Tikal Travel Forum

I will be in Belize and November and am trying to decide between spending a day at Tikal or at Caracol. Unfortunatly I only have one day to spend. Any thoughts on which one would be a better experience?

Tikal is in Guatemala, not Belize. So your choices are to deal with crossing the border to get to Tikal, or driving one of the worst roads in Belize (and that's saying a lot) to get to Caracol.

If it has been raining a lot I wouldn't chance the road to Caracol. 2 days after it rained, we took that road from Spanish Lookout to Rio Frio Cave, which is less than half way to Caracol and it took the entire afternoon. After finally getting there, it was depressing to know we had to drive all the way back the same way on the same road. Getting all the way to Caracol would be an achievement but you would need to get an early start!

When I was in Belize the people I stayed with told me it's best to hire someone to take you to Tikal after crossing the border. The police in Guatemala sometimes harass people in cars from Belize. If you're staying in one of the resorts near Belmopan or along the Western Highway, the owner may know someone to call in Guatemala to pick you up at the border and take you. It seems everybody in the interior "knows someone" who can take care of whatever you need so don't hesitate to ask.

As for the 2 sites, Caracol is known as the most important Mayan ruin in Belize. Tikal is known as the most important in Central America.

I agree. Caracol is not bad at all but Tikal is definitively a must see.
As far as transportation considerations are concerned, It is easier to get to Tikal; you will only have to pay when entering and leaving Guatemala (it should be around USD30 or so.
Finally, I agree that you'd better be accompanied in your way from the belizean border to Tikal (unless you use a shuttle).