Camino Real Tikal‎

A Slope of Forest at the Quiet End of Lake Petén Itzá

Most people see Lake Petén Itzá from Flores, the little island town at its western end, and then drive an hour to Tikal at first light. El Remate takes the other approach. The village sits at the eastern end of the lake, on the road that turns north for the ruins, and Camino Real Tikal has the best of it: a wooded slope above the shore, seventy two rooms looking out over water that changes colour through the morning, and a protected forest beginning where the gardens stop. It is a five star address in a part of the country where that is rare, and it earns the classification with grounds rather than marble.

Why It Works

The decision came down to time. Tikal opens early and the first two hours in the Great Plaza, before the buses, are the reason anyone comes to Petén at all. From El Remate that is a half hour drive rather than an hour from Flores, which is the difference between leaving in the dark and leaving very much in the dark. The second reason is what the hotel does with the rest of the day. Rooms face the lake, there is a pool above the shore, kayaks on the water and a temazcal for afterwards. Very few hotels near a great archaeological site are worth staying in for their own sake. This one is.

Why This Location

El Remate is a working village strung along the lake road, with weavers and small kitchens and a public swimming spot, and the hotel sits just outside it. The Biotopo Cerro Cahuí, a protected reserve of ceiba, mahogany and howler monkeys, adjoins the grounds and carries trails up the ridge for a view over the whole lake. Tikal National Park is north, about half an hour by road, and opens at six in the morning. East, the road runs towards Yaxhá, the lakeside site that rewards a late afternoon. Flores and the Mundo Maya airport are at the far end of the water.

Fast Facts

• Price: Premium

• Vibe: lakeside, green, unhurried between early starts

• Rooms: seventy two, doubles with two double beds and singles with a king, each with a private balcony over the lake, orthopedic beds and premium bathroom amenities

• Best For: travellers doing Tikal at opening, families, anyone who wants Petén without staying in Flores

• Our Favorite Thing About the Hotel: the Maya temazcal, which is the right way to end a day of walking causeways

• Dining: lakeside restaurant serving from early morning until late evening, room service

• Amenities: pool and jacuzzi above the shore, kayaks, private dock, shuttle service, direct access to the Biotopo Cerro Cahuí

• Attractions: Tikal National Park (about half an hour by road), Biotopo Cerro Cahuí (at the property line), Yaxhá to the east, El Remate village, Flores and the Mundo Maya airport at the western end of the lake

Rooms That Face the Water

The configuration is simple: doubles with two double beds, singles with a king, and a private balcony on each. What makes them work is the orientation. The buildings step down the slope so that the lake is in front of you rather than through a gap, and the sound at night is water and forest rather than the road.

The Temazcal, the Kayaks and the Forest Next Door

The Maya sauna is the hotel's signature and the thing guests talk about afterwards: a temazcal in the grounds, used the way it has been used in the highlands for centuries, and a far better answer to a day at Tikal than a hot shower. Kayaks go out from the dock, and the lake at that end is calm enough in the morning to cross a good stretch of it. The pool and jacuzzi sit between the rooms and the shore.

What to Know Before You Book

Arrange the Tikal trip through the hotel and go at opening rather than mid morning; the shuttle service exists for exactly this. The park closes in the late afternoon, so a single full day covers the main groups without rushing. The restaurant is the only option within easy reach after dark, which is worth knowing before arrival. The hotel does not take pets and is not set up for wheelchair access, and the site steps down the slope, so ask about the walk from reception if that matters.