IN THEIR OWN WORDS: Ni'tun means "Punta de Piedra" or "Stone Point". Ni means nose, point or peak and tun means stone or rock in Itzá language. It's a low impact craft construction made of natural materials such as stone, sand, guano palm leaves that thatch our roofs and wood that we extracted and "rescued" from corn plantations where the slash and burn technique is still regretfully practiced. Most of Ni'tun's walls were built in Colojché style which consists in putting together sticks and small rocks and plastering it up with a sand and water mix. Some of the walls were left without the plaster so the beautiful art of wood and sticks that lies beneath can be fully appreciated. Nowadays, only the elders keep on building this way. The accommodations: Four luxurious cabañas all with private bathroom hot and cold water are here for your restful time. Our wood and rock cabins, thatched with palm leaves, offer comfort as well as privacy. All of our rooms have private bathrooms with hot and cold water - our luxurious showers are a treat after hiking in the mud! All of our cabins are furnished with handicraft lamps and beautiful cotton bedspreads and carpets made my artisans from different indigenous communities. Original paintings copied from Mayan vases and murals by local artists are hanged in each room. Each cabin has 50 meters of construction. All the cabins have a private terrace with a beautiful view of Lake Peten Itza. The Cuisine at Ni'tun: We do consider the kitchen as the best spot in any home. This is why ours is open for all of our guests' enjoyment. Our kitchen provides not only the best ingredients for our daily dishes, but also a friendly atmosphere in which everyone shares the art of cooking… Most of our recipes are our own; the jungle is amazing in terms of inspiration! Our dishes vary day to day depending on our fresh buys. We do believe in conservation and we are committed to it and this is why we do not include any wild animal species on our menu. We can tell you for sure there is no other place in the area where you'll eat as incredibly good as at Ni'tun. The open air, the forest sounds, the spicy food with homemade bread and a cold beverage or coffee on the shores of a lake in the middle of nowhere cannot be surpased… Our social area is composed by an open kitchen, dining room and bar. You may watch differnt kinds of hummingbirds that nest in Ni'tun while dining or while enjoying a mug of our superb export coffee. About the owners: Bernie Mittelstaedt and Lore Castillo are the owners of Ni'tun and Monkey Eco Tours. They are both Guatemalans. She grew up in Guatemala City, studying animal science and fitness and worked in different conservation and ecology projects as well as in the field of health and fitness before moving to Petén. Bernie grew up in his family coffee plantations and worked in these farms before dedicating to ecotourism. Archaeology had always been one of his most serious hobbies and this is why today he is one of the best archaeology guides in the area. Lore enjoys writing the stories they both live day to day in Petén. Both of them speak Spanish and English fluently. Cooking, bartending, hosting and guiding are today the main activities of this couple. A change of lifestyle, learning (specially about the descendants of the Mayas, about nature and about life itself), working in ecotourism and sharing all of these with people all over the world were their basic motivations for moving to Petén. They have been living there since 1993, and the merging of both their projects began in 1995.

What to do from Nitun. In addition, overnight and multi-night camping expeditions can be arranged.

San Andrés, San José and El Remate Tour: Enjoy a panoramic trip visiting the towns of San Andrés and San José, specially the San José church where the magical and venerated skulls rest. The tour continues to breathtaking El Remate (at the Eastern extreme of the Lake) along the shoreline of beautiful Lake Petén Itzá.

Don Zacarías Project: Don Zacarías Quixchán is a man from San Andrés who believes in the conservation of the forests. He owns an organical multi-crop and forest combined farm. He has great insight and a lot of experience in agriculture and forest management.

Interview with the Chayax: Don Reginaldo and his sister are Itzá elders that live in San José. He is one of the main leaders in charge of the management of BioItzá Reserve and his sister is a "curandera" or medicine woman. Both are considered xamanes (shamans).

Cerro Cahuí: Located in El Remate at about 45 minutes from Ni'tun. Cerro Cahuí is a biotopo or reserve managed by the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. A relaxed hike through the forest will take us to beautiful lookouts of Lake Petén Itzá.

BioItzá Reserve: The BioItzá reserve is one of the few reserves in Guatemala entirely managed by a community. The community of the Itzá people in San José is the ones protecting this area, one of the biggest in Petén. This trip includes a medicinal tour guided by Don Reginaldo Chayax or any other member of the Itzá committee. We'll take care of the translation for you.

Buena Vista Cliff: A long car ride through mud and forest passing by small communities will take us to one of the most breathtaking views in Guatemala, the Buena Vista Cliff, which is 150 meters high. Birdwatching is superb and with a little bit of luck you may observe scarlet macaws that live in this area! At its bottom lays Laguna de Yalá, where birds and mammals come to drink water.

El Zotz (Bat): Few people visit El Zotz. The University of San Carlos of Guatemala is in charge of the management of this natural park and IDAEH (The Institute of Anthropology and History) keeps control over El Zotz archaeological site. El Diablo is one of the main structures in the outskirts of El Zotz and from its top, when the skies are clear, one can see the Temples of Tikal. The high cliff in this park is the home for thousands of bats that come out to feed around sunset like a huge dark flow. The sounds, the view and the sensation of all of these bats together are incredible.

Tikal (City of Voices):
Let's visit Tikal through the paths, avoiding crowds. Bird watching is a must, and sunsets can be enjoyed from Temple IV or Mundo Perdido. Visit some of the areas in Tikal nobody visits like Temple of Inscriptions, Group H, etc. Get acquainted with the restoration works performed by the experts.

Uaxactún (Eight Stone): Located at 23 kms. from Tikal, this is one of the main Maya observatories in the area. One of the most important chiclero (gum harvesters) community lives here. The site provides beauty in construction, mystic palaces and insight into the Maya equinox and solstices predictions.

Xultún (Hole in the Stone): Located about 40 kms. from Uaxactún, Xultún is a rarely visited Classic Period Mayan City beautiful in its architecture as well as in the nature that surrounds it. It's also quite an adventure to get there.

Yaxhá (Green Water) and Topoxté (Ramón Tree): Yaxhá is an archaeological site from the Classic Period on the shores of the beautiful Yaxhá lagoon, home of Moreletti crocodiles. Before visiting Yaxhá, we take a short boat ride to the island of Topoxté. Topoxté is one of the oldest Cities in Mundo Maya. Trekking in Yaxhá is one of the most beautiful activities of this trip. Watching the sunset with the sun falling behind the lagoon and its islands is really breathtaking. Howler and spider monkeys and birds like the bat-eating hawk; toucans and parrots may be observed from Temple 216, the highest in Yaxhá.