NAKUM PARK






INFORMATION ON THE NAKUM ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

NAKUM, Valuable city restored with the only Mayan Temascal or complete steam bath in Guatemala.


Nakum, whose name means "pot house", is located 17 km north of the Yaxha lagoon. The city had a continuous occupation of 1,600 years, from the Middle Preclassic period to the Terminal Classic (700 BC - 900 AD). To date, Nakum is the only Mayan site that has a full Mayan Temazcal or steam bath and one of the longest known buildings in Petén, Building D with 42 rooms in a row.


In pre-Hispanic times, the Holmul River was an important and rapid communication and trade route between Tikal and Belize. For this reason, monumental Mayan cities such as Nakum were built on its shore. Nakum is believed to have been a small city independent of the political disputes between Tikal and Calakmul, which controlled Yaxha and Naranjo respectively, and its development was related to the control of the middle Holmul river basin.


Approximately 70% of the city has been restored and several buildings are in the process of being restored, so during your visit you will be able to observe the archaeological investigations in action. You will be able to enter the Temazcal where ancient ritual acts were carried out and, in addition, appreciate the local fauna that inhabits the permanent pools that in pre-Hispanic times supplied water to the citizens of Nakum.
ACCESS

To get to Nakum you must enter the archaeological site of Yaxha and request the guide service from the Association of Guides of the Tourist Community of Yaxha. During the dry season (March to May), the Association for the Integral Development of the Yaxha Region provides transportation in all-terrain vehicles. The rest of the year it can be accessed on horseback, on foot or by bicycle.


To visit Nakum it is essential that you are accompanied by a guide (we recommend hiring the services of the Yaxha Tourist Community Guides Association) and you need between one and two hours to tour the entire site. If you enter by vehicle, you can go to Nakum and return in a single day. If you go horseback, foot or bicycle, you must stay in the camp. The duration of the horse ride is approximately four hours; on foot three hours and by bicycle one hour.



RECOMMENDATIONS:

Bring comfortable clothes and shoes. To avoid mosquito bites, we recommend bringing cool, long-sleeved clothing.

Insect repellent is very important for a pleasant stay.

The sun at noon is quite strong, we recommend that you bring sunscreen and a hat.

The region is humid so it never hurts to wear a waterproof layer.

If you go camping you must bring all your equipment: tent, sleeping bags, water and other implements (at the moment the Park does not rent equipment).

Inside the archaeological sites there are no sales of any kind, we recommend you bring your drinks and food. Remember to deposit the garbage in the appropriate containers, or better yet, take it to the nearest city.

In Yaxha there is a nursing post that provides first aid, but if you require special medications or if you are going to visit another of the archaeological sites in the Park, we recommend that you bring a basic first aid kit and the medicines you should take.
ACTIVITIES

Guided visit to the archaeological site

Observation of flora and fauna

Observation of current archaeological research works

Camping



Other parks
Yaxha Topoxte Naranjo

SERVICES

Camping area

Restrooms

Outdoors kitchen




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