Guide to Maya Sites in Belize
Throw a rock in Belize and you’ll probably hit a Maya ruin. Some estimates guess there are 900 sites or ruins that haven’t been excavated. The Maya are known to have inhabited Belize since 2000 BC. They lived in coastal swamps, inhabited cayes, exploited the mountains, traded on rivers, and held ceremonies (sometimes sacrificial) in caves. Think about it, at least one million ancient Maya lived in tiny Belize, the population of Belizeans today is around 300,000. Of course there are tons of artifacts and evidence left by the Maya: pyramids, pottery, bones, graves, jade, and tools used for sacrifice. The Maya probably used smoke and mirrors to communicate with other sites from the tops of their tallest pyramids, miles away from each other. They had a calendar system, a written language, and navigated the stars even more accurately than the Greeks.
At the time of writing there are 13 accessible Maya sites in Belize, some privately owned and some owned by the government and protected as Archeological Reserves. I have been to nine of the 13, plus a few “off the record” sites. Here is my guide:
Now here's a detailed list of the Mayan ruins discovered in Belize so far. I've seen lists before but this one has several that I'd not heard of. Interesting read...
