Temple of the Great Jaguar

The jungle city of Tikal is a jewel of Mayan classic period architecture. The site is enormous, covering over 16km in the remote Petén basin in the north of modern day Guatemala. Distinctive pyramids stretch out above the jungle canopy like sentinels in the steamy wilderness. This photograph features the Temple of the Great Jaguar, which depicts a king on a jaguar throne. The best view is atop one of the stepped pyramids at dawn, where the toucans and macaws soar and the coatimundi forage below.