Northern Lowlands (Guatemala) Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
region of northern Guatemala
About Northern Lowlands (Guatemala)
More than a thousand years ago, what is now the Petén was the hub of ClassicMaya civilization, with a high population and many large splendid cities. For reasons still not fully understood by scholars, the civilization collapsed around the year 900. The Maya people did not "disappear" (more than 40% of Guatemala's population are ethnically Maya today), but no new temples and palaces were built, the population of the Petén region declined, and after a time the old cities were allowed to be reclaimed by jungle. From Spanish Colonial times into the mid-20th century, the Petén was Guatemala's wild frontier, with only a few towns like Flores in the vast jungle, and hardly any roads. That has changed in recent decades. New paved highways were built, people moved into the area and cleared large
Northern Lowlands (Guatemala) Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 13 sections including: