Star Wars at Tikal: The Secret History of Yavin 4 Rebel Base in Guatemala

The day George Lucas looked into the Petén jungle

In 1977, the world premiere of Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope forever transformed the history of science fiction cinema. Towards the end of the film, when the Millennium Falcon lands on a remote jungle moon where the rebels are planning the final attack on the Death Star, an iconic shot appears: a sentry watches the horizon over a dense mass of tropical trees from which the triangular tips of several limestone pyramids emerge. Guatemala.

How Hollywood came to the heart of Tikal

During the production phase in the mid-seventies, George Lucas was looking for a landscape that would convey the sensation of an ancient and forgotten civilization, swallowed by virgin nature. A member of the film crew saw a photograph of the Mayan ruins in a travel agency while exploring international location options.

A small crew traveled to Guatemala in March 1977. They carried 35 mm film cameras to the crest of Temple IV (officially the Double-Headed Serpent Structure), which at almost 65 meters high was and remains one of the tallest pre-Hispanic structures in Mesoamerica. From there they captured the view to the east, where the crests of Temple I, Temple II and Temple III stand out, crossing the green mantle of the Mayan Biosphere Reserve. The shot served as the visual calling card for the planet Yavin 4.

Myths and truths of cinema in Tikal.

Was the entire military base in Guatemala filmed? No. Only the panoramic exterior establishing shot from Temple IV was filmed. The hangars with the Mexico, not in Guatemalan territory.

James Bond in Tikal: Two years after Star Wars, in 1979, the James Bond saga came to Tikal with the film Moonraker (with Roger Moore), using the roads and the Great Plaza to simulate a hidden base in the Amazon basin.

How to live the experience in person?

Climbing to Temple IV is currently done using wooden walkways and stairs built to protect the original stone structure limestone. Standing at that viewpoint not only puts you at the exact same point in the Star Wars universe, but it puts you at the highest point of the largest Mayan kingdom of the Classic period.

The best time to appreciate the panorama identical to the movie is during the early morning hours, when the fog slowly dissipates over the jungle and the sound of howler monkeys echoes through the treetops.