WELCOME
to the
BELIZE MAYAN RUINS TOUR

The ancient Maya have fascinated scholars and the general public for centuries. Images of jungle covered ruins and lost cities have fired our imaginations in film and print. Belize offers a unique view of this little known yet much studied civilization because it is home to a wide variety of sites spanning the life of the Mayan culture.

This tour will follow the chronology of the ancient Mayan culture and civilization in Belize. It is by no means comprehensive. At last count, the Belize Department of Archaeology had identified over 600 sites within the borders of Belize. It is still possible to explore deep within the forests and caves of Belize and come upon ruins, artifacts and even burial sites. This Mayan Ruin tour can be completed in about 15 to 25 minutes, though we hope you will linger longer and enjoy the wealth and mystery of the Mayan Civilization which lie hidden within the country of Belize.

(Maps courtesy of Dr. Anabel Ford, from "The Ancient Maya of Belize-Their Society and Sites" - This book can be purchased at Angelus Press Ltd. Online Bookstore)

For those familiar with Belize, it is possible to explore the Mayan Riuns on your own by using the map and legend. For those just learning about Belize, we recommend that you follow the tour by using the NEXT button at the bottom of each page.

  1. Santa Rita
  2. Cerros
  3. La Milpas
  4. Altun Ha
  5. Lamanai
  6. El Pilar
  7. Xunantunich
  8. Cahal Pech
  9. Mayflower
  10. Caracol
  11. Lubantunn
  12. Ni Li Punit
    13.

This is a location map of the Mayan Ruins covered in this guide. You can click on the circled numbers, or the list above to go to information on any of the Mayan Ruins. Please note that the numbers on the map do not correspond to the stops on the tour or the order that the ruins are presented on the tour.

This Mayan Tour guides you chronologically through the sites. We begin with a brief history of the Maya, and an overview of Mayan archaeology in Belize. The time line at the first stop helps you put the different sites and the Mayan Civilization into perspective. Each stop along the tour presents the history and significance of the specific ruin and is accompanied by pictures and maps of the site if available. Should you ever get disoriented as to where you are in the tour, you can click on the small map (as shown to the left) in the upper left corner of each page of this tour and return to this page. From here you can click on the map or the legend to start where you left off.

Please note that each page of this tour will also have buttons for a Full Tour of Belize. If you have time, you can go through a complete tour of Belize’s parks, mayan ruins and districts by following the Full Tour. Click the NEXT button to continue the Mayan Ruin Tour.


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