Exploring the Mayan Ruins of Xunantunich
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- San Jose Succotz, Belize
"It's a big and beautiful world. Most of us live and die in the same corner where we were born and never get to see any of it. I don’t want to be most of us."
DETAILS: SPORTS BRA (SIZE S): Academy | NIKE LEGGINGS (SIZE XS): Academy | SUNNIES: Quay | NIKE SNEAKERS: Academy | EARRINGS: Forever 21
You may remember our last trip we all took together was to Puerto Rico and while we spent a lot of time exploring beaches, I really wanted this trip to be a bit more of an adventure. The guys are both a bit more adventurous and outdoorsy than Megan and I so I knew they would love visiting some Mayan ruins but I won’t lie…..we loved it too! Xunantunich was breathtaking and seeing this ancient beautiful place in person was awe inspiring to say the least.
What to wear
First and foremost before you head out to the ruins….you need to know what to wear. Ya’ll I really wanted to wear something cute. Picture Mayan Goddess flowy dress cute but damn, let’s be honest. Belize is scorching hot. Even in October it was 92 degrees and the heat index was 110 degrees. Add in the humidity and let me tell you that cute outfit is not happening. Your best bet is to wear athleisure or some sort of dri-fit fabric. Basically the less you wear the better. I wish I had opted for shorts but I survived in some Nike leggings and a sports bra. Of course I still managed to look cute with some sunnies and classic hoop earrings!
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Why Xunantunich
Since we weren’t planning on any beach time this trip I wanted to do something a little different. I am a huge history lover especially when it comes to ancient cultures and indigenous tribes. The Mayan culture is one that is also very special to me because my Panamanian grandma has nearly half indigenous DNA from Central America! I can’t help but wonder if some of her indigenous ancestors were Mayan. As we are also beginning the month of November when we celebrate Thanksgiving we tend to sugarcoat the past sufferings of indigenous cultures. This happens not only in the United States but all over the world. Because of this, I wanted to visit this place and showcase the beauty and wonder of Mayan people!
The history
Xunantunich in Mayan means “Maiden of the Rock” or “Stone Woman.” It was named this because when archeologists discovered the structure they claimed sightings of a woman wearing a white dress with glowing red eyes. Legend has it she lured them towards the temple and then disappeared into a stone wall and that’s how they discovered Xunantunich. Since then, numerous people have reported sightings to this day of that same ghostly woman. Even a few people working at the site during our trip claimed to have seen her. Sadly, we didn’t see the “Maiden of the Rock” during this visit…even though I was kind of hoping to catch a glimpse!
Scientists and archeologists believe the site was built somewhere between 1000 BC to 250 AD but it wasn’t discovered until the 1890’s. According to our guide during the height of the Mayan empire, the site was a centralized ceremonial location but many people lived there as well. If I remember correctly he said over 100,000 to 200,000 people lived at Xunantunich and it’s surrounding structures!
Getting there
Xunantunich is located on the western side of Belize near San Ignacio near the border between Belize and Guatemala. From out hotel near Belmopan it was about an hour and a half drive. If you are staying near Belize city the drive could take about 3 hours or so. There is no UBER in Belize and the roads are not reliable either. Keep this in mind if you are in a rental car as it can be hard to navigate the area. The best option is chartering a tour to get there. We booked our tour through the hotel’s list of excurions. They use Belize Inland Tours which we absolutely loved and our guide Orlin was awesome!
The ruins are located in the town of San Jose Succotz and from there you take a small car ferry across the Mopan river. The ferry is only about 60 seconds and once on other side your car will take you up the hill to a huge parking lot and visitor center. From there you will have to take a 5 minute hike uphill until you come to a small citadel. This is the entrance to the Xunantunich ruins.
Once you pass the citadel area you walk up another set of steps where you enter a huge courtyard as seen below. This shot was taken from atop the main structure “El Castillo,” looking down into the courtyard. Many of the structures surrounding the courtyard are still not unearthered. They were only recently found with the help of lidar technology!
"El Castillo"
“El Castillo” is the main structure at Xunantunich and the guide told us it was used for religious ceremonies and royals/nobles lived inside of the structure as well. We were able to go into some of the small bedrooms which had tons of bats inside. All of the photos in this post with the carvings are on the top left and right sides of “El Castillo.” We also climbed to the top and being someone that’s scared of heights I was a little uncomfortable as first but it wasn’t so bad once I was at the top!
One thing I loved about visiting this sacred ancient place was learning about the Mayan religion and beliefs. The Mayan culture was know for sacrificing people but they were also a people that had the utmost respect for nature. The descendants of the Mayan people still practice these beliefs today. Every being in the forest whether plant or animal holds a sacred value to the people. They believed and still believe today in the conservation of the forest and water sources, the sun, and the planet in general. No matter what your religion is I think that is something we should all care about.
The carvings and petroglyphs at the top of “El Castillo” are absolutely insane. In all honestly no words or photos can do it justice. You have to see it in person for yourself. It’s crazy to believe that ancient civilizations without the use of modern technology, were able to create such intricate designs and carvings. The sheer size of the massive structures alone are awe inspiring. I’m an avid fan of the show Ancient Aliens and it really makes you wonder if ancient civilizations had help from some other super natural sources. Personally, I think it’s extremely possible. Maybe modern society just doesn’t give them the credit they deserve. What do you think?
The Front Face
The front face of the main structure is one of the best views in the entire complex. You truly get a feel for the height of the ruins. Sadly I didn’t get a still shot of the front face of the ruins but of course I was able to get a quick video! According to witnesses this is one of the many places the “Stone Woman” has been spotted. I won’t lie I did feel a bit like an ancient Mayan Goddess ascending to her throne atop “El Castillo”
Belize's other "blue hole"
On the way back from the ruins we stopped for lunch in town at Benny’s Kitchen, where the food affordable and delicious! Even though we ran way over our tour time our guide Orlin was nice enough to also take us to a cenote as well! This perfect spot is known as Belize’s other “Blue Hole,” but don’t confuse this one with the off-shore Great Blue Hole. This blue hole is a natural cenote in the center of the country at St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park. It’s a five minute walk from the entrance and you will have to pay $10 Belizean dollars ($5 USD) to get in. The water is beautiful and cool and is the perfect place to cool off after a long day in the sun.
According to our guide Orlin, there are also 27 miles of caves here and people scuba dive through the caves from this very spot! If you are traveling to Belize I highly recommend checking out Belize Inland Tours for some fun and adventure! The country has so much more to offer than just beaches and coastline, although I will be planning another trip back to Belize as soon as I can to see that party of the country as well!
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PHOTO CREDIT: Me (Of Course), Ryan Aaron Photography & Mr.Rene2U
Erica
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What an incredible trip!!! You did such a great job planning! It sounds like an amazing adventure and once in a lifetime experience.
OMG thank you so much girl! I couldn’t have done it without Megan’s help either! Now the real question is when are we all gonna plan a girls trip together!?!?!?!?!
When I was in high school and living in Mexico City, we visited several Mayan ruins. Pretty impressive! It would be fun to go on such an adventure now as an adult. Great photos: thanks for sharing!
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Wow how cool you went to high school in Mexico! Yes the ruins were so fun to visit…..but it ‘s makes me want to hop on another plane asap and see more of the world!
What an awesome adventure vacation! I find both the Mayans and Incas so fascinating. I was in Belize City briefly, so I understand exactly what you are saying about the heat and humidity.
Michelle
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Yes I love everything about them! Their history and culture is so intriguing and mysterious!
What an amazing place! I am always in awe of the artwork from times past.
Thanks for sharing your link at ‘My Corner of the World’ this week!
Yes it was awesome! What a beautiful piece of history!