What is Tayasal?
Q: What is Tayasal?
A: Tayasal is a pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site from the Postclassic period located on an island in Lake Petén Itzá in northern Guatemala.
Q: When was it conquered by the Spanish?
A: Tayasal, along with Zacpeten (the capital of the Ko'woj Maya) and Eixequil (the Yalnain capital), was conquered by the Spanish conquistadores and colonizers in 1697.
Q: How did the Spanish try to conquer it?
A: The Spanish attempted to conquer Tayasal several times beginning in 1629, when they marched in from Corozal in Belize, Yucatán and Alta Verapaz, attacked with boats, and destroyed it.
Q: Who built the city later known as Tayasal?
A: The Itza people left the Yucatán region in the 13th century and built the city later known as Tayasal as their capital.
Q: What did Hernan Cortes do when he arrived at Tayasal?
A: In 1541, Hernán Cortés came to the island on route to Honduras but needed to move on and did not try to conquer it due to its very good defensive position.
Q: What happened after its fall?
A: After its fall, many of its structures were heavily damaged by the Spanish and turned into Roman Catholic Church buildings or other buildings for Flores - which has been built over part of this island near Lake Petén Itzá.
