Guide to Visiting Xunantunich: What to Expect at the Maya Ruins Near San Ignacio, Belize
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Planning to visit the ancient Maya ruins of Xunantunich in Belize, but feeling overwhelmed by logistics like transportation, weather considerations, and whether or not you’ll need a guide to explore this archaeological site?
After spending a few days in Ambergris Caye, my cousin and I headed west to San Ignacio. As we were staying on the outskirts of the city, we wound up very close to the Xunantunich Maya ruins.
It’s one of the top things to do in San Ignacio, and even if you aren’t staying within a short distance of this archaeological project, it’s still well worth a visit!
Having explored Xunantunich during poor weather conditions with my cousin—experiencing the hand-cranked ferry crossing, climbing the 130-foot El Castillo temple, and learning about the recent discovery of one of the largest royal Maya tombs ever found from our knowledgeable guide—I can provide practical insights into what this “Maiden of the Rock” archaeological site actually offers.
I’ll be completely honest—I was initially nervous about visiting Xunantunich because I’m terrified of heights (I literally clung to the Eiffel Tower during my Paris visit), yet somehow I keep choosing to explore towering Maya temples!
But discovering that El Castillo has handrails for the steep sections, watching tourists help crank the adorable hand-operated ferry across the Mopan River, and learning about Lady Batzek’s magnificent tomb that challenged everything historians thought they knew about Maya women transformed this potentially scary experience into absolute fascination.
From mastering the pronunciation to understanding why they cover the original friezes with protective replicas, I’m sharing every practical detail and honest moment so you can confidently explore Belize‘s second-tallest structure.
Is Xunantunich Worth Visiting?
Yes! Xunantunich is well worth a visit, especially to climb El Castillo and get an incredible view of the jungles of Belize from such a fantastic vantage point.
You’ll also learn a lot about the Maya people and culture of this region.
How to Pronounce Xunantunich
First, let’s start with how to pronounce Xunantunich, as that was one of my first concerns!
While there, our guide Marlon told us it’s pronounced shoo-nan-too-nitch.
Shoo like shoe. Nan like naan, the bread. The last two are pretty easy, too and nitch.
What are the Xunantunich Maya Ruins?
Xunantunich is an ancient Maya archaeological site located atop a ridge above the Mopan River.
From where we were staying, you could actually see the top of Xunantunich; however, I had no idea a river looped around it until we got much closer.
Being west of San Ignacio, it’s well within sight of the Guatemala border, only 0.6 miles (1 km) to the west.
It served as a Maya civic ceremonial center for the Belize Valley region in the Late and Terminal Classic periods (c.700-900AD). At its peak, nearly 200,000 people lived in the Belize Valley.
When was Xunantunich Built?
Xunantunich may have been occupied as early as 1000 BC, but it was little more than a village back then. What you can see today began to be built in the 7th century AD.
El Castillo (“the castle” in Spanish), the main attraction here and the second tallest structure in Belize (after the temple at Caracol) at 130 feet (40 m), began to be built around 800 AD.
What is the Meaning of Xunantunich?
Xunantunich’s name means “Maiden of the Rock” in the Maya languages of Mopan and Yucatec. By combining “Xunaan” (noble lady) and “Tuunich” (stone for sculpture), you get Xunantunich.
The “Stone Woman” refers to the ghost of a woman claimed by several to have appeared at the site since 1892. She is said to be dressed completely in white with fire-red glowing eyes. She generally appears in front of El Castillo, ascends the stone stairs, and disappears into a stone wall.
I do not recall this explanation from the tour I took, but I found it prevalent online. It’s completely possible that I misremember, but I recall it having something to do with what the mounds (before the temples were uncovered) looked like.
Like many names given to Maya archaeological sites, “Xunantunich” is a modern name; the ancient name is unfortunately unknown.
The Ideal Time to Explore Xunantunich
While the dry season (November to April) is ideal for visiting, occasional rain showers can occur, so having a lightweight rain jacket or poncho could be useful.
Xunantunich is open to visitors daily, typically from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
However, it’s always a good idea to check for any changes in hours due to holidays, special events, or weather (this last one especially).
How to Visit These Maya Ruins
Depending on where you’re coming from will dictate the best route to get to Xunantunich.
I was coming from just down the road from the Maya ruins, but you can easily access this archaeological site on a day trip from Belize City, Ambergris Caye, and Flores, Guatemala.
How to Get to Xunantunich from Belize City
If you are traveling from Belize City, there are many tours you can take that will transport you to the west part of Belize, where Xunantunich is located. They’ll also set you up with a guide to the Maya ruins.
When I traveled from Ambergris Caye to San Ignacio, I saw several tour operators at the water taxi station in Belize City. They also offer trips to Xunantunich, which you can book once you arrive.
How to Get to Xunantunich from Ambergris Caye
Speaking of Ambergris Caye, if you’re starting there, you can also find tour operators that’ll transport you from the island to Xunantunich and organize a day at the Maya ruins for you.
Some of these tours even include cave tubing!
How to Get to Xunantunich from San Ignacio
If you happen to be staying in San Ignacio, as my cousin and I were, it’s really easy to get to Xunantunich. It’s just a 20-minute car ride from the city.
You can either call or hail a taxi to get there.
Alternatively, you can book a guided tour as we did so that the transport and guide were already included.
We also booked the add-on of caving tubing, which I was excited about!
However, due to the weather, we couldn’t do the cave tubing.
Luckily, GetYourGuide is so wonderful about quick changes and refunds that the minute I contacted them about this, I had a refund within a day.
Aside from this, I highly recommend the tour we took. We had a lovely time, and our guide was very knowledgeable.
How to Get to Xunantunich from Flores
If you happen to be coming in from Guatemala, which is just minutes away, there are shuttles and taxis that’ll take you across the border to Xunantunich.
I met many people crossing the border from San Ignacio on their way to Tikal, another Maya site, so I hear the crossing is pretty easy. Just remember to bring your passport as you are coming/going to another country.
Getting to the Xunantunich Archaeological Project
No matter how you arrive at Xunantunich, you’ll inevitably have to cross the Mopan River.
A note: sometimes, Xunantunich will close because of this river.
It was actually kind of touch and go whether we were even going to be able to visit because the rains raised the water level.
If I recall correctly, they closed Xunantunich the day after we visited due to the water levels.
But if you’re lucky, you’ll cross the Mopan River on the Succotz hand-cranked ferry. And yes, it is really hand-cranked.
There is a man on the ferry that will crank it. If you ask nicely, I even saw tourists cranking it along.
This ferry holds four cars max. 2 when we went due to the weather. So, if it’s a busy day, you may be delayed a bit just waiting for your turn on the ferry.
How Much Does it Cost to Enter Xunantunich?
If you are not going on a tour, it will cost approximately $5 USD or 10 Belize dollars per person. However, I highly recommend a tour, as it includes the price of admission, a guide, and the ferry.
I’ve seen conflicting advice about whether the ferry has a cost, but if there is a cost, it seems to be around BZ $2-3.
However, as I have also seen the taxi costs from these sites reported to be far lower than I paid, I’m hesitant to believe them, so I’d estimate higher if you plan to visit on your own.
Should You Do the Cave Tubing Add On?
As I mentioned, many tours will pair these Maya ruins with cave tubing.
We couldn’t do the cave tubing due to the aforementioned weather.
After speaking to someone I was on the Caracol Maya Ruins & Waterfall Tour with who also experienced the ATM cave, cave tubing sounds more like a family-fun activity.
They said cave tubing was a bit of a snooze after the thrill of the ATM cave.
So, if you’re looking for something more relaxing than that exciting adventure, I’d recommend doing cave tubing. Or if you’re with children or are unable to go to the ATM cave due to physical limitations.
What to Expect on a Tour of Xunantunich
We were originally scheduled to be picked up from our hotel around 6-6:30 am.
However, due to the rain, I messaged the tour operator, Belize Caving Expeditions, at 4:40 a.m. to see if the tour was still on.
They immediately informed me that the cave tubing was closed due to the weather and offered me the option of doing Xunantunich only, rescheduling, or taking an alternative tour instead.
As we’d already had to shuffle our schedule around due to the ATM cave being closed, we didn’t really have time to reschedule and didn’t want to do an alternative tour, so we proceeded with just the Maya ruins.
We then discussed how we’d get a partial refund for the cave tubing, and the pickup was changed to 9 a.m. I also reconfirmed our lunch, as my cousin is vegetarian.
Driving to the Archaeological Site
Because our hotel was SO close, it didn’t take long to get to the site at all. The hotel owner actually told us people take horses from their farm over to them when the weather is good.
Also, likely due to the weather, we didn’t have to wait very long for the ferry.
In a world of modern bridges and essentially autopilot ferries, it was kind of cool to see the hand-cranked ferry!
Because the water level was high only two cars were allowed on at a time.
We were also told that when the weather is bad, as it had been just weeks before our visit, sometimes they have to pull the whole contraption up so that it doesn’t get washed away.
They’ll ask you to exit the vehicle before the car you’re in can cross, with the exception of the driver, who can stay inside. We took this as a short break to look around and spot some wildlife, such as iguanas.
Once we were across the river, we hopped back in and took a short drive up to the parking lot.
After parking, we hopped out, and our guide took care of the admission for our group.
There were about 6 of us, if I recall correctly, so it was not a huge group, which I appreciated.
Touring the Ruins
We walked up a small hill to the site where our guide, Marlon, began the official tour.
As the second tallest structure in Belize, El Castillo is the main attraction. Its fine stucco or “friezes” make it notable.
However, what you see here is not the original friezes. To preserve them from further damage, a plaster mold duplicate has been placed over the original so that visitors can appreciate the work but they can also preserve the history.
I actually really loved this. Many of these Maya ruins were preserved partly because they were under loads of vegetation and dirt for hundreds of years. But uncovering them exposes them to the elements and, of course, vandals, so doing things like this allows everyone to appreciate them without damaging any of the original sites.
The frieze depicts many things, such as the birth of a god associated with the royal family, the gods of creation, and the tree of life (which extends from the underworld, the earth, and the heavens).
The northern and southern friezes of El Castillo have unfortunately eroded.
Climbing El Castillo
After Marlon regaled us with some of the site’s history, we were allowed to climb El Castillo.
Honestly, I’m kind of a scaredy cat when it comes to climbing things—see my Eiffel Tower experience, where I clung to the tower itself—which seems crazy since I chose to visit Maya sites. But alas, it is what it is.
However, climbing El Castillo wasn’t as bad as some other sites I’ve been to. They have installed a handrail for most of the steep climbing, which made it far more manageable.
It’s on the back side of El Castillo, so you can’t see it in photos from the front, which is a nice bonus because they don’t ruin the nice view.
To climb El Castillo, we headed up a short way in front and then went to the left of it, where you can see the frieze and take some excellent photos in front of it.
From there, you shift to the back, where you ascend the rest of the temple.
Note, you cannot go to the VERY top.
Some lunatic climbed on top of one of the five, I believe, merely decorative portions of the temple, and our guide told them (nicely) to get off.
Everyone else was cool and stayed where you’re supposed to be, as there were signs not to climb on top of them.
It’s honestly a narrow, damaged section, so to our guide’s point, all they need is one dumb tourist to fall, and it ruins the fun for everyone. Fewer and fewer Maya sites are allowing climbing for this very reason: the fear of someone getting hurt.
Notes aside, there is a wonderful 360-degree view from the top of El Castillo!
Unfortunately, the day we went, it was a bit cloudy, and the skies didn’t start to clear until we were making our way down, but it was still worth the climb!
Exploring the Rest of the Site
On the climb down, there is a separate stairway, which is nice so that you don’t have to be a salmon swimming upstream.
We were even able to enter a room at the back of the temple and saw some bats inside.
Once down, we crossed a ball court to get to Plaza A3, which I believe was used as a royal home.
If I recall correctly, Marlon told us one of the rulers lived there but then moved to El Castillo once his power faltered. El Castillo, being the much larger of the two, was a power move to make the ruler seem more God-like and important.
Another cool thing was that because of the design of the site, voices really carry. So if you’re the ruler on top of the large temple speaking to the people of your city, then you’re heard really well from the top of El Castillo.
Discovering One the Largest Royal Maya Tombs Ever Found
One of the things I wish the tour had spent some more time on was the large tomb found back in 2016.
On the tour, it was kind of mentioned in passing as we moved from El Castillo to Plaza A3.
In 2016, an archeological expedition was digging through the floor of a temple when they discovered a large royal Maya tomb.
Inside were a noble’s remains accompanied by an animal’s bones, later revealed to be a jaguar, as well as several obsidian weapons and other objects.
There were also a series of tablets inscribed with hieroglyphics that spoke of the Snake Dynasty that once ruled the region, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tikal.
“There is a date carved in. It is second of December 638 AD and it commemorates the death of a woman and her name is Lady Batzek. She was the wife of the ruler of Caracol at the particular point in time, Lord Kantu.”
When I was on the tour of Xunantunich and on the tour Caracol, this tomb was mentioned both times. And there seemed to be some contention of who this woman really was.
Some said she was a sort of governor, others a royal from another part of the Maya region who’d likely come as some diplomatic exchange.
Whatever the truth, women are hardly mentioned in history, so I was rapt! And this woman was clearly venerated by the size and contents of her tomb.
Wrapping Up the Tour
Marlon encouraged us to climb Plaza A3, so we did and took some photos.
After that, the site tour was complete, and we headed back down the hill.
Marlon then went to the van to get our lunch and set up a picnic just outside the admission office, where some tables were set up.
We all really enjoyed the lunch!
Afterward, we hopped back in the van, took the ferry across the River, and were supposed to be dropped back off at our hotel.
Instead, we asked if they could take us into town as our whole day tour, had we been able to do the cave tubing, had been cut in half, so we decided to check out other things to do in San Ignacio.
How Long Does it Take to Visit Xunantunich?
A visit to Xunantunich typically takes around two to four hours, depending on how thoroughly you wish to explore the site.
This timeframe allows for a comprehensive tour of the main structures.
On this tour, we arrived around 9:30 am and departed around 12:30 pm.
What to Pack for a Trip to These Maya Ruins
- Comfortable shoes – With all the walking on uneven stones and ground, it is essential!
- Comfortable clothes – Again, with all the walking and climbing, you’ll want to make sure you’re comfortable and able to move around easily. I highly recommend breathable clothing as it can be hot and humid.
- Sunglasses – Bring a pair of shades as it can get sunny.
- Hat – A hat is a good idea, especially if the sun does decide to peek out!
- Biodegradable sunscreen – I bought biodegradable because Belize asks that visitors wear biodegradable sunscreen to help protect it’s coral reef. As I was coming from Ambergris Caye, it just made sense to use this.
- Reusable water bottle – Belize is pretty good about providing water jugs for people to refill with, so it’s good to carry around a reusable water bottle with you. However, if you forget, the tour usually provides water bottles as well.
- Bug spray/bug repellent – The bug spray I brought with me did little to nothing, but the bracelets that I’ve linked here seemed to help somewhat!
Final Thoughts on Visiting Xunantunich
I highly recommend a trip to Xunantunich for those visiting Belize, especially if you’ll be in San Ignacio since it is SO close!
It’s not too large, so it’s not overwhelming for visitors. The site is mostly flat except for the mild walk up the hill to the site and the climb up El Castillo.
🎟️ Tickets: We really enjoyed the tour of Xunantunich we went on with Belize Caving Expeditions!
Related San Ignacio Travel Guides
- The ATM Cave Tour: My Thrilling (and Terrifying) Experience
- How to Get from Belize City to San Ignacio on a Budget
- 18 Things to Do in San Ignacio Belize for an Amazing Trip
- Is San Ignacio Worth Visiting? 11 Reasons to Love This Town
- How to Visit Xunantunich, the Maya Ruins of San Ignacio, Belize
- How to Visit the Caracol Ruins in Belize Without a Car
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