Petexbat n and Aguateca From Sayaxch , visitors may also travel by boat along a stream that leads to Lake Petexbat n and the Aguateca ruins. Along the creek is an eco-hotel with a nature trail and lots of birds. Petexbat n is an enormous shallow lake about 30 minutes from Sayaxch , full of waterfowl such as herons, ducks and anhingas. On the far side of the lake, a path leads up a hill, along a cliff and into a narrow canyon that served as a natural defense for the Maya city of Aguateca built on top. A mystery surrounds Aguateca, which archaeologists believe was abandoned so rapidly that inhabitants had to leave personal belongings behind as they fled the city.
Charred structures suggest the city was overrun by enemies and burned.
The city underwent a burst of construction from 830 to 850 AD, at the end of the Classic era, when several buildings and stelae were erected. Sometime between 900 and 950 AD, the city was abandoned for unknown reasons. The ruins are unrestored and mostly unexcavated. To reach the Altar de los Sacrificios archaeological site, visitors travel by boat for four hours down La Pasi n River, to the point where it joins the Chixoy, River to form the Usumacinta. The site is renowned for its enormous stone altars, for which it was also named.