Just hearing the phrase "ancient ruins" is super exciting. It makes us think of the many scenes in movies where we've seen characters exploring this type of environment, and it gives us all a sense of wanderlust.

Guatemala has a lot of ancient ruins, and these tourist sites are very popular. It's worth traveling to Guatemala just to see these ancient ruins as they are so fascinating and historically important. Let's take a look at some that we absolutely have to check out. We can't forget our cameras... or our sense of adventure and wonder.

Tikal Is Super Well-Known For A Reason

Tikal is a very well-known ancient ruin, and that reason alone is enough to make us want to see it.

The Culture Trip says it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has been around since 900 BCE. There are a lot of pyramids here, which is super cool, and there's enough to see at this spot that it will take a day. You can book tours through Trip Advisor, and they'll cost a few hundred dollars, but it'll be worth it. A tourist wrote a review on the site and said that they booked a stay at a hotel called Jungle Lodge Tikal and that allowed them to take a tour of the ancient ruins at sunset and sunrise. That sounds incredible. Another tourist shared that hiking the pyramids is the way to go: they wrote, "Pyramids, jungle, piercing cries of howler monkeys ... Do not be lazy, be sure to climb the highest pyramid - Temple IV -- stunning views await you!"

The website also mentions that Star Wars filmed here, so pop culture fans will want to visit this place even more. As Reuters explains, "Deep inside the Guatemalan rainforest stand the ruins of the Maya temples that George Lucas used to film the planet Yavin 4 in the movie 'Star Wars,' from where Skywalker and his sidekick Han Solo launched their attack on the Galactic Empire’s giant space station."

Yaxha Has Monkeys And Three National Parks Nearby

What about visiting some ancient ruins that are also part of some national parks? That sounds stunning, and that's exactly the case with Yaxha. According to a tourist review on Trip Advisor, we know that there are three parks in this area called Naranjo, Nahum, and Yaxha. Since 2006, this area has been a world heritage site.

Another tourist commented that the howler monkeys were incredible to listen to. This review truly says it all about why we have to see this place: "Wonderful place to walk around and learn more about the impressive Maya history." They said that touring this ruin tends to take three hours and a guide will help a lot. They also said, "There is still a lot hidden under the ground and hills and hopefully one day the full extent of the Maya empire will be visible."

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Quirigua Has Incredible, Breathtaking Monuments

According to Touropia, Quirigua is near the Motagua River in the southeastern area of Guatemala. The tourist site is famous for its breathtaking monuments, which have been around since the 8th and 9th centuries. The website explains, "Quirigua is well known for its sandstone monuments that were carved without metal tools. These stelae are important because of the information carved into them: hieroglyphic texts with information such as important dates, events such as eclipses and historical data as well as Mayan politics." We can totally see ourselves walking around for hours, looking at these cool carvings.

It's also worth noting that the Great Plaza is located here at Quirigua Archaeological Park, and it's the biggest Mayan area that we are aware of and that tourists can visit. The carvings at this site are beautiful and it's also nice to see how much greenery is here. A tourist writing a review of the site on Trip Advisor said that if you have a tour guide, they can tell you what the various carvings say, which would be really helpful and interesting. This isn't something that you want to miss if you're always eager to learn about history. Another tourist shared, "Don't be put off by the length of the drive though, because you pass through beautiful countryside and thrilling little villages to get there."

If we love history, adventure, and beautiful places, then we're definitely going to want to visit these ancient ruins which are located in Guatemala. We're putting them all on our lists, and it's going to be so cool to explore them.

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