Guide to Tikal's Maya Temples & Ruins (2024)

Sunrise over the Mayan city of Tikal lost in the jungle for 1000 years until the chicleros, the collectors of chicle, the sap of the sapodilla tree used to make chewing gum, discovered one of the major temples covered in jungle. It remains obscure as to why this major Mayan city was abandoned around 900 but it is thought that a combination of factors led to its people abandoning the site: years of drought, overpopulation, poisoning of the remaining water table, over expansion of agriculture and