Xunantunich

The name, according to one interpretation, means "Maiden of the Rock" in the Yucatec dialect. It is pronounced "zshoo-NAN-too-NEECH." It was the first site in Belize to be opened to the public, when the road and a ferry were built in 1954.

What you will see today is a Classic period (300-900 AD) ceremonial center, with large plazas ringed with pyramids. The tallest is the 130 foot "El Castillo," which is large by Mayan standards and is only exceeded by the Caana pyramid at Caracol. The site was occupied until around 900 A.D. and was likely abandoned after an earthquake, the evidence of which was discovered by archaeologists in the mid-1900's.