The 5 musketeers of the Mayan World Organization: Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Mexico and El Salvador

'All for one, and one for all' as Alexander Dumas said in his novel The Three Musketeers. It's okay that Dumas said 3, but this time there are 5. Unity is strength, and the countries of Mayan descent in the region know it well. Organization of the Mayan World: Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras.

Nattule has been very involved in uniting various countries, as we seek to connect our passion for sustainable tourism and adventure activities that bring nature closer to the public, not only in Spain, but in the rest of the world. And discovering the initiative of the Mayan World Organization on the other side of the pond has been a joy.

If you want to know why, who they are and what their organization consists of, you are in the right article. But first a little context.

The Organization of the Mayan World It was created in 1992 due to the need to join forces between the territories in which the Mayans expanded to enhance their strategies and generate new ones always based on the line of sustainability. These countries are Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, El Salvador and Honduras.

They actively seek the participation of both public and private entities for greater integration and development of the regions, in addition to promoting greater responsible and quality tourism in each country. Guatemala is currently president pro tempore during the years 2018-2020. And the objectives that the Organization has in mind to attract potential multi-destination tourists in these two years are:

1. Creation of different direct routes to and from the main destinations in southern Mexico and other countries in the region
2. Strengthen and improve land connections to consolidate interregional tourist circuits.
3. Create maritime circuits that, starting from Cancun, travel along the Caribbean Coast through Quintana Roo and Belize to end in Guatemala and Honduras
4. Promote commercial agreements between transport service providers, as well as between incoming tourism operators and Destination Management Companies, to create new intraregional tourist routes and circuits.

And now that we know a little better who they are and what they are looking for, let's get to know each of these incredible musketeers. And if you end up reading this article out loud, for every mispronounced name, shot. Let's get started!

GUATEMALA

As we have mentioned previously, Guatemala is the pro tempore president for the period of years between 2018 and 2020. Those of the Mayan World call it 'The Heart of the Mayan World'. And when you look at everything he has, you understand that qualification perfectly.

The Guatemalan state has a deep heritage of Mayan culture throughout its territory. What's more, its largest natural protected area in Guatemala is called the Mayan Biosphere Reserve and occupies half of the department of Petén (also the largest in the State). The Reserve is also the largest protected area of tropical forest in Central America, and it contains incredible national parks such as the Tikal National Park.

North of Petén, Tikal is one of the most emblematic and extensive Mayan cities, which is why it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. Within it you can see impressive monumental architecture of the time such as its pyramidal temples (Temple of the Great Jaguar, the Temple of the Masks, the Temple of the Jaguar Priest, the Temple of the Double-Headed Serpent, Temple 5 and the Great Pyramid of the World). Lost), its acropolis (Central and North) and among other sets that are worthy of admiration.

Tikal dominated almost all of the Lowlands throughout the Early Classic and had its moment of glory. Hence there are so many vestiges left to marvel at. Although we do not only find this National Park in the north of Guatemala, there are more places to visit such as the Río Azul with its caves dug into the rock, among other incredible places. And that's only in the north. Imagine yourself in the south, east and west. How crazy!

San Juan La Laguna It is a city that is an example of community tourism, with exuberant nature and the most beautiful lake in the world, Lake Atitlán. Look:

HONDURAS

Honduras is one of the important parts of Mundo Maya. It is located in the extreme southeast of the countries that make up the Organization, between Guatemala, El Salvador and below bordering Nicaragua.

This country is characterized by having spectacular beaches, but it also has important vestiges of the Mayan culture. Places like Copán, close to Guatemala, where the Ruins of Copán or 'The Mayan Athens' are located, located in the middle of the Honduran jungle and which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There is also the Río Amarillo Archaeological Park, very close to Copán, which attracts attention because it reflects the decline of the Mayan Empire due to some of its unfinished buildings. Although, that doesn't make them any less impressive. Since the artistic wealth of heritage found in Honduras is exceptional.

Nature is also a protagonist in Honduras, as it has 15 national parks, 2 biosphere reserves and 100 biological reserves that protect more than 200 birds and more than 20 mammals. This is summarized in that approximately 50% is covered by forests. It is the dream of lovers of the natural environment.

MEXICO

The Mayan world made its mark in southern Mexico. Specifically in the Mexican states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan and Quintana Roo. Between the five They contain more than 150 sites of Mayan origin!

In Chiapas There are the deposits of Izapa, Bonampak, Palenque, and Yaxchilán, among others. And in terms of nature, Chiapas contains the Sumidero Canyon and Las Lagunas de Montebello National Parks, the Lacandona Jungle, the Selva El Ocote Biosphere Reserve, and the Cascadas de Agua Forest Protection Zone and Wildlife Region. Blue.

Tabasco It has many natural resources related to water, such as the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve, the Agua Blanca State Park, or the Usumacinta River Canyon, for example. Here you will find monument 6 of Tortuguero, whose inscription made a strange reference to December 21, 2012.

As we mentioned previously, Calakmul was one of the largest Mayan settlements of this culture, and this is located in Campeche. But in addition to Calakmul we can find many more places of archaeological interest such as Becán, Edzná and many more. But on top of that, this State is not short of natural environment. It houses the Los Petenes and Calakmul Biosphere Reserves, as well as a surprising Petrified Forest.

Yucatan It is probably one of the places that is most familiar to us. It contains the most important and best preserved nucleus of the Mayan culture, Chichén Itzá, place of the famous temple of Kukulkan. It was the most prominent Mayan city between the years 900 and 1300 AD, and the place proves it. In general, in Yucatán you can fully immerse yourself in the Mayan culture since there are multiple sites in addition to the one mentioned. In their nature, the Samulá, X'Batún and X'Kekén Cenotes draw attention, beautiful to admire.

Finally, Quintana Roo It is special both in its deposits and in its natural resources. Here you can visit Chacchobén in the Los Lagos region, El Rey in Cancún or Tulum, for example. And if you go to Quintana Roo, visit and Dive in the Xcalak Reef Marine Reserve It is the finishing touch to getting to know the State, both for its surface and its depth under the sea.

THE SAVIOR

El Salvador, Bordering Guatemala and Honduras, is an important region of Mesoamerican culture. It has marks from the Preclassic, Classic and Postclassic occupation periods. That is why it is one of the great places to discover the culture that was present in the world for so long, being one of the most advanced.

The Ruins of Quelepa near the city of San Miguel, Cihuatán towards the North of El Salvador, Joya de Cerén in the department of La Libertad and which is known as 'The Pompeii of Central America', The city of Chalchuapa, with Tazumal and Casa Blanca, Santa Leticia and San Andrés, are all the great archaeological stars of El Salvador.

In addition, you can find several tourist routes that this region has prepared for the traveler such as the artisan route, the route of flowers, sun and beach, the artisan route, the route of the volcanoes, the route of the thousand summits, among others. You will not be bored in the Salvadoran region, there is always something to do.

BELIZE

Last but not least is Belize, which is bordered to the north by Mexico and to the southwest by Guatemala. It shares many of the geographical characteristics of its neighbors Petén and the Eastern Coast of Quintana Roo of Mexico. With the Belize River dividing the country in half, the lands of Belize were entirely part of the Mayan Lowlands. So its Mayan cultural heritage is quite rich.

One of the most tourist spots is concentrated on its coast. This is because it contains the second largest barrier reef on the planet, about 298 km. Since 1996 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and less which is essential for the marine ecosystem.

In addition to the natural and faunal wealth that keeps Belize alive, we must not forget its cultural heritage of Mayan ancestry. Currently, only 10% of its inhabitants are of Mayan origin, which are located mainly in the District of Toledo and Cayo. Their way of life is very similar to that of other Mayan groups and their agricultural practices help the sustainability of the region.

Near the border with Guatemala, is the Mayan settlement of Caracol. It is one of the largest settlements, along with Tikal and Calakmul. And the surrounding environment is the Chiquibul National Park. Other places that are essential are Lamanai, Altun ha, Xunantunich, to name a few examples. In short, although Belize is a small country, it is full of nature, culture and adventures.{«type»:»block»,»srcClientIds»:[«be1b8a40-0e4e-4e35-a1a6-3c2f9505e31a»],»srcRootClientId»: »»}

It's fascinating to see how the passage of time works. The roots that persist from the ancient and wonderful Mayan Empire are today between civilization and the surface of the American continent. We may not be able to see the Mayans at their peak again, but thanks to the Mundo Maya Organization, we can ensure that we do not lose that part of our humanity that was with us for three centuries.