Sign in with Facebook- Join for free
- Sign In
Sign in with Facebook
Pro
Easily explored, beautiful and not really busy
Con
It lacks interpretive info like U.S. monuments
In a nutshell
Well worth a visit!
euzkadi Says: There are two ball courts in the site, the main one is located between the A-1 and A-2 plazas and had a ritualistic function for the Mayas. Two teams played with a hard rubber ball using only the elbows, hips and knees, triying to introduce the ball through stone hoops...
euzkadi Says: Located between Plazas A-II and A-III, this pyramid consisting of four levels were use for administrative purpouses.
euzkadi Says: The Royal Palace is located on the A III compound, with four structures surrounding the plaza; the main building is the restored Royal Palace the place where the ruler lived. The building can be climbed and offers a magnificent views of the main pyramid of El Castillo and...
euzkadi Says: The entrance to the ruins is a long road passing through the jungle, a nice walk where you can see birds, monkeys and even tucans. There´s a small information center with maps, pictures, information boards and a small reproduction of the city.
El Castillo (West side freezes).
euzkadi Says: The west side of the structure has a 10-ft stucco made replica covering the original freezes. These freezes once decorated the entire construction and depict representations of the God Sun, the Moon, Venus and some of the Mayan days. There are also some headless men who were...
El Castillo. East side freezes.
euzkadi Says: After visiting the top of the pyramid the stairs lead you to the west of the pyramid, again some stucco replicas covering the original freezes can be seen.
euzkadi Says: The main feature of the site is the huge and partially excavated pyramid of El Castillo (the Castle) wich rises 130 feet from the main plaza. A steep but short climb takes you to the top. The west and east parts of the pyramid has some interesting stucco replicas of the...
El Castillo (view from the top)
euzkadi Says: The top of the pyramid offers great 360 degrees panoramic views of the complex, the jungle, the mountains and the Guatemalan border.
euzkadi Says: If you want to visit the ruins you must take a hand-cranked cable ferry from the small village of San José Succotz accross the Mopan River. After that there´s a mile to the main entrance of the site. The ferry is free of charge (but tips are always welcome).
ahouse2003 Says: Driving from Xunantunich to Belize City, you will pass the Windy Hills resort. There is a wonderful restaurant located inside this resort that serves traditional Belizean food. They also have a Marimba band that will play while you eat. The surrounding gardens are also...
The Trek Stop: Friendly and Inexpensive
Bwana_Brown Says: The photo shows your first view of the Trek Stop as you ascend the stairs from the parking lot area. Behind the outdoor seating area of the restaurant (right side) is a small kitchen where the meals are prepared for guests. This area is part of the larger Educational...
ahouse2003 Says: Just a quick tip for those heading to Xunantunich - you must take a hand-cranked ferry across a very narrow river to access the ruins.
Bwana_Brown Says: It was Day 12 of our Belize trip by the time we arrived in the area where Xunantunich is located. We had finished up with our very enjoyable two days of bird-watching in the watery world of the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary and were fortunate to link up with a couple of...
Helpfulness
Our Trek Stop accommodations just outside the hamlet of San Jose de Succotz was very conveniently located for visiting Xunantunich - a short 15 minute walk along the main highway toward Guatemala brought us to this scenic ferry crossing. This hand-cranked affair crosses back and forth over the Mopan River, providing the only access to the Mayan ruins at Xunantunich. The single operator winches the the ferry back and forth for both cars and pedestrians as they turn up on one side of the river or the other.
I had a good talk with him as we crossed on our 8:30 AM walk to the ruins, and he pointed out a very large Green Iguana (they can reach 7-feet in length) to me, as it lay out over the river on a tree branch, warming up in the morning sunshine. Tourists taking kayak tours on the Mopan (and ourselves as well on our tubing ride) have to keep an eye out here as they pass the ferry but it is not difficult since the aerial cable used to winch the ferry is plenty high above the water level. I gave the guy $BZ2 (US$1) for his efforts on our short crossings here.
Updated Dec 7, 2007
bchurchill Says: All of us are aware of the importance of staying hydrated. It is unavoidable that the aforementioned retirees will arrive. They will likely leave their water in the bus. By the time they reach the top of the pyramid the resultant difficulty breathing due to CHF will ensue....
Be Careful if You're Afraid of Heights!
saraheg77 Says: Xunantunich was occupied from about 300-900 A.D. El Castillo is 130 feet tall, the tallest structure at Xunantunich, and the 2nd tallest Mayan structure in existence. The climb to the top is not too bad, but be very careful if you are afraid of heights, because once you get...
Helpfulness
Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: No matter what the temperature, I recommend wearing long pants to prevent scrapes and keep insect bites to a minimum. You'll need shoes with good traction because the rocks are slippery.
Miscellaneous: Cover exposed areas with sunscreen and insect repellent. Don't forget your lips-they can burn too!
Updated Aug 15, 2004
Helpfulness
Xunantunich is one of the larger Mayan sites in Belize. It was an important city during its height as it competed with Tikal in Guatemala and Caracol to the south in Belize. The main structure here is the El Castillo which rises nearly 130 feet above an already high hill top allowing great views of the Cayo. It has been restored to show what the reliefs may have looked like during its height in AD 900 before a massive earthquake badly damaged the city. There are other structure around the El Castillo with some trails leading to jungle covered ones nearby. There is a small but nice museum with a scale model of the site.
The bridge to Xunantunich is actually a hand cranked ferry on a cable. It is located about 13 kms away west from San Ignacio. It takes cars as well as passengers for free. After getting over the Belize River you must walk the remaining 2km uphill to the site. If you come back as the park closes may be able to get a ride with the workers.
Cost $2.50 US
Guides Available
Small shops with snacks, water, and other souvenirs
Buses can drop you off here as they frequent this road from San Ignacio to boarder town of Benque Viejo.
Written Dec 15, 2003
JetlagCity Says: Xunantunich is in the jungle in the western part of Belize near the Guatemalan border. It's about 8 miles from the town of San Ignacio, which serves as an information hub for Belize's Cayo District. The little ferry you take across the Mopan River to get there is right next...
JetlagCity Says: Pyramids and temples are in various stages of excavation, and we saw several archaeologists working while we were there. Our guide explained that it's better to leave things buried until there's money to maintain and preserve them, or else they just end up getting damaged...
Xunantunich - Small but Beautiful Mayan Ruins
About two weeks into our trip to Belize found us staying at a small back-packer paradise outside of San Ignacio and very close to the Guatemala border. One of the attractions that just happened to be...
I certainly wouldn't have considered my first trip to Belize complete without visiting at least one of the Mayan ruins. Xunantunich (shoo-nahn-TOO-nitch) is one of the major Mayan ceremonial sites in...
Xunantunich! So fun to Pronounce! =)
Here's a photo of a temple on the left that is still covered by grass and straight ahead is one of the smaller temples opposite the large temple. It is pronounced like 'zoo-NAN-too-neech'.
Xunantunich is a Mayan site located a few miles southwest of San Ignacio. The name means "Stone Woman" or "Maiden of the Rock". The site is best known for the towering pyramid known as "El Castillo",...
Build your own Xunantunich page
Comments