Exploring Belize's Ancient Mayan Ruin - Caracol
Why you should visit Caracol!
One of Belize’s best ancient Maya temples, Caracol is deep in the heart of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve of the Maya Mountains in the Cayo District. Covering an area of nearly 25,000 acres, this site is impressive not only for its size, but also for its immense agricultural field system and elaborate city planning. Caracol is one of the most pristine and well-kept Maya sites in Belize. If you want to see an amazing piece of history, head to Caracol.
Next Read: Click here to read for Jungle planning and Belize planning tips!
Other Mayan Ruins
Mayan Ruins: Scattered through Belize, there are several important Mayan Ruins. We considered the following:
Xunantunich (Near Placencia): This beautiful Mayan ruin was a major ceremonial center and has several plazas and a large selection of classic period structures. The site also has El Castillo, the second tallest structure in Belize (after the temple at Caracol), at some 130 feet (40 m) tall. Those who are adventurous enough to climb to the top will be rewarded with panoramic views of Belize and Guatemala.
Tikal (near San Ignacio): Tikal is an ancient Mayan ceremonial center located just across the border in Peten, Guatemala, 19 miles north of Lake Peten Itza and the quaint town of Flores. After crossing the border, you will drive another 1.5 hours before arriving at Tikal National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along the way we will pass small villages, beautiful lakeside scenery and rolling hills with rainforests and agriculture farms. Sadly, COVID prevented us from seeing these amazing ruins.
Recommended Companies
Although we only had one choice in which company, I researched a few other ways to get to Caracol.
Maya Walk: With pickups in San Ignacio, Maya Walk offered good deals to either Caracol or Tikal. We were likely going to book through them!
Self-Guided: If one has a SUV that has 4x4 AWD, then you could potentially go by yourself. However, you would miss out on the hidden history because Caracol is a Mayan ruin, which means it is mostly stones and earth. The history lesson is very important and makes the experience! If you do go by yourself, you have to drive within the appropriate times as the Army drives at 9am to Caracol and 2pm back to the nearby base. You have to drive and visit in this window for safety as there are smugglers since it is close to the Guatemala border and in case you have any car trouble in the middle of the jungle!
UnChartered Tip: Regardless of your choice, beware, it's a LONG drive regardless of tour company. Ensure your company has a comfortable ride! From San Ignacio, the drive is three (3) hours one way with a bumpy road similar to the Jurassic Park ride at Disney World.
Rio Frio Caves
On the way to Caracol are the famous, cool Rio Frio Caves. Located next to an abandoned settlement where our guide grew up, the caves are both a natural and archeological landmark. From a very small creek comes this extraordinarily large cave made from limestone. Not only were we able to cool off from the already hot Belizean summer, we learned a few fun facts about the Mayans!
Because the Mayan culture believed that caves represented the underworld, there is evidence of ancient rituals and sculptures hidden throughout the cave. Outside the main entrance, there is still a sculpture warning people of this unholy ground. While we did not see it right away, I cannot un-see it now!
Can you see it?
My finger is on his leg!
Visiting Ancient Caracol
Because I am not a historian and do not want to peddle incorrect facts, I will leave you with this great History Channel link and show the amazing pictures instead! And a few fun facts...
Caracol is an ancient civilization from 1800 to 900 AD, peaking from 250-900.
The Mayans in Caracol (and Belize) suddenly vanished with the most credible theory being a massive drought hit the empire for 200 years
Caracol is considered the Washington DC for the 200k square km empire
Surprisingly, only 2% is uncovered and rebuilt, over 40,000 structures estimated buried in the jungle
Structures are always set up in a square and facing west and east.
El Barrio
Unlike the poor areas in Latin America that the barrios are known for now, the barrio use to be where the rich and famous lived and slept. Entire, very large famlies occupied these narrow and tiny rooms. Compared to my very average height of 5' 11'', most Mayans were only 4' 7'' so perhaps it was possible! In this tiny area, people believe over 40,000 people lived so I cannot fathom how large this tiny section of Caracol actually was in real life.
El Palace
For the jewel of Caracol, the highest structure served as the main palace, market, and spiritual temple. Simply, it was jaw dropping. While it may have been rebuilt, the structure clearly stands out in the jungle. At 137 feet in the air, when we stood on top, we could even see Guatemala! We particularly enjoyed the many, many stairs to reach the top. In reality, the massive stairs were more for ceremonies and rituals than for every day life. Because Mayans were short, these stairs were so tall meaning they often had to crawl to the top. Except for the king because he obviously was carried by pallbearers to the top!
On the outside of one of the palaces lies one of the coolest archeological finds in Caracol dating to the 700s. The sculpture depicts three gods from two religions - the Mayan and Aztecs. On top, we have the Aztez god of rain "defeating" the middle face of the Mayan god of night, the jaguar. The jaguar had already "beat" the Mayan god of rain during the 200 year drought. This is primarily why people believe drought killed great Mayan Empire since most of their cities were far from natural water sources that could sustain a city.
Oldest Ruins in Old Ruins
Surprisingly, there are even older ruins in this archleogical playground! In Mayan culture and history, they prize astrology and agriculture. They could tell the seasons by where the sun was in relation to three structures. Time was recorded through holes in the wall. While we could not tell the time from these structures, we could easily see how they could see the change in seasons!
Rio Frio Pools
After losing ten pounds and sweating through your clothes, the perfect pitstop on the way back to civilization is the Rio Frio Pools! Embracing our inner child, we swam in the river with natural slides made from rock formations. While the water was a little chilly, the air temperature was miserable so we loved it! We spent almost an hour splashing in the water and taking bruises while going down the "slides."
The UnChartered Summary
Because of the important and rich Mayan culture in Belize, you have to see at least one ancient site. Each will be a little different and will widen your knowledge of this ancient civilization. Here are some helpful tips!
Beware, the drive to Caracol is LONG - even starting out from Gaia! Ensure your car is comfortable for the 3 hour one way ride AND can handle a rough dirt road that could get messy in or after rains.
Regardless if you're going on a self guided or on a tour, get there as early as possible to beat the jungle heat. Climbing 100+ stairs is not fun in the afternoon sun.
Lastly, our Gaia tour included one of the best and healthiest lunches I had all year! We had a fresh garden salad from their actual garden with tasty grilled chicken and freshly pressed fruit juice. Much better than a cheap sandwich!
