Waka'-Perú

Unlike other parts of Petén, Laguna del Tigre [1] has not been widely explored for the presence of archaeological sites or in terms of its biological diversity. Among the few archaeological discoveries is the site of Waka’-Perú, now being excavated by archaeologists from Southern Methodist University under the direction of David Freidel and Héctor Escobedo.

Waka’-Perú has yielded some amazing finds, including the 2004 discovery of the royal burial tomb of a queen dating to about A.D. 620. The find is especially significant because there are only a handful of known tombs pertaining to women in the entire Mayan World. The location of yet another royal tomb was announced in May 2006.

Waka’-Perú is thought to have been an important commercial and political center because of its location on a tributary of the Río San Pedro, giving it direct access to the sites of Central Petén, the Southern Highlands, and Mexico.

It flourished between A.D. 400 and 800, apparently coming under the dominion of Calakmul [2] in its protracted power struggle with Tikal [3]. It was later invaded by a resurgent Tikal in A.D. 743. There are several well-preserved stelae here, including Stela 16, which tells of the visit of a Tikal-bound Teotihuacán warrior in A.D. 378.

Nearby, the rediscovery of La Corona [4] has solved the decades-old mystery of the location of a long-sought Mayan city. The limited amount of exploration in this part of Petén inevitably leads you to wonder what else may be lying undiscovered in this vast park of wetlands and jungle.

Laguna del Tigre [1] enjoys on-site protection by armed guards that are part of a joint task force involving the Civilian National Police (PNC) and SEPRONA, a specially trained unit of the military created to guard and protect nature preserves. You will see the guards at the site’s ranger station, about a 25-minute walk from the riverbank. You are welcome to camp here.