Tikal is a place for wondering, not only at the engineering accomplishments of the Maya, but at the jungle splendors of the Petén region in Guatemala. The site of Tikal is a national park  where the native flora and fauna still flourish relatively undisturbed. In addition to it's numerous well-excavated temples and pyramids, Tikal presents an excellent opportunity for animal and bird-watching. Roaring howler monkeys and squawking parrots provide nature's soundtrack and along the paths, spider monkeys, gray foxes, coatis-mundis, dear, and peccary are visible to the visitor.

Today, one can sit atop a pyramid, gaze at the Great Plaza and roof-combs rising up from the sea of jungle and imagine the times more than a thousand years ago when the plaza was alive with activity and the city was surround by cultivated fields dotted with houses.

Tikal attracts archeologists from all around the globe and the wild-life surrounding the ruins, make Tikal a naturalist's dream. This combination of archaeological remains and the natural environment of the Petén, makes Tikal the only place in the world which has been declared by UNESCO as both a Natural & World Cultural Heritage site.