Raxrujá

RAXRUJÁ is the best place to get a pick-up, a truck or, if you're very lucky, a bus north to Sayaxché and Flores or west to Playa Grande and the Ixcán. Little more than a few streets and an army base straggling round the bridge over the Río Escondido, a tributary of the Pasión, Raxrujá has the only accommodation for miles around and you may end up staying here. Hotel Raxruhá (up to US$5), next to the Texaco garage, is the best on offer, and there are plenty of quite reasonable places to eat in town, including Comedor Vidalia . The Banrural (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm, Sat 9am-1pm) next to Hotel Raxruhá will cash travellers' cheques. Buses leave for Cobán at 4am, 9am and 1pm; heading north, it's pick-ups only.

The limestone mountains to the west of Raxrujá are full of caves. Some of the best are the Candelaria caves , 10km west, whose series of caverns stretches for around 18km and includes some truly monumental chambers such as the 200-metre-long "Tzul Tacca". The caves are located on private property a short walk from the road, and are jealously guarded by Daniel Dreux, who has set up the Complejo Cultural de Candelaria conservation area. Entrance to the complex, including a two-hour tour and a guide to the first cave system, costs US$4 per person, while a two-day tour by lancha costs US$35 per person. Alternatively, contact one of the Cobán travel agents or the official agents, PTP, 15 C 3-20, Zona 10 in Guatemala City (tel 363 4404, www.ptpmayas.com ), to organize a trip. The complex's wonderfully atmospheric accommodation (US$50 per person per day including two meals) is often block-booked by French tour groups, but you can camp (US$2.50 per person) close to the entrance at the Rancho Ríos Escondidos.

The area beyond Raxrujá, where the rolling foothills of the highlands give way to the flat expanse of southern Petén, is known as the Northern Transversal Strip , dubbed the "Generals' Strip", as huge parcels of land, complete with their valuable mineral resources, were dispensed to military top brass instead of needy campesinos . In the heart of this region, 11km north of Raxrujá, is the large Maya site of Cancuén where a huge Classic period palace has been unearthed. At the moment the only way to visit the site is with the specialist tour operator Maya Expeditions; don't be tempted to hike to the site, as you'll have to dodge past fields of grazing water buffalo through land owned by the ex-military dictator Lucas García.