Saturday, May 11, 2013

Yaxha - The Best Place To Go Birding And Explore The Mayan Ruins

Tags

By Linda Patterson


Yaxha is one of the Mayan civilization's most important cities. It is a part of the Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo National Park. Yaxha lagoon and its well preserved forests are the treasures of this ancient city. The lagoon is deemed to be one of the most important water systems of the Maya Biosphere.

Yaxha As An Archaeological Site

This less well known archaeological site is the third largest. This site is comprised of more than 500 ancient structures which include a series of causeways or sacbe'ob that connect the eastern, northern and central acropolis, plus the 9 temple pyramids, 40 stalae, 2 ball courts and 13 altars. The wooden stairs of these 9 pyramids are strongly constructed hence they are safe for tourists to climb. A spectacular view can be seen once you are atop of the partially restored Temple 216. You will see a breathtaking view of the lakes, the jungles and the other ancient pyramids. Aside from that, the magical sounds of the birds and Howler monkeys can be heard.

The Maler Group, the North Acropolis and the astronomical observatory structure are its other interesting attractions. The Maler Group is a complex with twin temples which is comparable to that of Tikal twin temples. The North Acropolis is bordered by 3 temples while the observatory tower is popular even if it remains unnamed.

A Great Place For Birding

This ancient Mayan city serves as a wonderful destination for nature lovers, bird watchers and those who are interested in archaeology. It is one of the main ancient Mayan civilizations and was rediscovered in 1904 through continuous excavation. Located in the southeast part of the Tikal National Park, it is also a part of the National Park of Yaxha-Nakum-Naranjo. A tropical rainforest which is abundant with Neotropical varieties of plant life encloses the Yaxha lagoon which is magically carved in limestone.

Birding in this site offers an even more amazing experience and sightseeing opportunities as there are plenty of exotic bird species and human traffic is less. You can watch flocks of Mealy parrot, White-fronted parrot, Red-lore parrot and White-crowned parrot at the observatory tower.

In the forest of Yaxha, you will be able to see a lot of bird species such as Tawny-crowned Greenlet, Pale-billed Woodpecker, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, Crane Hawk, Short-billed Pigeon, Brown-hooded Parrot, Killed-billed Toucan, Bat Falcon, Plain Chachalaca, Brown Jay, Slaty-tailed trogon and Blue Bunting.

Yaxha is a place for any avid birdwatcher as it offers the best bird watching tours with a less crowded place.




About the Author:




EmoticonEmoticon