Xunantunich and Cahal Pech
This half-day tour takes you to two of the most famous Maya sites in Belize, Xunantunich and Cahal Pech. After your day of historical sightseeing, you’ll have gotten a fascinating look at Maya culture and architecture. Besides the Maya sites, you’ll also get to admire jungle wildlife along the way.
- Duration:
- 5 hrs
- Available Days:
- Every day
- Schedule:
- 7:30 AM
- Hotel Transport Included
- Mobile Ticket Included
- Offered in English, Spanish
Right outside of the town of San Ignacio, you’ll find the ruins of Cahal Pech. This site dates all the way back to 1200 BC, making it one of the oldest Maya sites in Belize. Besides temples, you can also see ball courts and stelae – stone slabs covered in enlightening engravings.
Travel about 30 minutes to reach Xunantunich, a Maya ruin located near the foot of the Maya Mountains. At Xunantunich, you’ll see the large, central temple of El Castillo. It’s covered in intricate hieroglyphs and is believed to have served as a shrine as well as an administrative center. Your guide will be able to describe what the site looked like at the height of its influence, filling in the details to complete your journey back in time.
Attractions Visited
Less than a 10-minute drive or a 25-minute uphill walk from the town of San Ignacio, the 2-acre Mayan ruin site called Cahal Pech makes for pleasant morning or afternoon trip.
Read more:Cahal Pech Ruins
Home to the second largest Mayan pyramid in Belize, Xunantunich is one of the most impressive Mayan sites in Belize. The site is composed of three major ceremonial plazas surrounded by numerous temples, palaces, and house mounds. Xunantunich is located 8 miles (13 km) southwest of San Ignacio on the Western Highway.
Read more:Xunantunich
What to Bring
Comfortable shoes (i.e., hiking shoes, sneakers, keens, etc.), comfortable clothing, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray, water, camera, and binoculars.
What's included
Tour guide, transportation, water, entrance fees & tax
Transportation
Many of our tours and activities offer transportation pick up & drop off options from several locations and destinations. Options vary by tour, see “BOOKING REQUEST” for full details.
Similar things to do
This full-day tour to Tikal National Park introduces you to the greatest city the Maya ever built. It dates back to 200 BC, and remained a flourishing capital until 900 AD. At its height, it is believed to have supported a population of around 90,000.
Explore the vast ruins of Tikal during this one-day tour. You’ll visit Tikal’s temples and pyramids, learn about Mayan culture, and walk along short trails through the jungle.
This site has one of the most interesting collection temples of any Maya ruins in Belize. There’s the 130-foot tall El Castillo temple, which is one of the tallest buildings in the country. Visitors can climb to the top of it stepped facade to check out the incredible surrounding landscape.
