Xunantunich
Mayan Ruin Site in Belize

Departure: anytime between 8:00 am and 2:30 pm
Drive time: 20 minutes

Xunantunich: "shoo-nahn-too-nitch" or "shah-nahn-tuhn-itch", depending on your accent. Even if you can't pronounce it, the 'X-ruin' is a great introduction to the temples of the Maya. There is a nice museum, temples to climb with a fantastic view of the area, and some reconstruction work where you can see what it may have looked like during the time of the Maya. It's all a ruin should be with the added convenience of being 20 minutes away. You also get to ride over to it on a hand-cranked ferry, the birding is superb and there are stands set up where you can buy slate carvings and other local crafts.

Xunantunich: lords of war and fertility

One mile north of Benque Viejo, across the green crystalline waters of the Mopan River, is the largest ceremonial center in the Belize River Valley. The ruins of Xunantunich are located on a natural limestone ridge approximately eight miles west of San Ignacio at San Jose Succotz Village in the Cayo District. The hilltop location provides a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding country.

Spanning time from the early Protoclassic to the Terminal Classic Periods, Xunantunich consists of three ceremonial plazas enclosed by house mounds, pyramids, and palaces, the largest decorated with friezes and masks of Classic style. Xunantunich is the longest established archaeological site in Belize.

The most prominent structure located (at the south end of the site is the pyramid "El Castillo" (The Castle) which rises 130 feet above the plaza. "El Castillo", which has been partially excavated and explored, was the tallest manmade structure in all of Belize until the discovery of "Canaa" at Caracol. The most notable feature on "El Castillo" is a remarkable stucco frieze on the east side of the A-6 structure. Three carved stelae found at the site are on display in the plaza. The name is Maya for "stone lady" and is derived from local legend.

Xunantunich is essentially a Classic Period ceremonial centre. Restricted in space, it occupies only 300 sq. metres (325 sq. yards) with elite, middle- and working-class residential structures stretching a few kilometres into the surroundings.

This is one of the most popular sites in Belize. Recent improvements have included the visitor's centre, new bathrooms, new picnic areas, new trails, and a new way to embark and disembark the main temple of El Castillo. The recent developments at Xunantunich are designed to improve and enhance the carrying capacity, without compromising the integrity of the structures or the wildlife-rich forest surrounding the site.

One historical attribute not likely to be replaced anytime soon is the mechanical ferry, used for years to take people to and from the site.

See our Photo Gallery for more images, or watch our Xunantunich Slideshow