Cahal Pech Mayan Ruins

Cahal Pech Mayan Ruins - The contrast between yesterday and today is remarkable: One can literally stroll between lively, modern San Ignacio Town to an ancient Mayan historic site by walking a mile to the Cahal Pech Mayan ruins. For archaeology buffs, being this close to an active site is an exciting prospect, but your local accommodations won’t be anything like the lodgings archaeologists contend with when they’re at work! Keep reading so you can fully appreciate everything you see once you arrive.
As the oldest-known Maya site in the Belize River Valley, this ruin was built between 1500 and 1000 BC. It’s a spectacular example of Pre-classic period architecture, some of which has survived thousands of years. The name Cahal Pech translates as “Place of Ticks,” referring to tick-infested pastures on which area farmers grazed cattle over time. Archaeologists believe this community was once 10 square miles in size, but the concentration of structures open to visitors is around two miles, so it’s an easy place to navigate. There’s much to see here: 34 structures include a mix of workplaces, homes, temples, palaces, ball courts and stelae, one of which is the oldest in the region.
Why you should visit Cahal Pech Mayan Ruins
You won’t find a Mayan ruin that’s this easy to reach but there’s no shortage of buildings, artifacts and points of interest showcasing a resourceful society with fascinating religious practices. Learn about the most recent occupation: the Classic Period that ran from AD 300 to 800. Once you see everything, you’ll speculate about why a society of between 10,000 and 20,000 people simply disappeared when Cahal Pech was abandoned by AD 850. Since you can explore these mysteries so close to San Ignacio Town, you can dine, shop, enjoy cultural activities, sightsee, hike, swim and just relax.
What is the Best Way to Experience Cahal Pech?
For national monuments (such as Cahal Pech), the Belize Government requires that you be accompanied by a licensed-trained tour guide.  This is not only for your safety, but the governments way of protecting their historical monuments.  
Picture
Jaime Awe - National Institute of Archaeology (NICH)
What is the Best Time of Year to Visit?
Here’s another advantage to visiting a historical site at a fairly high elevation: You can visit any time you like because even during the green season, there’s little danger Cahal Pech will close due to flooding like some other Mayan ruins. Bring a poncho if you visit in May and June; otherwise, your timing decision likely comes down to crowds and cash. High season brings more tourists and higher prices, so if you want to wander Cahal Pech at a leisurely pace–minus crowds—visit when flowers pop and prices drop in spring.
What is the Best Way to Get To Cahal Pech?
If you’re staying in San Ignacio, walk to the site since it’s only about a mile south of town. Follow Buena Vista Street and turn right when you see the sign to locate the visitor’s center. You may wish to hire an independent guide or just set off on your own, with or without the guidebook you may have bought before you left for Belize. Allow time enough to take in the royal burial chamber where an ancient Mayan ruler was laid to rest amid a huge cache of assets including blades, jade, shell and bone ornaments and especially the priceless jade and shell mosaic mask considered Cahal Pech’s most precious artifact.
Where is Cahal Peck Located in Belize?
In the town of San Ignacio, take the road that leads to the San Ignacio Resort Hotel and keep going down that road until you come to a roundabout. Access the left intersection that leads you to a road going uphill. At the top of this you will encounter the Cahal Pech Archaeological Reserve and its visitor center.

Facts About Cahal Pech

  • Cahal Pech is located on an imposing hill that overlooks the twin towns of San Ignacio/Santa Elena.
  • The name of the site means “Place of Ticks” in the Yucatecan Maya language.
  • This name was coined in the 1950’s when the area around the site was used for pasture. 
  • Archaeological investigations indicate that Cahal Pech was first settled sometime around 1200 B.C. and abandoned around 800 -900 A.D.
  • The site is particularly important for the information it has provided on the earliest Maya settlers of western Belize.
  • Early cultural remains, for example, suggest that the site’s first inhabitants were relatively sophisticated.
  • They built large circular plat-forms that were used for ceremonial purposes, they carved many Mesoamerican or Olmec-like symbols on their pottery, im-ported jade and obsidian from Guatemala, modeled many figurines in the form of female individuals, and produced decorative beads that were made from Conch shells brought from the Caribbean coast.
  • Cahal Pech supported a substantial population from the Middle Preclassic to the Late Classic period.
  • It is estimated that during the Late Clas-sic between 10,000–15,000 people lived in the city and its’ immediate periphery.

Related Topics