Caracol Mayan
Ruin Site in Belize

Departure: 7:30 am - Drive time: 2 - 2.5 hours

Caracol is the largest known Maya center in Belize and is the best ruin this side of the Guatemala border. It has giant temples to climb and from which to exclaim at the view of miles of protected Chiquibul forest. As a bonus you can often see real live archaeologists at work here. Much work has been done but the restoration will continue for many years to come.

You can add a swim in the Rio On Pools, on Mountain Pine Ridge, to this trip. The roads to Caracol are much improved, and we've also cut off some drive time by having the driver meet you across the river from duPlooy's. We will canoe you over, unless it is raining, in which case your driver will collect you at duPlooy's.

Since Caracol is located in the Chiquibul Rainforest, there is a plethora of flora and fauna to enhance the true beauty of this magnificent Maya center. With most of the Mayan sites, the preserved forest surrounding the ruins (primary forest is still evident) has exceptionally good birding. There is also great birding at various sites on Mountain Pine Ridge (including Thousand Foot Falls for Orange-breasted Falcon).

Caracol: the supremacy of Lord Water

The ruins of Caracol are situated on the Vaca Plateau of the Cayo District. The name Caracol is Spanish for "snail shell" and was given because of the inordinate numbers of snail shells found there. It is one of the more difficult ruins in Belize to access, but conversely, it provides one of the most scenic drives.

This ancient Maya site is still being restored, but it is fast becoming one of the most popular destinations in Belize. The Government of Belize has in- vested 2.7 million Belize dollars to restore Caracol to some semblance of its former glory. At its height, the restoration work employed more than 160 people, working from dawn to dusk shifting through the soil for secrets. A good deal of fundshave gone into improving the road to Caracol, making it accessible year round and cuts the drive time considerably.

At the peak of its existence, the Mayan city of Caracol covered some sixty-five square miles and was home to more than 100,000 people. It is a Classic period urban centre, comprising a central ceremonial area converged on by causeways leading to the outlying structures. The site's special features include the buildings surrounding the A court, which functioned during the Early Classic period as an astronomical observatory. Following a now familiar pattern, many of the site's pyramids were constructed in the Early Classic, and later surmounted by ever more impressive structures. Interestingly, one of the burials - in the Machete group, dated 613 A.D. - was desecrated by the Late Classic Maya and then re-buried.

Since it's rediscovery in the 1920s, archaeologists have found the earliest dated carved stelae in Belize, dating back to 400 A.D., and unearthed the massive structure called Canaa or "Sky Place", believed to have been completed around 800 A.D. It is the tallest and largest human made structure in Belize.

Caracol's influence in the region spans thousands of years. They were politically involved with other sites in the region; Caracol entered wars against cities like Tikal, Naranjo and Bital, and on many of those occasions, Caracol was triumphant.

See our Photo Gallery for more images, or watch the Caracol Slideshow