Xunatunich and Cahal Pech Mayan Sites

Translated from the Maya; ‘Maiden of the rock’ or, ‘Stone Woman’.

Click here to see the Xunantunich virtual tour

Xunantunich is a Classic Period ceremonial centre located eight miles west of San Ignacio. At the village of San Jose Succotz, we cross over the Mopan River using a hand-cranked ferry and following the track through the bush, after ten minutes we reach the visitors centre and the temples. The site was discovered in 1881 by Alfred Maloney, later the site was know as Mount Maloney. In 1894 a British Doctor, Thomas Gann, visited the site. In 1905 Teobart Mahler, an explorer and photographer of the museum of Harvard University, visited the site and took extensive pictures of the site at Xunantunich. In 1924 Thomas Gann returned to the site and started excavation works. The main temple is structure A-6; appropriately named ‘El Castillo’, which reaches 40 metres (130 feet) above plaza level and 180 metres (600 feet) above sea level. El Castillo is the second tallest man-made building Belize and is comprised of three layers in the structure. Archaeologists state that the site at Xunantunich was abandoned sometime between 890 to 900 AD. The cost of the tour is US $55 per person and this includes lunch and the site entrance fee. This tour starts in San Ignacio at 9:00am