"A good base for Tikal" Top 5 Page for this destination El Remate by easterntrekker

El Remate is a tiny village on the outskirts of Tikal . It makes a good place to base yourself for an early morning start to explore Tikal. There are quite a few little hotels and I spotted a Hostel that looked nice. There are also a few restuarants , an internet cafe and a taxi service. You can arrange tours to Tikal from here.

Wood Carving of the god of medicine

El remate sets itself apart from other tiny villages in Guatemala with its wonderful wood carvers. 70% of the villagers are carvers . They began carving minature dug out canoes but now carve intricate Mayan works and exotic animal carvings . The people in the area rely on these works for their livlihood. Its a win win situation. The pieces are truly spectacular and for us quite a deal!

Lake Peten Itza

The area around El remate is bordered by Lake Peten Itza . Its quite lovely and a protected area so you see lots of birdlife here .Our hotel overlooked it and we had a nice sunset view each evening.

• Pros:A friendly little village , very close to Tikal
• Cons:Tiny tiny so a few days is enough
• In a nutshell:close to Tikal and a nice welcoming place to stay