Last Updated on: 26th June 2024, 09:07 pm
Guatemala’s Petén region is home to several accessible archaeological sites. But aside from the world-famous Tikal, Yaxha is the only other site that can easily be reached by tour. And that’s probably because the site’s tallest pyramid is a prime spot for viewing sunsets. In the following guide, we’ll be covering exactly what you can expect from a Yaxha sunset tour.
In summary, tours booked online go for $25 at the time of writing, though you should be able to book a transport-only option once you’re in Flores. Your bus will depart from Flores at 12:00 (and slightly later for those staying in El Remate). You should then expect to be back by around 19:00 or 20:00 at night.
For more details on arranging a tour, accommodation in the region, and general info on transport, be sure to check the end of the article.
First settled around 700 BC during the Middle Pre-Classic period, Yaxha wouldn’t start emerging as a major city until the Late Classic Period. Today, the archaeological site, which is part of the Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park, contains over 500 structures in total.
The site isn’t nearly as large as Tikal, however. Even taking your time, you can see 100% of the accessible structures in just a couple of hours. And interestingly, despite being so close to Tikal, you’ll observe how Yaxha’s architectural style is quite distinct.
As with Tikal, Yaxha is a great place to spot wildlife, and you’ll likely spot both spider monkeys and howler monkeys – and perhaps even some toucans.
And as you’ll observe during the sunset, Yaxha is situated just next to Yaxha Lake. Perhaps that’s where its name, which means Blue-Green Water in Mayan, was derived from.
Exploring Yaxha
Departing Flores at noon, we made another brief stop in the town of El Remate to pick up more passengers. After finally making it to the site, the bus stopped at the entrance where we all had to buy a ticket for 80Q. This wasn’t included in the price of the tour.
Speaking of tours, the tour I booked online included a guide. But as I prefer to explore independently, I ended up ditching the group and going off on my own. It wasn’t until the tour started that I realized lots of people had booked transportation only. Apparently, this can only be arranged in person in Flores.
If it’s your first time in this part of the world, then going with the guide can be a great way to get acquainted with the Mayan civilization. But in my case, having already been to dozens of Mayan sites, it was hard to stand still as the guide went on and on about the very basics.
Upon entering the site, visitors will find themselves in Yaxha’s southeast section at Plaza C, also known as the ‘Minor Astronomical Complex.’ The pyramidal structures here were built between 700-800 AD, and their arrangement likely replicates the ‘Major Astronomical Complex,’ also known as Plaza F.
As one might expect given the name, the buildings are aligned to mark astronomical phenomena like solstices and equinoxes. Unfortunately, the lighting in this plaza will be far from ideal around the time of your afternoon arrival.
You’ll also find some stelae here being protected under thatched roofs, though they’re not in the best of condition.
The rest of the site can be accessed by walking along what’s essentially a loop trail. If you’re exploring independently, it’s better to go clockwise, as this will end up taking you to Structure 216 last. It’s from Structure 216 that everyone will eventually gather to see the sunset.
Heading northwest, you’ll reach the South Acropolis area, on top of which is one of Yaxha’s ball courts.
The Mesoamerican ball game would sometimes end with a gruesome human sacrifice. And many anthropologists believe that it was actually the winners that would be sacrificed, as this would’ve been considered a straight ticket to heaven according to local belief.
Appropriately, nearby the court is an unexcavated mound which archaeologists have dubbed the Pyramid of the Sacrifices. But this is far from the only unexcavated mound at Yaxha.
Further west is one of the South Acropolis’ courtyards which is home to a multi-chambered structure – probably a temple. Be sure to check out its opposite side, which provides a glimpse into just how big this manmade acropolis really was.
Continuing northwest, you’ll reach Plaza F, or the ‘Major Astronomical Complex.’ Most of the structures don’t seem to have been excavated, however.
But you should find a wooden staircase leading up to one of the tallest mounds which serves as one of the site’s best viewpoints.
No, this is not the point where people come to watch the sunset, though you’ll be able to see the top of that pyramid (Structure 216) in the distance.
Also through the trees, you should be able to catch a glimpse of the north pyramid of the North Acropolis, which is where you’ll be heading soon.
Moving on, I explored parts of the Eastern Residential Complex, though much of its buildings are only partially excavated and largely unremarkable.
But it wasn’t long before I reached the North Acropolis, one of the most interesting sections of Yaxha.
To the side of the main staircase, you’ll find a section of original stucco preserved under a thatched roof. They’re believed to depict god masks.
Next, heading up the main staircase, you’ll be greeted with a view of the North Acropolis’s three main pyramids along with some additional temple structures.
Under the thatched roof at the edge of the structure, meanwhile, are some original preserved blocks.
Notably, the North Acropolis is considered the oldest section of Yaxha, with its structures continually being built over throughout the years. And recent excavations have revealed some of these inner layers.
Interestingly, the three pyramids of the North Acropolis were all constructed with symbolic intent. The north pyramid, for example, contains thirteen levels tiers representing the thirteen levels of heaven in Mayan cosmology.
The west pyramid, meanwhile, contains nine tiers which represent the nine levels of the underworld.
Next, I headed north to reach the Maler Group, also known as the Plaza of The Shadows. To get there, you’ll walk down Calzada Blom, named after the famed archaeologist Frans Blom.
The Maler Group, meanwhile, was named after 19th-century archaeologist Teobert Maler.
The Maler Group contains three main pyramidal structures, with the largest of them being climbable. These are all well-preserved structures that make the fairly long detour to the area worth it.
Next, you’ll have to backtrack south, again walking past the North Acropolis. Past the acropolis, you’ll encounter some exquisite carved stelae, one of which is likely too large to be moved to a museum.
When exploring archaeological sites, I often like to use the Maps.me app, as it usually contains a comprehensive list of landmarks along with accurate depictions of their locations.
And if you are traveling independently at Yaxha (and especially Tikal), it’s well worth the trouble to download it in advance.
Reaching the southeast section of the site, you’ll notice two main areas here: the Pyramides Gemelas (Pyramid of The Twins) Complex and Structure 216.
As mentioned above, Structure 216 is where your group will gather to view the sunset, so if you want to see the Pyramid of The Twins, visit there first.
Frankly speaking, however, don’t expect much from the Pyramid of The Twins Complex. The pyramid itself remains unexcevated, while nearby you’ll just find a stele and a simple rectangular structure.
Next, head south. Before ascending the pyramid, you might briefly want to check out the area in front (west) of it, where you’ll find two stelae depicting Tlaloc, the Mesoamerican god of rain.
While the Mayans had their own rain god known as Chaak, Tlaloc was indeed worshipped in the Mayan world as a distinct entity. Notably, Teotihuacan (near modern-day Mexico City), where Tlaloc worship was prominent, long had ties with Guatemala’s Petén region.
Next, it’s time to make the tiring climb up the wooden staircase. But you won’t find yourself atop the pyramid just yet. This area is known as the East Acropolis, and it was in a state of construction until around 600-700 AD.
The edge of the acropolis features a royal palace under which various tombs and offerings were discovered by archaeologists.
And across the plaza is Structure 216, also known as the Temple of the Red Hands. Next, it’s time to proceed up yet another wooden staircase, ultimately reaching the highest point at Yaxha at 38 m high.
Reaching the top, you’ll soon encounter the main temple. While seemingly not visible today, a red handprint was discovered here – something that has only been found at several other Mayan sites, such as San Gervasio and Kabah.
This pyramid was built over the course of at least four construction stages, with the first iteration dating to over 2,000 years ago.
From the top, you can observe the vast jungle as well as the scenic Yaxha Lake – a view the local elite certainly would’ve enjoyed in the city’s heyday. Next, all you have to do is wait around for the sun to set.
The sunset was indeed beautiful, but I still would’ve preferred the option for a morning or afternoon visit to Yaxha. If you’re visiting Tikal the following day, it would be wise to take one of the early morning Tikal tours. But getting back to Flores at 20:00 the previous night isn’t exactly ideal.
Many people combine Tikal sunrise tours with Yaxha sunset tours in a single day, though that’s an itinerary only those with extremely limited time should consider.
Additional Info
Yaxha Sunset Tours can be booked either online or in person. This tour is the cheapest option that one can book online, while all of the online options seem to include a guide.
For many people, having a guide is a nice bonus. But what about those who prefer free exploration? As mentioned above, the only way to book a ‘transport only’ tour seems to be in person at one of the various tour offices around Flores.
The tourism industry in this region is a bit mysterious, as the office you buy the ticket from is often completely different from the company running the tour. And people who purchased tickets at various offices around town will often end up on the same bus together, with the buses typically having no name or logo on them.
Note that whatever price you’re quoted won’t include the entrance price. For that, you’ll have to pay 80Q upon arrival at the site.
If you’ll be basing yourself in El Remate rather than Flores, you should also easily be able to arrange a Yaxha Sunset Tour. Even though it was a detour, our driver stopped in El Remate to pick up some additional passengers.
As for what to bring, it would be wise to bring water and snacks for this tour, as it’s quite a long excursion and you might not end up having time to eat dinner upon your return.
Flores is the name of the island in the middle of Lago Petén Itzá which has long served as the main tourism hub for visitors visiting Tikal and other nearby sites.
Flores is both an island and a town, and everything within it is reachable on foot. Furthermore, you can also easily walk to the mainland via a causeway, with the journey taking about fifteen minutes on foot.
Right at the other end of the causeway is a shopping mall where you can buy a local SIM card and go grocery shopping. The store there actually has much better prices than the various corner stores around Flores.
The city on the mainland is called Santa Elena, which would also be a good place to stay. But you’ll want to calculate the precise walking distance between your accommodation and Flores before making a choice, as tours to Yaxha and Tikal will depart from the island.
As mentioned, Flores is quite compact, so you’ll be fine regardless of where you stay on the island. But Flores can be pricey by local standards. If you’re a budget traveler that likes privacy, be prepared to make some compromises, such as having a shared bathroom or no AC.
Popular budget options include Hostal Inn 1 and Hotel Sabana. And if you have a bit more money to spend, consider Hotel Casa Amelia or Hotel Isla de Flores.
In Santa Elena, consider Hotel Quinta Maya and Nakum Hotel, both situated near the causeway.
Note that there are also lots of affordable options on the mainland to the north of the island. But in that case, you’d only be able to reach the island by boat or via a long drive. It seems quite inconvenient, especially if you have any morning excursions booked, so I wouldn’t recommend staying in that area.
But what about El Remate?
El Remate is fast becoming a popular alternative to Flores, as it’s about halfway between Flores/Santa Elena and Tikal (not to mention the border with Belize).
Though I only saw El Remate from the bus (albeit no less than six times), it seemed like your standard roadside town in rural Latin America. While it lacks the ambiance and scenery of Flores, it would be a great choice if you’d prefer to cut down on a lot of travel time during your various tours. You should be able to find plenty of tourism offices in El Remate as well.
El Remate is cheaper than Flores, and highly-rated options there include Casa Alemán and Sun Breeze Hotel, among others.
The main reason I didn’t choose El Remate is because I wanted to take a long tourist shuttle to Antigua. And based on my research, these shuttles only seem to depart from Flores. However, you may be able to arrange some kind of shuttle once you’re on the ground in El Remate, though I’m not really sure.
Despite being one of the most popular tourist destinations in Guatemala, Flores isn’t all that easy to reach. It’s actually most easily visited from San Ignacio, Belize, which is just a few hours away.
SHUTTLE FROM SAN IGNACIO
You can easily book transport in advance online or at one of the various tour operators around San Ignacio. I booked this tour and had a good experience overall. The only issue is that they don’t pick you up in San Ignacio until around 15:00 PM, presumably because they start the journey all the way in Belize City.
Also note that due to local regulations, travelers can’t take a single shuttle all the way to Flores. You’ll first be dropped off at the border (make sure to have $40 BZ or $20 USD for the exit tax), and when you come out the other side, you’ll board a new bus. The driver in Belize will hand everyone wristbands which will allow the next bus driver to easily identify you.
Note that some reviews online complain of their bus driver telling passengers that there were no ATMs in Flores, encouraging everyone to use a random ATM along the way. This didn’t happen to me, and I can also confirm that there are indeed ATMs in Flores.
TAXI FROM SAN IGNACIO
If you don’t like the idea of getting to Flores so late, you can also take a taxi from San Ignacio to the border. Shared taxis are available, while I was quoted about $15 USD for a private taxi.
Once on the Guatemalan side, you should be able to find a shared minivan. Rather than all the way to the island of Flores, it will likely only take you as far as the mainland city of Santa Elena, from which you’ll then need to take a tuk tuk to reach the island.
FROM ELSEWHERE IN GUATEMALA
Flores isn’t really close to any other destination in Guatemala, so it’s quite a journey to get to or from here by land. I ended up traveling to Antigua from Flores on a tourist shuttle run by Adrenalina Tours which cost me about $60 USD. While it was a grueling 12.5 hours long, everything went smoothly in the end.
I’d end up using Adrenalina Tours a few other times throughout my travels in Guatemala, and they were always very professional and easy to communicate with.
It wasn’t until my long bus journey that I realized the bus makes a stop in the town of Rio Dulce. I’d previously considered visiting Rio Dulce but figured it would be too far out of the way! But it turns out that it actually makes for a great place to break up the journey between Antigua and Flores.
Apparently, you can also take a coach bus between Santa Elena and Guatemala City. It appears that this route only departs at night, however. It may be possible to book these buses at a tourism office in Flores, but if not, you can try at the main bus terminal in Santa Elena. Those heading onward to Antigua may need to transfer to a shuttle upon arrival in the capital.
You can also find plenty of tourist shuttles in between Flores and Semuc Champey.
REACHING FLORES BY PLANE
Considering what a pain Flores can be to reach, it’s not surprising that many simply choose to fly. You’ll find regular flights to and from Guatemala City, and even some international flights from Cancún and Mérida.
While prices are always changing, with all my luggage, flying would’ve cost me over double the price of taking the tourist shuttle.
While there are a lot of archaeological sites throughout northern Guatemala’s Petén region, Tikal and Yaxha are the only ones that you can take group tours to (well, there’s also El Mirador, but that’s a five-day jungle trek).
Other sites in the area include Seibal, Naranjo, Nakum and Uaxactun. Interested in visiting some of them, I inquired at tour offices around town but was told that private transport was the only option. And for a private driver to some of these sites, I was quoted 600Q (about $77 USD) per trip.
Even though there are plenty of tour operators around town who seemingly operate independently, they all pretty much offer the exact same selection of tours. One would think that there would be at least one agency trying to think outside the box to promote an alternative site. With so many visitors constantly visiting Flores, shouldn’t there be enough demand?
Then again, perhaps the average tourist nowadays is too easily attracted by whatever has ‘sunrise’ or ‘sunset’ in the name. And maybe local operators simply feel that sites that lack good sunrise/sunset viewpoints aren’t marketable enough.