Xunantunich Maya Site

“Maiden of the Rock/Stone Woman”, is a Classic Maya (200-900 CE) archaeological zone located in the western part of Belize along the border with Guatemala.

Take the hand-cranked ferry over the river to Xunantunich, which sits on the top of a hill overlooking the Mopan River and the Cayo District. The area was a major ceremonial site built on a natural limestone ridge during the Classic Period. It is composed of six  major plazas, with more than 25 Maya temples and palaces.

“El Castillo” (the Castle), the largest pyramid at 130 feet above the plaza, has carved friezes on the east and west sides. The frieze on the east has been preserved and covered with a fiberglass replica of the central mask that represents the sun god. It’s flanked by the moon and Venus.