Photo opp: La Danta pyramid in Guatemala

Standing at the top of La Danta, one of the largest pyramids in the world, jungle stretches out around you as far as the eye can see, in every direction – no villages, no roads, no signs of human life. Nothing, except the sound of chattering monkeys and squawking birds.

It’s also at this point you realize you have to trudge through this jungle for several days to get back to civilization. But for this view, it’s worth it.

La Danta is based in the pre-classic Mayan city of El Mirador in northern Guatemala – one of the least visited Mayan sites because of its sheer inaccessibility (Tikal, for example, is more accessible and has tourist infrastructure built around it – this has almost nothing, though it’s actually much larger and much more sophisticated than Tikal).

La Danta, at 2.8 million cubic metres, is considered the largest pyramid in the world in terms of volume (not height). And it towers 70 metres above the jungle canopy, so you’ll see jungle-covered pyramid-shaped mounds in the distance – temple complexes from other lost ancient cities that have yet to be excavated. Only the top of La Danta has been excavated, so you may not even realize you’re walking on its base, which covers an area of 18 hectares.

Stay tuned for more information on how to do this jungle trek.

Photo Credit @ 2010 VH Media