El Mirador and the ruins in that area are the most special ruins I have ever visited. At the same time they are only reachable by a minimum 3-day-round-trip hike. One thing though before everything else: the view from the main pyramid is really incredible.

To get to El Mirador, you need to find a company in Flores that works with guides who know the route to El Mirador. You have to hike quite a long way through the Guatemalan jungle to visit the pyramid, whose official name by the way is La Dante. The tour includes/should include: food (breakfast and dinner), water, accommodation and the necessary equipment for an the overnight stays, and transportation to the starting point of the hike. On my tour, the food and everything else that needed to be carried was carried by a donkey led by someone additional. The first night we spent on the way to the main pyramid and the second night in the area of the main pyramid. Here a heads-up: showers are only available at the main pyramid. Plus the shower consisted of a water container which had to be used very sparingly. Nevertheless I did feel like a new person after the shower 😀 I mean I basically washed off two days. Also important to know: you need sensible, good footwear. And take snacks, food and cold water with you in a thermos flask or something similar. There was always enough water, but the water was warm and we were hiking through the jungle. So every sip hydrated us, but it felt more like a drop in the ocean and didn’t provide the desired refreshment.

About nature, the Mirador and the reason why I would recommend this trip to everyone: the nature you hike through is beautiful, varies from stage to stage and you see a lot of stuff that you literally only see when being deep in the jungle. Below is a little impression of that in the photos.
The views from the pyramids are really great and if you stay up there until after the sun has gone down – it always takes a while for it to get dark – you can hear a whole concert of monkey howls. And they’re really loud! 😀 We also saw monkeys jumping from tree to tree. Really cool.
The pyramids themselves where honestly one of the most fascinating things because the ruin area allows you to see what pyramids look like in different stages of the process. That is, when they are found, during the restoration process and when they are ready for the public as tourist attractions. I hadn’t seen anything like that before and it was honestly really impressive, exciting and something completely different. As the area isn’t specifically prepared for tourists, you don’t automatically know where the pyramids are and therefore you do need a guide to find your way around. Like I did actually consider going on my own, but I would advise against it, because having a guide for the way there and on site actually makes sense 😊

Last but not least, the pyramid / El Mirador / La Dante: I’ve honestly never seen anything like that before. And no other pyramid I’ve been on was that high. When you stand on top of the Mirador, you look out over nothing but treetops. As far as the eye can see. Behind and above them you only see the horizon. I’ve never seen a view like this before. It’s extremely impressive and makes you feel very… humble and, in a way, thoughtful. It just grounds you and makes a lot of things seem less bad or even unimportant. The view itself is quite simple and yet incredibly impressive. One of those views where photos don’t even begin to do the actual view justice. And one of the places I consider to be Guatemala’s jewels and one of the reasons why Guatemala is by far in terms of landscape the most beautiful country in Central America.

Go or not? Since it’s relatively tricky and it takes a long time to get to the Mirador, it’s basically up to everyone individually, but… if you have the time, do it. It’s a real experience and will stay with you forever. At least, that’s how it was for me 😊