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Carmelita, Guatemala, is where you will start out on foot or on mule if you want to see the Maya ruins of El Mirador and Nakbé. Although it lists itself as being 70 kilometers from El Mirador and 65 from Nakbé, it is the closest community to these and many other ruins along the way to, between and from these sites.  Since there are only around 16 or so kilometers distance between El Mirador and Nakbé, it is advisable to see both if you can spare one or more days.  Also, it is not very far out of the way back from Nakbé to see the ruins at Wakná, but you had better arrange to see that ahead of time.

It sounds like the Carmelita cooperative may be no more.  However, you can still make arrangements via Rudy Marroquin, leader of the outfitters' group in Carmelita by calling ( 011 from the US)  502 7783 3856,  7783 3857,  7783 3858, 7783 3811 or  7783 3812. This actually sounds more accessible to normal travelers, because the co-op's prices were a bit high.

The village has a comedor, rooms to rent, cold drinks and solar electricity.  If you just show up on the bus after leaving Santa Elena at 1 pm, you will arrive around 4 pm and it is most likely to be too late to arrange things for the next day.  However, by calling ahead, you can still go cheaply by bus.

This is a very good way to go if there are only one or two going and at least one person can communicate in Spanish. By calling ahead and arranging to go on a particular day and arranging a room with them, then a person would just hop the daily bus around 1 pm from Santa Elena to Carmelita. Then there would be an early start  for El Tintal and Mirador the next day. Had either of my groups done it this way, we could have avoided what we called the "Death March" the first time and the "Night Ride" this past one. There would have been no rush back on the last day, because the bus does not leave Carmelita until the next morning at 5 am.

However, if you arrange your trip via  Tikal Connection,  formerly Ecomaya,  the price will include transportation between Flores and Carmelita. There are other options in Flores agencies, mostly cheaper than Tikal Connection, but these are not usually through the cooperative.

The Story of Carmelita and El Mirador.

See general thoughts on getting to El Mirador

Happy travelers in

 Carmelita after our trip in July 2002.

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