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

A collection of heirloom roses tucked in a spectacularly beautiful botanical garden on Lake Atitlan.

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

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

One of the world's largest pyramids stands within El Mirador, the "lost city of the Maya."

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

Hidden deep in the Guatemalan jungle is a turquoise paradise of natural pools, caves, and waterfalls.

An enormous, 30-story-deep hole in the middle of Guatemala City.

Volcanically heated hot springs.

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.

This metal tower in the desert provides views of a handful of Nazca geoglyphs.

This small oxbow lake has rare giant river otters and some Seussian-sounding birds.

The large collection of pre-Columbian pottery might make you blush.

The depictions of slaughter are surprisingly detailed at this mysterious ancient site.

The little bear in the "funny kind of hat" has made his way from London back to Peru.

Pre-Incan aqueduct amidst a stone forest in Peru.

A kitschy Italian medieval-style castle incongruously located amidst one of the most historic towns in the Peruvian Amazon.

This set of mysterious petroglyphs in the Peruvian jungle could shed light on centuries-old activities in the region.

This unimaginably large pile of sand near Nazca is one of the tallest dunes in the world.

A pretty park of over 1,600 olive trees that grew from just three saplings brought over from Spain.

The shockingly unspoiled Peruvian tomb of the Lord of Sipan was once guarded by a footless warrior.

Hundreds of mummies in a silent room, some with eerily pained expressions preserved on their faces.