The Mayan Ruins of Xunantunich & Marimba Lunch
Approximate Duration: 7 Hours 30 Minutes

Travel across the rolling hills of Western Belize to the Mopan River located near the Guatemalan border. A hand-cranked ferry awaits to take you across the river, where you will board a shuttle to the Mayan Ruins of Xunantunich (Maiden of the Rock) Plaza several hundred feet above. Your guide will share his extensive knowledge of the Mayan civilization and the Xunantunich site. From El Castillo, the tallest temple at the site, you’ll have a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside and portions of Guatemala. Afterwards, travel by bus to the San Ignacio Hotel for a Mayan-style buffet lunch accompanied by music from a local Marimba band.

The Mayan Ruins of Altun Ha
Approximate Duration: 3 Hours 30 Minutes

This half-day trip takes you to the Mayan Site of Altun Ha. Three plazas and thirteen structures mark the epicenter of this once ceremonial site of the ancient civilization known as the Mayan of Meso-America. On this one-hour guided tour of the site you will learn of many aspects of the ancient Mayan way of life, their practices and their ceremonies.

Mayan Palaces of Cahal Pech
Approximate Duration: 4 Hours 45 Minutes

The day begins with a journey to the western town of San Ignacio where the Maya site of Cahal Pech is located. You travel by air conditioned motor coach on well-paved roads. Perched proudly on a hill top, Cahal Pech boasts extensive restoration to masks, facades, terraces, stairways and structures. In its heyday, Cahal Pech may have been the primary center of the central Belize River Valley region. Clusters of temples and palaces are arranged around a series of plazas on this 6-acre site. Many of the structures have been identified as elite residences indicating that Cahal Pech served mainly as a royal compound.

Costa Maya - Chacchoben Mayan Ruins
Approximate Duration: 4 Hours

Join your guide on this 4-hour narrated tour and experience the ancient Mayan City of Chacchoben. Largely unexplored until 1999, the Mayan City of Chacchoben dates back from 360 A.D. during which time it played an important role in the distribution of such precious items as wood, jade and exotic birds. After departing from Costa Maya, pass by lush tropical jungles en route to Chacchoben, where you will have the opportunity to explore the ruins and climb the stairs leading to the first plateau.

Kohunlich Mayan Ruins
Approximate Duration: 7 Hours

The Kohunlich Mayan Ruins are situated in a secluded jungle setting near the border of Belize. Spread over a wide area, the ruins encompass a broad scope of architectural styles, from the wide lawns of the public centers and ball courts to high temples with great-sculpted masks of the city’s rulers running up each side of the front stairway. At the city’s highest elevations are the residential dwellings of the social elite – quiet spaces perched above it all, over looking miles of tropical jungle and lush hillsides. The tour begins as you board and air-conditioned bus for a scenic drive to Kohunlich ruins during which time your bilingual guide will give you an overview of the region and what you can expect to see at the ruins. On arrival, your guide will escort you through this breathtaking site complete with detailed Mayan temples and lush green manicured gardens. You will have a chance to see the Temple of the Large Masks, the Plaza of the Acropolis, the Plaza of the Estelas, Plaza Hundida and Plaza Merwin to name a few.

Tulum Mayan Ruins Express
Approximate Duration: 6 Hours 30 Minutes

Majestically perched above the turquoise Caribbean, lie the ruins of the ancient Mayan City of Tulum. After an early breakfast, you'll board a ferry for a trip from Cozumel to Playa del Carmen. During the one-hour bus trip to Tulum, a guide will brief you on the sights you are about to see. At Tulum, an English-speaking guide will take you to visit the ruins, considered to be the most important on the Yucatan Peninsula. The centrally located public, administrative, civic and religious buildings are ringed by a protective wall on three sides and the sea on the other. The site was occupied as far back as 600 A.D. However, it was most densely populated around 1200 A.D. You will be struck by the pyramid-shaped El Castillo, sitting atop a forty-foot cliff, which dominates the city. The nearby Temple of the Descending God, provides an equally excellent insight into the architecture of the Mayan people, who reached considerable heights in the Arts and Sciences, only to decline and vanish for no apparent reason. You will visit these and many others of the more than sixty structures of the ancient fortress. You will then be taken back to the pier for a return ferry trip to Cozumel.

[ 09-25-2004: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by CGT:
Well, I guess if I could only recommend one, I'd recommend Tulum.

---

Thanks. You can recommend several if you wish! She just does not want to do them all.

Xunantunich is a long trip, apparently great views but not much there compared to those above. Tikal is sighted as the place to see in that area.

Chacchoben only has a small part excavated and Kohunlich is not too crowded with lots of stucco mask things.

If she only wants to go to one, then I'd see what else there was to do in each port & take shortest trip in the port where there was nothing or little else of interest.

If truly interest in Maya Civilisation Tikal or CI, neither of which she has listed.

Tulum is unique because it is an entire city, and on the coast to boot. Mayan cities were rarely built right on the coast. The natural setting of Tulum is just beautiful. Right on the blue sea.

At Chacchoben, you get to see pryamids and climb a small one, and much of the ruins are in the jungle. I enjoyed it. To me it felt very "Indiana Jones". I haven't done the others, but they are supposed to be good too, and i'd like to visit them. I'd like to visit them all actually as i enjoy visting ancient ruins.

[ 09-25-2004: Message edited by: CGT ]

Tulum is unique because it is an entire city, and on the coast to boot. Mayan cities were rarely built right on the coast. The natural setting of Tulum is just beautiful. Right on the blue sea.

Quite interesting people and history, also some spectacular ruins over Mexico/Belize/Guatamala.

Tulum seems nice, but those other ones in the Belizean Jungle seem more romantic.

There is a whole fascinating history behind them, with three periods, and four different building styles. Difficult to choose, it seems.

The Maya "valent le voyage" it seems, and a long one too !!