El Mirador Guatemala, Petén

Considered the lost city of the ancient Mayan civilization, El Mirador is the mysterious ruins hidden within the sub-tropical rain forest of Guatemala. What was once the largest city of the Americas has now become one of the best hidden treasures that South America has to offer. El Mirador houses the largest known pyramid in the Maya world ("La Danta") with a size that nearly matches that of the Giza pyramids in Egypt. At its prime, El Mirador and the surrounding area are thought to have been home to nearly 100,000 people.

However wonderful and exotic these ancient ruins sound, this destination is not for the faint of heart. The only way to get to El Mirador is via land or air. If you opt for land then you’re in for about 40.5 kilometers / 25 miles that can take up to 4 days where you’re trekking through a virgin sub-tropical rainforest that has inhabitants such as jaguars, panthers, monkeys, and snakes. You will be hiking for most of the day on well-kept trails through the dense rainforest before setting up a tent and camping for the night. It is absolutely essential that you go with a group and a guide as the dangers of the wild rainforest make it nearly impossible to traverse on your own. If a strenuous 4-day hike doesn’t sound like your cup of tea you can also access Mirador via helicopter, but keep in mind that this option costs a pretty penny and you can only spend hours at the site, not days.

However hard it is to get to, El Mirador is completely worth it. These untouched ruins will only be seen by a few people and their beauty and size will amaze you. The city stretches around 10 square miles and has a few main structures – one of which is the largest pyramid of the ancient world (in terms of volume). Within the ruins themselves, you will find stone carvings and hieroglyphics depicting stories of twin Hero brothers and more from the days of the Mayan Civilization.

More and more information is being uncovered by archeologists and anthropologists alike as they study the culturally significant ruins of El Mirador. This area wasn’t re-discovered until 1926, and excavation efforts didn’t begin until the 1980s so there is still a lot more to learn from these ruins, and being able to witness them in their untouched state is truly something to be proud of.