Ruin sights in San Ignacio (Cayo)

1. A Map

   Cahal Pech

   • San Ignacio (Cayo), Belize
   • Sights › Ruin

   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. Less impressive than Xunantunich and Caracol, 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 been excavated and…

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