Archaeology Dos Pilas Tour Star Wars Code: Dos4

DOS PILAS - EL DUENDE - ARROYO DE PIEDRA - CEIBAL - aguateca - PUNTA DE CHIMINO

SEASON:ALL YEAR ROUND
CLASS: Advance
MIN. AGE: 10 years
Star Wars CODE: DOS4
Sites Visited: Dos Pilas, Arroyo de Piedra, El Duende, Ceibal, Aguateca, Punta de Chimino
No. Days Places visited Where stay
1 Flight Flores/ Sayaxche / Aguateca Islas de Chimino
2 Arroyo de Piedra/Dos Pilas/El duende Camp
3 Dos Pilas / Punta de Chimino Islas de Chimino
4 Ceibal / Flores / Guatemala

Known as the Star Wars of the Maya, the sites in the Lake Petexbatún region have brought fascinating new light to the ways of the Maya and possible reasons for the great civilizations collapse. As the Venus glyph combined with a hatchet reads war; we can picture the warring cities closely tying their auspicious wars with the alignment of the stars and planets.

You travel to the trading town of Sayaxche, a starting point for this adventure. We then transfer and go by boat through La Pasion River, visiting the First stop at the majestic site of Aguateca, where you begin to hear the howler monkeys, even though it sounds like they are only a few feet away, they can be as far as one mile away, and they sound like roaring tigers.

Overnight in an Eco-lodge on Petexbatun Lake. The next morning you visit three recently excavated sites, Arroyo de Piedra, Dos Pilas, and El Duende. Camp overnight right inside the ruins. The jungle completely surrounds our tents.

The following morning you walk back to the lodge where you can fish, swim or simply relax the afternoon away.

After Breakfast, board boat for our visit to the mysterious site of Ceibal, navigate through Petexbatun Lake for this thrilling and mysterious adventure. The afternoon finds us to our return to Flores to finish this unique trip.

Combine this adventure with the remoteness of the sites of Piedras Negras and Yaxchilan, set deep within the rainforest as part of the Maya Biosphere Reserve.

Piedras Negras is now being restored by a team of archaeologists in a five year project.

Petexbatun Area: Dos Pilas, Ceibal, Aguateca and Punta de Chimino

 

Detailed Itinerary:

DAY 1 GUATEMALA / SAYAXCHE / aguateca / PETEXBATUN
Breakfast on your own, 6:00 am transfer to airport to board short air flight to Santa Elena, Petén. Transfer overland to the frontier town of Sayaxche, on the banks of the río Pasión. Board outboard boat for short trip to the Lake Petexbatun to explore the intriguing ruins of Aguateca. Lunch en route. All afternoon to walk in the protected jungle, visit the plazas and experience the natural cliff boundaries that eventually lead to it's demise. Return to boat for short trip to jungle lodge and dinner.

DAY 2 PETEXBATUN /ARROYO DE PIEDRA / DOS PILAS / EL DUENDE
Breakfast, board native cayuco for short trip to the disembarkation to the ruins of Dos Pilas.* Trek through the jungle to reach this remote site, (approx: 4 hours; - horses available upon request- $10.00 extra), exploring the adjacent site of Arroyo de Piedra on the way. Time permitting we will visit the farther ruins of Tamarindito. Our pace is leisurely, to ensure the complete appreciation of the lush and wild surroundings. After a refreshing bath in what gives this ruin its name, we have lunch and begin our exploration. All afternoon devoted to studying the, as yet un restored, important sites of Dos Pilas and neighboring, El Duende. Dinner and camp within the ruins.

Day 3 DOS PILAS / PETEXBATUN
Early breakfast, and further exploration of the ruins. 11 AM departure for hike back to awaiting cayuco. Return to previous accommodations on Lake Petexbatun and lunch. Afternoon visit of the newly discovered site of Punta de Chimino. Dinner and accommodations on the lake's shore.

Day 4 PETEXBATUN / CEIBAL / FLORES / GUATEMALA
Breakfast, board boat for upstream travel to the site of Ceibal. All morning at the site to study the unusual stelae and experience the surrounding rainforest's flora and fauna. Return to Sayaxche for overland transfer to Flores for afternoon flight to Guatemala City. Lunch en route.

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