Cycling to Mayan ruins and temples in the Guatemalan rainforest

Perhaps one of the most exciting and dynamic experiences in the realm of mountain biking, Mayan jungle bike tours in Guatemala stand above all. Beyond the off road experience through dense forest flora, mud pits, hills and thick tropical tree roots, deep forest mountain biking gives one a very rewarding goal at the finish line: Mayan pyramids and ruins. There are some major differences between deep jungle cycling, and the traditional form explored by traditional tour operators. The main differences have to do with the speed of the tour, the process revolving around the tour, and the environmental elements involved in the tour.

The terrain

The environmental elements, meaning the obstacles in the natural environmental, play a very large role in deep jungle biking. Unlike biking in the Colorado hills or on paths designed for mountain biking in the U.S., most jungle mountain biking tours do not travel over designated “biking” paths; they just flat out don’t exist! This makes biking there more exciting for some, and more dangerous for others. Cycling in the forest presents a plethora of trees, shrubs, bushes, and even wildlife that could seriously dampen your biking experience. Add mud pits into the mix and you have a recipe for an extreme experience. Most tours set out in teams with either first-aid and/or bike-aid support agents on horseback or bikes. Furthermore, the absence of biking paths also creates hazards in terms of protruding roots and rocks hidden by low-lying foliage or leaves.

Forest biking tours in the Mayan world

The terrain itself is dynamic in the sense that one never knows when a mud pit or hill is coming up, especially at high speeds. In order to have a worthwhile experience, most safety conscious tour operators will guide a tour at a slow to moderate speed, only speeding up when possible. The reason for a slow to moderate speed is two fold:

1. To avoid the hazards, or seriousness of the hazards created by the aforementioned environmental elements.

2. Forest cycling per se is not the main attraction of the tour. It is, as stated, part of the tour.

The second point refers to the unique scenic qualities that are experienced during a biking trip. The biking portion is a fun means of transportation to and from ancient Mayan jungle ruins and pyramids. It’s about the journey AND the destination. There is no other place on earth especially on mountain biking tours where you will encounter toucans, howler monkeys, cenotes, and everything the dense jungle has to offer in terms of sites and sounds. A bike tour through this environment at high speeds is not only dangerous, it is also a shame.

Respect for the Guatemalan Jungle

The process of the tour has to do with everything aforementioned. The process in terms of the logistics on bike safety, meaning helmets, stretching, water, proper bikes… etc applies, but there is also the very prevalent foreign country element. Taking the respect for the jungle, its flora, fauna, and hidden ancient Mayan ruins for granted may be more deleterious to your health than you would think. As the luxury of first class medical and judicial facilities do not exist in the middle of the jungle as they do in most of the first world, it is very important to reserve oneself to a universal conservative code of conduct, especially when one is not familiar with the local customs and traditions.

Credits and links

The original article can be found on the Duende Tours site: Mountain Biking with Duende Tours

More information:

- Deep Jungle Biking tour by Duende Tours

- Mayan Pyramids information

- Jungle travel article

- Guatemala pictures