Xunantunich

Xunantunich, “Maiden of the Rock/Stone Woman”, is a Classic Maya (200-900 CE) archaeological zone located in the western part of Belize along the border with Guatemala. It is situated on a high ridge overlooking the Mopan River. This strategic location allowed for the control of trade along this important river, and through the adjoining valley.

Take the hand-cranked ferry over the Mopan River to Xunantunich, which sits atop a hill in San Jose Succotz village with panoramic views of the Cayo District. On a clear day, you can see across into nearby Guatemala and near Caracol in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve.

The area was a major ceremonial site built on a natural limestone ridge during the Classic Period. It contains six (6) plazas, with more than 25 Maya temples and palaces. The largest pyramid at the site, El Castillo (the Castle), is 130 feet above the plaza, with carved friezes on the east and west sides of structure A-6. The frieze on the east has been preserved and covered with a fiberglass replica of the central mask representing the sun god, bordered by the moon and Venus.

For more information, visit Steve Mellard's Mayan Ruins Website