The striking jade death mask of an ancient Maya king is displayed in a replica tomb in Mexico City.

The turquoise-studded skull of a long-dead Aztec man sits within Mexico City’s Museum of Anthropology.

This colossal ancient jaguar sculpture was used as a vessel for the hearts torn from sacrificial victims.

The most complete statue of this Aztec god sits a top a throne carved with images of hallucinogenic plants.

A disquieting Aztec sculpture displays hundreds of stone skulls representing the victims of human sacrifice.

This strange sculpture of a menacing skull surrounded by sun rays was discovered at the foot of the Pyramid of the Sun.

A 16th-century monastery boasts a lush array of plants native to Mexico’s most biodiverse region.

The stoutest tree in the world.

A century-old bathhouse that provides the luxury of warm water to rural Guatemalans.

Guatemalan womanizer, venerated during Holy Week.

A ruined Maya city that suffered a years-long case of mistaken identity.

An impressive century-old, to-scale topographical map of Guatemala.

This orchid sanctuary protects countless varieties of the flower, from the huge to the microscopic.

Experiencing Guatemala's sensory-exploding church is a blunt reminder of European influence.

Mesoamerican monoliths and zoomorphic stones covered in royal visages, ancient mythology, and grand celestial events.

Giant kites are flown during this Day of the Dead celebration in Guatemala.

Central America's deepest lake is actually a volcanic caldera, surrounded by three volcanoes.

Volcanically heated hot springs.

One of the world’s most colorful cemeteries, where each pigment is symbolic.

The crypts of Capuchin friars decorated with the bones of over 4,000 friars, including an entire "crypt of pelvises."

Museum on earth sciences featuring a recreation of a famous curiosity cabinet.

The old observatory in Copenhagen has a spiral corridor used as a racetrack.

Danish tourist destination well known for open stalls where vendors sell marijuana on the street.

Pre-Nazi swastikas adorn the sculpted pachyderms flanking this brewhouse portal.