Uaxactun

Uaxactún is a village and ancient Maya city in a remote area of Guatemala's Northern Lowlands, beyond the more famous ruins of Tikal.

Understand
Unlike nearby Tikal, Uaxactún is home to an actual modern village, with a population of about 1000 Guatemalans, which was founded around the year 1900 as a camp for people harvesting chicle, which used to be the main ingredient for chewing gum before it was replaced by synthetic alternatives. The village is built among the ruins of an ancient Maya city that was controlled by Tikal. The ruins here aren't as dense or numerous as those in Tikal, but are quite spread out around the outskirts of the village.

Because the modern village was found as a camp for commercial activities, its residents aren't descended from the people who built the ancient ruins, though many of its residents are Maya indigenous people from other parts of Guatemala. Early in its modern history the village was only accessible by an all-day mule ride from Tikal, but in the early 1900s an airstrip was built there, and many residents saw airplanes before they ever saw a car. Nowadays the airstrip has been abandoned in favor of vehicle transport along the new modern road, but still forms the grassy central green of the settlement.

When the whole north of Guatemala's Peten region was made into a protected forest reserve, Uaxactun's residents were allowed to stay, under the condition that they forage sustainably, don't hunt wild animals or raise cattle, and don't allow any new families to move in or purchase land. Today chicle is only harvested in small amount for artisanal chewing gum sold to tourists in Tikal, and the town's population largely survives on harvesting xate (SHAH-teh), a kind of ornamental palm frond used in the international florist industry. There is also commercial foraging for pimienta gorda, the natural ingredient known in English as "allspice". Though most households aren't involved in the tourism industry, the village does now see a steady trickle of foreign and outside visitors, mostly on day tours to the ruins or birdwatching spots.

Landscape
Because Uaxactun is a normal village, some of the land around it has been cleared in recent history, and it's not as densely forested as Tikal, though a couple kilometers in any direction will bring you to thick, unbroken jungle.

Flora and fauna
The wildife of Uaxactun is similar to Tikal, minus some species that prefer more pristine forest. Howler monkeys and spider monkeys are still common around the ruins, and animals like jaguars, anteaters, and tapirs are theoretically present in the area. Birdwatching is quite good - birdlife is perhaps more dense and visible in the village here than in Tikal, though it favors species that don't need dense jungle. Forest birding can also be good in the area, but it's recommended to get in touch with a local guide to take you to the best spots (which may be out of easy walking distance from the village center).

Climate
Uaxactun has a very hot and humid tropical climate, the same as Tikal. A rainy season in the northern hemisphere spring/summer can mean daily downpours.

Get in
To reach Uaxactun, you must pass through Tikal, where the road stops being paved and becomes a hard-packed but bumpy dirt road (high-clearance vehicle recommended, probably required later in the wet season). The drive is only 23 kilometers, but takes 1-2 hours depending on road conditions. You must have a permit to enter through Tikal, which can be easily bought alongside your Tikal tickets (see below).

Most travelers visit Uaxactun on a day tour, which can be booked in Flores or possibly at hotels in Tikal. It should also be possible to drive your own vehicle - you may want to inquire at the tourist information office on Flores Island to check if there are any special requirements for this. Note that if you arrive by public transit (see below), you will absolutely have to spend at least one night in Uaxactun, and almost certainly will want to spend two nights.

From Flores
As of June 2024, you can take a white bus (Q70, 3-4 hours) from the old market in Santa Elena (a few blocks from the bridge to Flores Island), which leaves once a day at about 14:00, though the tourist information office says that it's officially scheduled to leave at 12:00 - ask locally for the updated timing. There is another, smaller, black van (Q50, 3-4 hours) that leaves around 15:00, apparently from the south side of Santa Elena's Mercado Terminal Nueva. This one is lesser-known and maybe unofficial, so it may be trickier to verify information about it.

As of June 2024, The white bus leaves Uaxactun for Santa Elena/Flores (el pueblo) between 06:00 and 07:00 the following day, running up and down the main street occasionally honking. Since you'll arrive in the late afternoon and leave in the early morning, you'll probably want to stay two nights to see the Uaxactun ruins. In case you miss the bus or want a more intimate experience, the small black van is easy to catch at 07:00 from in from of the Restaurante Uaxactun (maybe make sure it's waiting there before passing up on catching the white bus). The black van will drop you farther from Flores Island, at the Mercado Terminal Nueva in southern Santa Elena.

From Tikal
As of June 2024, the white bus passes the garita de control at the entrance of the Tikal ruins at around 16:00 (Q20, 1-2 hours). Be prepared to wave it down, because it doesn't make a scheduled stop here, and may also arrive early. The Tikal park staff request that you show up to the entrance at 15:30 to trade in your Uaxactun permit for a bracelet.

By bicycle or foot
It is 23 km from Tikal along a hard-packed but bumpy dirt road. Permission to travel this road on foot or with a bicycle is at the discretion of the Tikal park staff. A mountain bike could in theory be a good option, and may be available for rent in Flores. Well-equipped and experienced runners have also been seen traversing the route.

By thumb
Hitchhiking to Uaxactun is probably tricky these days. There aren't many vehicles traveling the road beyond Tikal, and the Tikal park staff are unlikely to allow you onto that part of the road without a convincing transportation plan. It should be perfectly acceptable to hitchhike cars prior to the Tikal ruins entrance, but barely any of them will be continuing to Uaxactun, and you would still need to buy a Uaxactun permit from the Tikal ticket website, which applies per person rather than per vehicle. Entering the ruins on a Tikal park day ticket and hitchhiking on from there would be illegal, and you could get in trouble with the authorities if any staff catch you north of Tikal without a bracelet showing that you validated a Uaxactun permit at the ruins entrance.

By air
Though for decades Uaxactun was a fly-in community only easily accessible by plane, its airstrip has been disused since the early 2000s, and is bisected by a fence near the middle, so could dodgy to use even in an emergency. If money is no object, there's probably plenty of space to land a helicopter.

Fees and permits
There's no fee to explore the ruins at Uaxactun, but passing through Tikal to reach village requires a permit (boleta), sold in June 2024 for Q50 per person (foreign citizens) and purchased at the same places as tickets to the Tikal ruins (see below). Though the online ticketing system seems to say that all purchases must be accompanied by a Q150 Tikal park ticket, this is not actually true - if you're only passing through on the way to Uaxactun, and not exploring the Tikal ruins, your Uaxactun permit can be purchased and used alone. You only need to buy a permit for the day you're entering, even if you'll be staying multiple days. It will be validated and traded in for a bracelet at the garita de control at the entrance to the Tikal ruins.

Just as for Tikal, it's recommended that you buy your tickets online before leaving Flores - the official website is located at boletos.culturaguate.com. There is also a ticket office on the way to the ruins, but it may not accept credit/debit cards, and it is located 12 km before reaching the main part of the park. They also reportedly can have problems with their ticketing system due to electrical or cell service outages. If you'll be waiting for arrival at the ticket office to purchase your Uaxactun permit, bring your passport, as this may be required for your purchase. As of June 2024, passports are not being checked for permits bought online.

Permits are not sold on-site at the checkpoint or main area of Tikal. Furthermore, as of June 2024, there is no cell signal in Tikal, except sometimes at certain spots inside the ruins, so the only way to buy a Uaxactun permit there is by finding wifi at one of the restaurants there (see Tikal article for details) - unless you feel like driving, catching a bus, or hitchhiking the 12 km back to the ticket booth.

Get around
Though local teens might argue that the best way to get around here is by motorbike, and tours may cut off some of the distances by car, the main way to explore the village the ruins is on foot. None of the well-known attractions are more than about a half-hour straight-through walk from the village center. Unfortunately the trails are not as well-signed as in Tikal and the official map isn't to scale - some of the lesser-known parts of the ruins can be difficult to find. But as long as you stay on the big trails and grassy areas, you won't get seriously lost, and you can still see all the main attractions.

See
The main attraction in Uaxactun is the ancient Maya ruins, and once you've arrived in town, entry to the ruins is completely free.

There are more groups of ruins spread around the area, but they're harder to find and probably smaller and/or less-excavated. The local community also offers a small archeological museum, and interpretive signage in Spanish and English about its modern history. The village itself is of interest as an example of how normal people live in a remote area of the jungle. There are many birds and some spider monkeys around the area, and howler monkeys can often be heard too.

Do
Take photos, hike in the jungle. You can hire a local tourism guide (inquire at the OMYC office) to show you around or guide you on hikes or other activities. There are probably also good birdwatching tours, which you might have to book in Flores, or possibly at a hotel in Tikal. There is also a small ceramics museum at Campamento El Chiclero.

Unlike Tikal, as of June 2024 there is no protective attitude towards tourists here nor fear of damage from over-tourism. You're encouraged to climb almost all the ruins, and you won't encounter much problem hiking just about anywhere anywhere you want - but that means you must also be careful not to get lost when going farther afield or on smaller trails. This is especially true since there is zero cell phone reception anywhere in Uaxactun. Though there seems to be little enforcement, you're politely asked not to remain in the ruins after 6pm or enter before 6am.

Buy
As of June 2024, Uaxactun appears to be a cash only town, and there are no ATMs. Since there are no ATMs in Tikal either, make sure to bring enough cash with you from Flores! For a two-night stay in Uaxactun, as you'll probably need to do if not arriving with your own vehicle or on a tour, will probably require at least about Q500, unless you're free-camping somewhere with your own equipment and/or have brought all your own food.

Eat
As of June 2024, the restaurant at El Chiclero is not open, but a few doors down on the main corner is Restaurante Uaxactun, which offers set menu dinners for Q50, and has coffee available all day. It seems to be open until at 8 or 9pm, but you may need to order an hour in advance. The only other comedor (local eatery) seems to be at the entrance to the village, a bit of a long walk from the main area, and doesn't look as inviting. Several local shops along the airstrip and maybe other major streets sell basic snacks like chips and cookies.

Drink
Drinking water and other beverages are available at all of the small shops, but mostly in small bottles. As of June 2024, the shop halfway down the airstrip on the east side, next door to the blue church, had 2-liter bottles of water.

For alcohol, good luck getting anything but Gallo beer, though the local town drunk who hangs out across the street from the restaurant must have a supply of something.

Lodging
Locals say there are "two or three" places to stay in town. Besides the two listed here, there are a few others marked on OpenStreetMaps that may or may not still exist. You can also ask around locally.



Camping
You can probably still camp at El Chiclero in your hammock or tent, for a small fee. Not clear whether anyone rents camping equipment. It may also be possible to camp for free somewhere around the town - ask locally. People in camper vans have reported spending the night at the Grupos A & B parking lot of the ruins.

Stay safe
In theory you could encounter jaguars or pumas here, just like Tikal - attacks are very rare. Standard advice is to make yourself look as big and scary as possible, and never turn and run. There are also venomous snakes and stinging insects in the jungle, but the vast majority of visitors will never encounter any. The local "Puesto de Salud" public clinic might have antivenom.

The bigger danger here, as in Tikal, is the heat. Dehydration and even heatstroke are real threats. Make sure to carry lots of water or sports drinks, and rest when you need to. The insides of the ancient temples can be good places to cool off.

Go next
If you're a long-distance hiker or have a serious 4WD vehicle, there are tracks from here to other remote locations in the jungle, but you'll need better resources than Wikivoyage to plan such an expedition. For everyone else, literally the only place to go is back towards Tikal - don't miss the bus/van out at 06:45/07:00!