petén department. The site’s structures are partially restored and surrounded by a protected forest.
Read more:Ceibal Natural Monument
The Maya Biosphere Reserve is the largest protected tropical forest in North America. Spreading across 4.3 million acres (1.7 million hectares) in Guatemala’s Petén department, this reserve protects huge expanses of forests and the Mayan ruins that lie within them.
Read more:Maya Biosphere Reserve
What to Bring
Comfortable clothes, hat, camera, sunscreen, insect repellent, and money for food, personal expenses, and tipping the guide/driver.
What's included
Transportation by vehicle from Flores - Sayaxché- Flores and by boat from by boat from Sayaxché - Aguateca - Sayaxché, box lunch, entrance fee, and bilingual guide.
Transportation
Many of our tours and activities offer transportation pick up & drop off options from several locations and destinations. Options vary by tour, see “BOOKING REQUEST” for full details.
Similar things to do
On this tour, you'll see the city of Ceibal, which served as an important hub for trade among ancient Maya cities.
This full-day tour explores the Mayan site of Ceibal, which is near Sayaxché in Guatemala’s Petén department. Ceibal was once one of the largest cities in Guatemala's southern lowlands.
This tour visits the Mayan site of Dos Pilas, which is located in Petén. Dos Pilas was a Mayan capital and has several interesting structures still standing.
