Another day in San Ignacio, another day exploring Mayan Ruins. Today I visit Xunantunich (pronounced /ʃunantunit͡ʃ/), which is located south of San Ignacio about 12.5km on the Western Highway before you get to the border of Guatemala. Xunantunich is located atop a ridge above the Mopan River, well within sight of the Guatemala border – which is a mere 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) to the west. One of the unique things about this site is that to get to it, you must cross the Mopan River on foot or in your car via a ferry that is hand cranked across the river via cables. Once across the river, it is a 1.2km uphill road, that is not well maintained. Be careful of all the people walking this route.

 

Xunantunich’s name means “Stone Woman” in the Maya language. The core of the city Xunantunich occupies about one square mile (2.6 km²), consisting of a series of six plazas surrounded by more than 26 temples and palaces. The site is much smaller than Tikal in Guatemala but still is impressive. Xunantunich was recently found in the 1890’s.

      

One of Xunantunich’s better-known structures is the pyramid known as “El Castillo”. It is the second tallest structure in Belize, at some 130 feet (40 m) tall. This is the structure that the legend of the “Stone Women”, a ghost of a woman claimed by several people to inhabit the site, is seen ascending the stone stairs and disappearing into a stone wall. She is dressed completely in white and has fire-red glowing eyes.

  

Before you cross the river, you should hire one of the many guides that will be available at the ferry. They are all licensed by the Government and have badges hanging around their necks. The price is negotiable and depends on how many hours you will spend onsite with them. They are well worth the money and will be able to assist you in exploring the site.

Even though this is not a large site compared to Tikal, it is very impressive, and very well maintained by the Belize government. There is a lot more destruction of the structures that make up this site. This is due to the way the early excavation was performed here at Xunantunich in which they used dynamite to expose the various structures, and also due to Earthquake damage. Currently, they are doing lots of restoration work to fix the damaged structures here on the site. I also noticed lots of “blue” tarps over some of the structures, this is to minimize the erosion of the stone due to the elements.

  

The parking area has a very nice gift shop and information center located by it. Inside the information center, you will find lots of great information and  pictures of the various precious artifacts found on the site. This is the first Mayan Ruins that showed a picture description of the “Tree of Life” that plays a key role in the religion and beliefs of the Mayan people. There is a lot to see within the Visitor Center, so plan on spending an hour or so doing this.

The fine stucco or “friezes” can be seen as part of the Temple of “El Castillo”. The frieze depicts the birth of a god associated with the royal family, gods of creation, as well as the tree of life (which extends from the underworld, the earth, and the heavens).

 

The view from on top of El Castillo is spectacular, and should not be missed. It is not easy to ascend this monument and takes some time to do. Once on top, you can oversee the whole complex of Xunantunich and the surrounding countryside.

One thing I noticed at this site is the relatively small amount of people visiting. According to my guide, this is because most visitors decide to go to either Tikal or one of the other many sites nearby, and miss this one completely. I highly recommend that anyone visiting San Ignacio spend the extra day and come to this site.

Next up will be the San Ignacio Farmers Market.