Belize's Best-Kept Ruin Secrets

Belize is home to some of the most impressive and well-preserved Mayan ruins in the world. With over 600 Mayan ruins across the country, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are some of the best ruins to visit in Belize:

Caracol

Located deep in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Caracol is the largest Mayan archaeological site in Belize. The site features majestic temples, including Caana, or Sky Palace, which stands at 41m (136 ft.) tall—the tallest Mayan building in the country. Caracol was a major city-state during the Classic era and is believed to have been home to around 15,000 people, with some estimates placing the number as high as 115,000.

Lamanai

Lamanai, located in Orange Walk, is one of the more interesting and picturesque Mayan ruins in Belize. It features three large pyramids, residential areas, restored stelae, open plazas, and a unique small ball court. The site is set on the banks of the New River Lagoon and is one of the few sites in Belize to retain its traditional name, as it was still occupied by the Maya when the Spanish arrived.

Xunantunich

Xunantunich is an impressive, well-excavated, and easily accessible Mayan site near San Ignacio. It was a thriving Mayan city during the Classic Period (c. AD 600–900) and features carved stelae and a very tall main pyramid called El Castillo. To reach the ruins, visitors must cross the Mopan River aboard a hand-cranked ferry.

El Pilar

El Pilar is a massive Mayan city that straddles the border of Belize and Guatemala. The site covers 40 hectares (100 acres) and features over 25 known plazas. Excavation and exploration are still in their early stages, but it is expected to join the ranks of Caracol and Tikal as one of the major Classic Mayan sites in the region.

Altun Ha

Altun Ha is one of the most easily accessible Mayan ruins from Belize City. It is a small yet well-preserved site featuring two large central plazas surrounded by mid-sized pyramids and mounds. The largest Maya-carved jade object, the famous Jade Head, was discovered here in 1968.

Caracol: Belize's largest Mayan site, with the tallest Mayan building in the country

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Lamanai: One of the more interesting and picturesque Mayan ruins, featuring three large pyramids

Lamanai, located in Orange Walk, Belize, is one of the more interesting and picturesque Mayan ruins in the country. The site is unique in that it is one of the few Mayan sites located near a body of water, in this case, the New River Lagoon. This setting not only provides a picturesque backdrop for the ruins but also contributed to Lamanai's exceptionally long occupation, as the river served as a trade route.

Lamanai features three large pyramids: the Jaguar Temple, the Mask Temple, and the High Temple. The Jaguar Temple is named for its boxy jaguar decoration, featuring a jaguar face shape and jaguar masks on each side of the lower platform stairway. The Mask Temple is adorned with two 13-foot stone masks of a Maya king, made from carved blocks of limestone. The High Temple, the tallest temple at Lamanai, rises 125 feet above the jungle canopy and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding area, including the nearby lagoon.

In addition to the pyramids, Lamanai also features a couple of residential areas, various restored stelae, open plazas, and a small ball court. The site is also home to the ruins of two 16th-century Spanish churches, a testament to the long and varied history of the area.

Lamanai is accessible by boat from Orange Walk Town or by dirt and gravel road through the Mennonite area of Shipyard. Visitors can expect to see a variety of wildlife along the way, including exotic birds, monkeys, crocodiles, and iguanas. A small museum at the site exhibits local artifacts and provides historical information about Lamanai.

Xunantunich: An impressive, well-excavated site, close to San Ignacio

Xunantunich is an impressive, well-excavated Mayan archaeological site in Belize, located close to San Ignacio in the Cayo District. The site is easily accessible, and getting there involves crossing the beautiful Mopan River on a tiny, old-fashioned hand-cranked ferry. The river is also popular for canoeing, kayaking, inner tubing, and swimming.

Xunantunich was a thriving Mayan city during the Classic Period, from about AD 600 to 900, and served as a Maya civic ceremonial centre to the Belize Valley region. The site covers about one square mile and consists of a series of six plazas surrounded by over 26 temples and palaces. The core of the city is relatively small compared to the farms that fed its occupants, which were spread out widely over the landscape.

One of the most well-known structures at Xunantunich is the pyramid "El Castillo", the second tallest structure in Belize at 40 metres (130 feet) tall. El Castillo is the "axis mundi" of the site, or the intersection of the two cardinal lines. The eastern and western summits of El Castillo feature large stucco friezes with carved elements that represent astronomical symbols, the sun god, the moon, and Venus. Other notable structures include the ritual space, Structure A-1, and the residential structure, A-15.

Excavations at Xunantunich have uncovered a number of significant artefacts, including a monumental plaster frieze, ceramic vessels, obsidian knives, jade pearls, and animal bones. In 2016, an untouched burial chamber was discovered, containing the remains of a male along with various artefacts.

Xunantunich is a popular tourist destination, with a complete visitor centre that includes a model of the site, photos, maps, and graphical explanations of significant events in the development of the city. The site offers stunning views of nearby villages, as well as a glimpse of Guatemala. Visitors can also enjoy the surrounding jungle, which is home to wildlife such as spider monkeys, iguanas, howler monkeys, and parrots.

El Pilar: A huge site with over 25 known plazas, covering 100 acres

El Pilar is a huge Maya site situated 12 miles northwest of San Ignacio in the quaint Village of Bullet Tree Falls. Covering 100 acres, it is one of the most underappreciated major Mayan cities in Mesoamerica. The site is still in the early stages of excavation, but already 12 pyramids and 25 plazas have been discovered—triple the number found in nearby sites such as Xunantunich and Cahal Pech.

The abundance of natural water sources in this area may be the origin of the name El Pilar ("pila" being Spanish for watering basin). A particularly intriguing feature is a causeway that extends from the eastern part of the ruins across the border into Guatemala. The site was occupied between the periods of 500 BC and 1000 AD, and a variety of residential structures, elite household compounds, and ceremonial buildings have been discovered.

Unlike other nearby sites, El Pilar remains much the same as when it was first discovered. Currently, there are five trail systems at El Pilar: three archaeological and two primarily nature trails intended to provide insight into the agro-forestry of the ancient Mayans.

El Pilar is located in the El Pilar Archaeological Reserve for Maya Flora and Fauna. Its mostly unexcavated condition will give you an idea of how easily Mayan ruins can blend in with the surrounding jungle. It is fairly remote and doesn't attract many tourists, so you are likely to be able to explore it with very few other visitors around. Tours are not always available, so some visitors hike in or rent an ATV or 4x4 to explore the site.

Altun Ha: One of the most easily accessible Mayan ruins from Belize City

Altun Ha is one of the best Mayan ruin sites in Belize. This 3-square-mile site was inhabited by the Mayas from 900 BC to 1000 AD. The Mayas who lived here were rich and had access to luxury items such as jade and obsidian. In fact, the largest jade artifact ever found was discovered in Altun Ha. Known as the "Jade Head", it is a carving of the Maya sun god "Kinich Ahau". It is the largest jade object from the Maya civilization ever discovered.

Altun Ha is located about 30 miles from Belize City. You can drive there, but it is recommended to take a tour as the roads can be rough and the site is located in an isolated jungle area. There are temples and areas of Altun Ha that are very well preserved and can be walked around, and some can even be climbed. There are also sites where excavation is not possible, and nature is slowly reclaiming them.

You can plan to spend about an hour or two at the site, with about an hour's drive each way from Belize City. This is an easy excursion to do if you are in port from a cruise.

Altun Ha is probably Belize's best-known Mayan site, mainly because its main temple features on the label of the national beer, Belikin. It is also the easiest to visit, with lots of tours running from Belize City, San Pedro, and more. For that reason, it is usually the busiest of Belize's Mayan ruins. While that means sharing Altun Ha with a few other tourists, it has also made Altun Ha the country's best-excavated and restored site.

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