The Peten is an area of exuberant tropical jungles teeming with wildlife, deep forests and dry plains dotted with lakes and Maya cities. There are three reasons why travelers would want to penetrate the forests of El Peten: first to visit Tikal, the greatest Maya religious center yet discovered; second to enjoy the great variety of birdlife; and third to see the Guatemala of small farming villages and jungle hamlets, without paved roads or colonial architecture.
