6-Hour Caracol Maya Tour from Belize City with El Caana

The journey

Trip highlights

• 01 Climb El Caana, the tallest ancient structure in Belize at 140 feet
• 02 See one of the largest Maya cities in the Maya world, hidden in the rainforest for over 1,000 years
• 03 Learn how Caracol's advanced reservoirs sustained a major city on the Vaca Plateau
• 04 Discover hieroglyphic inscriptions that record Caracol's rulers and conflicts with Tikal
• 05 Explore ancient causeways and tombs that reveal Maya engineering and social life

Explore Caracol, the most magnificent Maya site in Belize and one of the largest in the Maya world, set in the highlands south of San Ignacio on the Vaca Plateau. Lost in the rainforest for over 1,000 years until its discovery in 1937, the site remains less extensively restored than other Maya centres, adding to its sense of discovery. Named "Caracol," or "Snail" in Spanish, after the many snail shells found there, it is also one of the few Maya sites whose original name is known: "Three Hill Water."

Explore Caracol, the most magnificent Maya site in Belize and one of the largest in the Maya world, set in the highlands south of San Ignacio on the Vaca Plateau.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 6 Hours

Tour type Private

Activity level Moderate

Accommodation Not included

Transport Included

Wheelchair access No

Languages English, Spanish

Day by day

The itinerary

1

Day 01

Caracol and Mountain Pine Ridge Exploration

• Depart from Belize City and head due west into the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve Area, approximately 2 hours away. Along the way, your guide will interpret the area and share Belize's history.
• Once in Mountain Pine Ridge, your guide will continue interpreting the tour as you travel to the Caracol checkpoint area for check-in, and then proceed to the Caracol site.
• Upon arrival at the reserve, enjoy a restroom break. Afterward, the group will gather to begin the walk through the reserve, taking in the local flora and fauna and climbing the structure in situ.
• After touring the site, continue to the visitor centre area for your packed lunch and a visit to the museum.
• Shortly thereafter, depart from the reserve at approximately 1:30 pm for your connection back to your hotel.

The route

Where you'll travel

The fine print

Trip details

What's Included

• Licensed tour guide
• A/C vehicle
• Local lunch included
• Water and sodas
• Entrance fees
• Guided tour on site

What's Not Included

• Sunscreen
• Insect repellent

What to bring

• Insect repellent
• Light clothing
• Water
• Good hiking boots
• Cash/credit card
• Medication, if necessary

Know before you go

• Habitation began approximately 600 BC and continued until 900 AD, or even as late as 1150 AD, according to some sources. At its height, Caracol is thought to have been home to 150,000 people, with over 30,000 structures - a far greater density than at Tikal. It covered an area much larger than present-day Belize City (the largest metropolitan area in the country of Belize) and supported more than twice the modern city's population. Water to the ancient city was supplied by man-made reservoirs, as there was no reliable river access. One of the reservoirs is used by on-site archaeologists and other personnel to this day. There are seven ancient causeways, or roads, leading to the site. The tallest structure in Belize - ancient or modern - is Caracol's El Caana ("Sky Place") at a height of 140 feet. Over 100 tombs have been found at Caracol.
• Caracol contains many hieroglyphic inscriptions, enabling scholars to piece together a virtually complete dynastic record of Caracol's rulers from 599 AD to 859 AD. Especially significant are descriptions of ongoing conflicts with neighbouring Tikal. So far, only 10% of greater Caracol's area has been mapped. What continues to puzzle archaeologists is why the Maya built such a large city on a plateau with no permanent water source and how they managed to maintain it for so long.

Logistics

Meeting & route

Meeting point

Belize

Tour start

Belize City, Belize

Tour ends at the same location as the start point.