Archaeological sights in San Ignacio (Cayo)
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Cahal Pech
High atop a hill on the southern outskirts of San Ignacio, Cahal Pech is the oldest known Maya site in the Belize River valley, having been first settled between 1500 and 1000 BC. It is, perhaps, less impressive than Xunantunich or Caracol, but it’s still a fascinating example of Preclassic Maya architecture. It was a significant Maya settlement for 2000 years or more. Cahal Pech (kah- hahl pech) is Mopan and Yucatec Mayan for ‘Place of Ticks, ’ a nickname earned in the 1950s when the site was surrounded by pastures grazed by tick-infested cattle. Today it’s a pleasantly shady site with plenty of trees and few tourists. Its core area of seven interconnected plazas has …
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Xunantunich
Belize's most accessible Maya site of significance, Xunantunich (pronounced shoo-nahn-too-neech), is reached via a free hand-cranked ferry across the Mopan River at San José Succotz. Climb to the top of El Castillo, the largest structure set 40m (130ft) above the main plaza, to enjoy a spectacular 360-degree view.
Set on a leveled hilltop, Xunantunich may have been occupied as early as 1000 BC but was little more than a village until the 7th century AD, when the large architecture we now see began to be built. A good visitors center, between the ticket office and the hilltop ruins, explains Xunantunich's history.
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