Sierra del Lacandón
The marvelous Sierra del Lacandón National Park is part of the core zone of the Mayan Biosphere Reserve in Petén, it is the second largest park in Guatemala with 202,865 hectares (2,028 km²). This vast territory protects ecosystems with a great ecological and cultural value like the basin of Usumacinta river and the forests associated with a mountain range. The Park was created in 1990 together with the Mayan Biosphere, and it is co-managed since 1999 by Defensores de la Naturaleza and the National Council for Protected Areas, CONAP (for its initials in Spanish).
NATIONAL AND CULTURAL TREASURE IN THE MAYAN RAINFOREST
Half of the boundaries of the Park correspond to the border of Guatemala with Mexico, this makes the Park an area of connection between the protected areas of Petén and of the south of Mexico, and is also important for the conservation at a binational level.
Sierra del Lacandón is considered the zone with the greatest biodiversity in all Petén since it has seven kinds of ecosystems. The landscape of the Sierra is formed by low-flooded forests and savannas, cenotes (underwater caves) and blue-turquoise waters.
The most important characteristic of this Park is the Usumacinta River, which has a very important population of Moreletti crocodiles, a unique aquatic fauna, and several birds’ species associated with this ecosystem.
There are several endangered species as the jaguar, puma and the red macaw. More than 300 bird species, including migratory birds, live in the forests of this Park.
The Usumacinta River has been an important way of communication since the pre-Hispanic times and more than 30 archaeological sites have been discovered in the territory of the Park, including the Mayan city of Piedras Negras. Near this Park, across the river toward the side of Mexico it is found the mythical city of Yaxchilán.