Mayan Archaeological Sites

When it comes to Mayan archaeological sites Belize pales in comparison to neighboring Guatetmala. However, there are a handful of excavated sites that can be visited in Belize. Here are the highlights.

Nim Li Punit Toledo District, Southern Belize Nim Li Punit means “big hat” in the Kekchi Mayan language and is thought to have been inspired by the enormous headdresses worn by figures carved into some of the stelae found here. Stelae–giant stones carved with historical information and details about important events–are the main draw at this tiny site. An incredible 26 stelae were found at Nim Li Punit (though none were found at nearby Lubaantun) and many of them are still in excellent condition. Four stelae are on display in a modest museum near the entrance to the site, which oil prospectors stumbled upon in 1976.

Lubaatun Toledo District, Southern Belize What differentiates Lubaantun, a pre-Columbian Mayan city that dates back to 730 AD, from other Mayan archaeological sites is the legend of the Crystal Skull. According to Frederick A. Mitchell-Hedges, an adventurer, self-made archaeologist with a disturbing propensity for dynamiting sites and one of the first excavators of Lubaantun, an intact, anatomically correct skull carved out of a solid piece of crystal was allegedly found under a fallen altar by his adopted daughter Ana on her 17th birthday. (Inspections of the skull have led many scientists to believe that it was machine made in the 1800s before being purchased by Mitchell-Hedges in London in the early 1900s.) Authentic or not, the Belize government has asked for the return of the Crystal Skull on numerous occasions but Ana has never given up the most famous paperweight in the world.

Caracol Mountain Pine Ridge area, Central Belize This is the largest and most intensively studied archaeological site in Belize. It’s also the hardest to reach. To get to the Caracol archaeological site you have to drive through the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve over a mostly decent dirt road, then keep driving out of the reserve and into Chiquibul National Park. Tours depart from and return to San Ignacio or from Blancaneaux Lodge or Hidden Valley Inn within the Mountain Pine Ridge area.

Caracol has been dated to the Maya Classic period and at its peak it was one of the largest Mayan cities with more than 140,000 inhabitants. The site is currently being excavated and studied by Dr. Arlen Chase and Dr. Diane Chase and what’s excavated is spectacular. The main temple, Caana (which means sky place), is 141 feet high making it the tallest building in Belize even today.

Xunantunich Cayo District, Central Belize Belize’s most accessible Maya archaeological site, Xunantuni, is just a short taxi ride from the town of San Ignacio. The name of this Mayan city, believed to be from the Classic period (200-900 AD), means stone woman in reference to a female ghost that’s said to wander around the place and into the stone walls. Xunantunich is a compact site with pleasant grounds and a handful of excavated structures and a great place to hang out (probably alone–except for the Stone Woman) on top of a temple and enjoy the park-like atmosphere.

Lamanai Orange Walk District, Northern/Central Belize This large, well-excavated and accessible Mayan site is reached via a beautiful boat ride from a dock just outside the town of Espanto. Lamanai (which means submerged crocodile) is believed to have been settled as far back as the 16th century BC yet most of it remained unexcavated until the 1970s. Now four distinct areas have at least been cleared and the massive temples, ball courts and other structures are fascinating and huge–large enough to actually give the feeling of distinct neighborhoods.

Allow at least three hours at the site to really explore it and arrive in the morning so you can beat the heat and the boat loads of day trippers from cruise ships which start arriving and clogging up the place by mid day.

Altun Ha Belize District, Northern/Central Belize Altun Ha is a modern Mayan name (the city’s original name is unknown) for a very old place. Habitation dates back to 200 BC and experts in this kind of thing believe that up to 10,000 people lived here during the city’s peak. The excavated area is relatively small, just two plazas, but you can climb to the top of the Temple of the Masonry Altars and other structures. Altun Ha is only about 30 miles from Belize City.

Indagare members can contact our bookings to team to arrange guided visits to any of these sites.