The Mayan Jungle
The Mayan Jungle
Deep within the lush jungles of Belize and Guatemala are some of the Mayan civilizations most sacred sights. Ancient acropolises reside at the center of lost cities while overgrown ruins and towering pyramids rise from the dense jungle canopy. Sacred caves and their vast chambers entomb sacrificial remains and historic artifacts. Remote towns offer places to taste local cuisine, meet over travelers and reenergize in nature.
Caracol Mayan Ruins
Caracol is an ancient Mayan city within the Belizean jungle. It’s ruins and acropolises are comprised of pyramids, ball courts, astronomic observatories, royal tombs, reservoirs and hieroglyphs.
The Sky Palace. A three tiered pyramid named Caana, which translates to “Sky Palace.” It has remained the tallest built structure in Belize for over 3,000 years! We climbed steep stone steps to its upper level, explored its rooms, crawled into a royal tomb and looked across Belize and into Guatemala from above the jungle canopy.
Astronomical Acropolis. Astronomy was one of the cornerstones of the Mayan Civilization. They built structures to track the solstices, study the stars and connect to their gods. The astronomical acropolis at Caracol is one of the most significant to be discovered. It’s flanked by temples, pyramids and a ball court.
Wildlife Spotting. The remoteness of the archeological park emphasizes the ancient and abandoned nature of the site. As we explored, we heard the billowing grunts of howler monkeys and spotted the reclusive Quetzal, Guatemala’s national bird.
Caracol Tour. We visited Caracol on a small group tour from San Ignacio, traveling about two hours along back roads through dense jungle to reach the ruins. The tout included a local lunch of rice & beans, fried plantains, spiced & stewed tofu and drank rum punch. We booked with Maya Walk Tours through Viator.
Tikal National Park
Once the epicenter of the Mayan civilization, Tikal is the largest Mayan city ever constructed. Formerly home to 150,000 people and more than 2,000 structures, it’s now dramatically reclaimed by nature. Its ruins reveal the achievements, ceremonies and eventual collapse of the ancient Maya. Nature trails link towering temples, buried mounds and ongoing excavations while wildlife such as toucans, parrots, spider monkeys, and foxes roam the surrounding forest. We explored the ancient wonder on a cross border day trip from Belize to Gatemala.
Temple of the Double Headed Serpent. A ceremonial temple and the largest at Tikal. It’s crumbling ruins rise 70 meters from the jungle canopy. Stairs lead to its upper levels with views of the expansive jungle canopy and distant temples protruding from it. We imagined what the city must have looked like from this vantage point during its peak.
Fun Fact. The view from this temple is made famous by s scene in Star Wars when the Millennium Falcon landed on the rebel moon base of Yavin 4.
Temple of the Jaguar Priest. One of the tallest temples at Tikal. It’s upper levels rise from the jungle canopy while it’s base is overgrown with vegetation. The temple is not accessible bt can be viewed through the trees below and from Temple IV.
The Lost World Complex. A large ceremonial complex with multiple temples, pyramids and an astronomical acropolis. It’s largest pyramid has an observation deck overlooking several nearby temples and pyramids across Tikal.
The Talud Tablero Temple. A temple within The Lost World complex featuring architectural influences from the Teotihuacan civilization. Climbable steps lead up its wide base and sloped levels to an exposed room at its top.
Plaza of Seven Temples. A linear astronomical acropolis with seven pyramids and temples designed to track the solstices and study the stars. Many of the structures remain overgrown and only partially exposed.
The North Acropolis. The most well preserved and recognizable acropolis at Tikal. Its central plaza framed by multiple pyramids, residential structures and a ball court. Once home to Mayan royals and the burial site of past rulers, it features tombs and stelae. The complex is largely free to explore, including the opportunity to climb two of its pyramids for sweeping views of neighboring structures and close-up looks at their detailed carvings and hieroglyphs.
Temple of the Great Jaguar. The most picturesque pyramid at Tikal residing at the center of the North Acropolis. It’s ten level stepped sides lead to a throne room at its top. Though non-accessible, the temple can be view from the plaza and Temple II
The Temple of Masks. A large stepped pyramid with a shrine at its upper level featuring eroded carvings of two masks. It offers the best views of the North Acropolis and
Getting Here. We visited Tikal with Belize Family Excursions on a day trip from San Ignacio. Our tour included transportation across the boarder of Belize and Guatemala, free time to explore the ruins and lunch at a local restaurant in Guatemala.
Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave
Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) is one of the most sacred places to the ancient Mayans, considered the entrance to the underworld. The sprawling cave system features an underground river and breathtaking rock formations. The chambers of the cave contain sacrificial human remains and Mayan pottery. The cave is well protected, with only a limited number of visitors permitted to enter per day.
The Entrance of the Underworld
A hike through the jungle and across three shallow rivers leads to the entrance of the cave. A striking blue river flows from the darkness of its mouth. We swam inside with headlamps lighting the way. We squeezed through tight crevices and water filled passages before entering wider chambers and climbing over rocks as the river moved around us. Along the way, we admired clusters of stalactites and stalagmites used as musical instruments, like a xylophone, by the ancient Maya when tapped on. We scrambled up to a cliff to access the cave’s vast second half.
Ceremonial Chambers
At this point, we removed our shoes and continued in our socks out of reverence of what awaited. We stepped into a massive cathedral like chamber with columns of rock, sparkling stalactites and mineral pools. Countless pieces of 1,000 year old pottery lay all around us, many of which remained mostly intact. Carved stalagmites cast shadows said to depict stories of Mayan gods. As we moved deeper, we encountered skeletal remains of sacrificial victims, including skulls and the bones of infants, culminating in the haunting sight of two calcified and exceptionally well preserved skeletons at the chamber’s furthest reach.
Mayan History
The ancient Mayans visited Actun Tunichil Muknal to make sacrifices in hopes the gods would provide water and end an extensive drought. When the rituals failed, the Mayan’s abandoned many parts of Belize and Guatemala leaving behind the ruins of their ancient cities.
Tips for Visiting Actun Tunichil Muknal:
Less than 200 people are allowed in per day. We booked ahead of time with Maya Walk Tours on Viator.
Phones, cameras, food and water bottles are prohibited. Photos provided are courtesy of Maya Walk Tours.
The trailhead to ATM is located over an hour from San Ignacio by car.
Like our tour of Caracol, it included a similar lunch.
You will get wet! Bring an extra pair of clothes and shoes to change into.
Rio Frio Cave
A sacred cave with a massive entrance, chamber and series of rock formations, including one resembling the profile of a monkey. The ancient Maya believed the god of rain, Chacc, resided here, often appearing as a cloud of mist exiting the cave in the early morning. Visits are usually included on excursions to Caracol.
Rio in Pool
Relaxing in Belize’s mountain rivers is a popular local pastime. The Rio in Pools are natural river pools formed in the bedrock of the Rio Frio. Contrary to the name, the pools are not cold but quite tepid. They are surrounded by a pine forest known as the pine ridge mountain.
Western Belize
Even in more remote areas of Western Belize are small towns and cities with thriving local culture, markets, restaurants and festivals.
Cayo District. A jungleous region of Belize on the west side of the country bordering Guatemala. It is home to lush terrain, underground rivers and most notably, Mayan ruins and temples.
San Ignacio. The main city in the Cayo District with a local and backpacker vibes. It’s a hub for eco activities and excursions on both sides of the Belize and Guatemalan boarders.
Burns Avenue. A pedestrian street in the center of San Ignacio with hostels, shops, restaurants, bars and tour operators. We visited in early may during the Cinco de Mayo Festival. The street was decorated with colorful banderas and came to life at night with music, fireworks and vendors selling street food. We ate papusas, tortas, and sambusas while sipping on margaritas and the local beer, Belikin.
Bullet Tree Falls. A remote town 5km from San Ignacio in the middle of the jungle only accessible by dirt road. We stayed here at the Mahogany Hall.
Places to Eat & Drink
Lola’s Restaurant and Bar. An outdoor patio perched on the hill overlooking San Ignacio. The menu was heavily seafood based. We ordered the herbed fish, blackened fish, conch & octopus ceviche as well as a few cocktails.
Ko Ox Han Nah. A popular restaurant for Belizean cuisine made from local ingredients, mostly sourced from the San Ignacio Market. We ordered the whole fried red snapper and garlic rum shrimp with sides of coconut rise.
Booze and Branches. An open air bar circling a large tree with twinkle lights and linen draped pergolas made from branches. They offered classic cocktails like margaritas, mojitos, sangria and rum-ritas.
Guava Limb. A locally recommended restaurant on Burns Ave with a fusion of foods from Belize and South East Asia as well as brick oven pizza. We spent hours here chatting with a new friend, Jacob, who we met during our excursion to Actun Tunichil Muknal.
Coffee de los Mayas. A coffee shop with a walk-up counter located on Burns Ave.
San Ignacio Market. A daily farmers market held near the center of town from 6am to 5pm. Local vendors set up stands selling vegetables, fruits, honey, souvenirs and street food. Come here for breakfast at Magaly’s Fast Food, sorrel (hibiscus juice) & horchata (sweetened rice milk).
Belizean Cuisine
Fry Jacks. Deep-fried pieces of dough served with refried beans and tropical fruit.
Salbutes. Deep fried corn tortillas topped with veggies or meat.
Pupusas. A white corn arepa stuffed with various fillings or toppings. We had the bean and cheese pupusas.
Escapeche. Chicken and onion stewed in a curry sauce. We were offered a vegetarian version made with tofu during lunches on our excursions.
Sorrel. Hibiscus juice.
Marie Sharps. A popular habanero hot sauce seen on nearly every dining table throughout Belize.
Belikin. Belize’s national beer with a Mayan temple on its label.
Where to Stay
We stayed at, Mahogany Hall, an eco hotel along the banks of the Mopan River in the town of Bullet Tree Falls. It was a peaceful location in the middle of the tropical jungle. Our room was accented with mahogany furniture with carvings of jaguars, toucans and tropical plants. The hotel has a restaurant, bar and infinity pool. We enjoyed breakfast here most mornings and a Belikin by the pool during the evenings.
The Mopan River. While here, we joined locals and waded in Mopan River to cool off from the afternoon heat. We lounged on the shallow river bed as the current gently passed by and tropical birds chased each other over head.
Getting Around
Airport Shuttle. We shuttled to and from the airport and our hotel in Bullet Tree Falls with Belize Family Adventure through Viator. Transportation took less than two hours and was a good way to see the countryside.
Excursions. All of our excursions included transportation. We were either picked up from our hotel or at the operator’s office before being shuttled to our destination.
By Taxi. In San Ignacio, taxis were easy to find and would more than often find us. Identifiable by their green license plates with white letters. We took the number of one taxi driver, Apellio, who quickly became our driver while in town.Taxis cost $20-25 Belize Dollars ($10-$12.50 USD) between Bullet Tree Falls and San Ignacio.
On Foot. San Ignacio is a relatively small town and can be easily walked on foot.
Location Specifics
Currency. The Belizean Dollar and US Dollar are used interchangeably across the island. At the time, the exchange rate was 1 USD to 2 BLZ, making conversions and transactions easy.
Cash vs Card. Carry cash for for taxis, snacks and tips.
Language. English is the most commonly spoken language in Belize. Spanish is most commonly spoken in Guatemala.
Drinking Water. Tap water is not safe for consumption due to risk of contamination. Only drink filtered or bottled water.
Elsewhere in Belize & Guatemala
Explore our guide on the Caye Caulker for an island escape in Belize or our guides on Lago Atitlán and Antigua for volcanic landscapes and cultural experiences in Guatemala.
For Next Time…
We fell in love with the jungle, Mayan ruins and culture of Belize and Guatemala. We will certainly be back one day and have plans to visit more locations across both countries.
Altun Ha. A Mayan acropolis with pyramids, temples, ball courts and platforms on the mainland north of Belize City.
Tikal Sunrise Hike. An early morning hike in Tikal to watch the sunrise from the top of the famed pyramids. We saw photos of the colorful sunrise, layers of morning mist and dramatic ruins peak from jungleous canopy below.
Flores, Guatemala. A picturesque island city on Lago Petén Itzá known for it’s colorful architecture and proximity to Mayan ruins.
