My visit to Belize in the summer of 2017 had one specific goal in mind: to see Mayan ruins. I was not disappointed! The tiny tropical country was filled with beautiful archaeological ruins. It was mesmerizing, even in spite of the heat. At the time, I was new to traveling, so I journeyed to Belize with an expert company: EF Ultimate Break. Traveling with a tour group lifted the weight off my shoulders with this trip because no planning from me was needed! Touring the country with a guide allowed me to visit every major site, get the most out of my trip, and see the best Mayan ruins in Belize. Here are my favorite ruins I visited!
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The Lamanai Ruins
The first archaeological site we visited was the Maya ruins of Lamanai. This beautiful area was home to Mayans for nearly 3,000 years and is one of the most well understood Mayan sites in the world. Lamanai is home to 3 famous temples: The Mask Temple, The Jaguar Temple, and The High Temple.
The Mask Temple
The Mask Temple is the smallest of the three but displays impressive carvings of masks on the sides. Most interestingly, the masks wear crocodile headdresses, giving Lamanai its namesake. Lamanai is Maya for “submerged crocodile.” I was able to climb to the top of the ruins and get up close to the mask carvings.
After the steep hike to the top of the temple, I sat and listened to the wildlife around me. Howler monkeys are LOUD! I could hear howlers from miles away, as well as growls from jaguars within the jungle.
The Jaguar Temple
The second-largest temple in Lamanai is The Jaguar Temple. Shaped like a pyramid, the temple looked easy to climb to reach the top. However, looks can be deceiving! The steps were extremely steep, and climbing to the top of the temple in the jungle heat was a serious workout. The Jaguar Temple gets its name from the blocky jaguar heads that decorate it.
Singing I’ll Make a Man Out of You from Mulan for inspiration, I trekked to the top of the pyramid in record time. To my surprise, there was grass and a huge, shady tree planted at the top. In fact, it was some of the only real shade we found all day!
The High Temple
The High Temple gets its name from being, well, high. At an impressive exposed height of 108ft (33m), the trek to the top of this temple is no joke! The view from the top was well worth it, allowing visitors to see over the top of the jungle to the New River Lagoon. The views were truly breathtaking.
The views from this temple were by far the most spectacular. I could see for miles over the trees. The vast jungle made me feel so small!
Cahal Pech
Cahal Pech is a small archaeological site in San Ignacio, Belize. The ruins are typically less crowded than the more popular locations, however, they are just as mesmerizing. Walking alone through Cahal Pech was like being transported back in time. These ruins were once a large hilltop home for an elite Mayan family. Imagine living in such a huge palace! It was so easy to get lost wandering through the corridors and climbing to the tops of the pyramids. In the quiet, I even spotted some rare wildlife: Belize’s national bird, the Keel-Billed Toucan!
San Ignacio borders Guatemala, where the great Mayan capital is located. No ruin-seeking trip would be complete without exploring the capital Tikal! Check out my post on hiking Tikal!
Tubing Through Ancient Mayan Caves
While in San Ignacio, be sure to check out this bonus set of ruins: ancient flooded caves. In order to get to the location, we hiked through dense jungle, listening to the sounds of the wildlife of Belize. After reaching the river, we roped ourselves together, and set off! Our headlamps caught the glittering formations within the cave as we learned about the ancient rituals the Maya people conducted there. The water was cool and refreshing in the Belize heat, and the unexpected ruins were an adventure! These water caves are some of the most unique and best Mayan ruins in Belize simply because of the lack of crowds. Not many people want to trek and swim to get to them!
Obviously, there are more than those few ruins to visit through Belize. Mayan civilization spread throughout southern Mexico, through Guatemala and Belize, all the way to El Salvador and Honduras. The Maya people were one of the first to use a hieroglyphic script, and are also known for their art, architecture, mathematics, and calendars. Getting to see some of the best Mayan ruins first hand was amazing! I strongly encourage all travelers to step out of their comfort zones. Trek into the jungle and away from your resort. Get lost in these ancient cities, listen to the wildlife around you, and be transported back into ancient times.
Have you ever explored an ancient civilization? Comment your story!
If you’d like to tour through Belize and Guatemala, check out EF Ultimate Break‘s guided trip. The company offers a wide variety of other trips throughout the world. To get a $100 discount off of your trip, list my name (Stacia Mintner) as a reference!
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