Xunantunich Mayan Ruins Facts & Figures
How tall, how old, how much, how long, and how far from every base in Belize.
The numbers you need for the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins — how tall, how old, how much, how long, and how far from every base in Belize.
The site
| Name meaning | "Stone Woman" / "Maiden of the Rock" |
| Pronunciation | shoo-nan-too-nich |
| Language of the name | Yucatec / Mopan Maya — modern, not ancient |
| Location | San José Succotz, Cayo District, Belize |
| Setting | Ridge above the Mopan River |
| Peak occupation | Late and Terminal Classic (c. 8th–9th centuries CE) |
| Opened to the public | 1954 — the first Maya site in Belize to be |
El Castillo
| Height | 130 feet / about 40 metres |
| Rank in Belize | Second tallest, after Caana at Caracol |
| Formal designation | Structure A-6 |
| Position | South end of Plaza A-I |
| Upper levels built | Two phases, c. 800 and c. 900 CE |
| Climbable | Yes — roughly 200 steps by one operator's count |
| View | West into Guatemala |
The frieze
| What you see | A replica |
| Where the originals are | Sealed underneath |
| Conserved by | Getty Conservation Institute, 1992–96 |
| Original extent | All four sides of the A-6-2nd roof panel |
| Surviving fragments | East and west |
| East frieze imagery | World Tree, sun god, moon, Venus; Chaac probably central |
Structure A-9 — the 2016 tomb
| Found | 2016, by Jaime Awe's team |
| Significance | Largest royal tomb found in Belize in over a century |
| Occupant | Adult male, 20–30 years old |
| Ceramic vessels | 36 |
| Obsidian blades | 14 |
| Other goods | Jade necklace; deer or jaguar remains |
| Unusual feature | The temple appears built around the burial |
Panels 3 and 4
| Origin | A ceremonial staircase at Caracol |
| Commissioned | 642 CE |
| Deciphered by | Christophe Helmke |
| Subject | The Snake-head dynasty's move from Dzibanche to Calakmul |
| Panel 3 | Death statement for Lady Batz' Ek', died 638 CE |
Other structures
| Structure A-1 | Walls Plaza A-I from A-II; 9th century only |
| Structure A-11 | Palace for the ruling family, on Plaza A-III |
| Structure A-13 | Linear, ~223 ft / 67 m, a dozen-plus chambers; 9th century |
| Plazas | A-I, A-II, A-III |
| Outlying groups | B, C and D |
| Water supply | The Aguada (reservoir) |
| Ball court | None. Two tour listings claim one; NICH's site map shows none |
Visiting
| Site gate | 8:00 am – 5:00 pm daily, holidays included |
| Ferry | c. 7:30 am – 4:00 pm — the real cutoff |
| Ferry type | Hand-cranked, free, 1–2 minutes |
| Ferry to entrance | 1 mile / 1.6 km, uphill |
| Admission, non-resident adult | BZ$25 (about US$12.50) |
| Admission, resident | BZ$10 |
| Previous admission | US$5, raised in 2025 |
| Photo ID | Required since 2025 |
| Guides at the gate | c. US$30 for two people |
| Visitors per guide | Maximum 15 (NICH rule) |
| Time needed | 2–3 hours |
Excavation record
| 1894–95, 1924 | Thomas Gann — removed Altar 1's glyphs in 1924; still missing |
| 1904 | Teobert Maler — first photographs and plan of A-6 |
| 1938 | J. Eric S. Thompson — first regional ceramic chronology |
| 1950 | Linton Satterthwaite |
| 1959–60 | Euan MacKie — Cambridge Expedition; sudden-collapse hypothesis |
| 1991–97 | Leventhal & Ashmore — Xunantunich Archaeological Project |
| 1992–96 | Getty Conservation Institute — frieze conservation |
| 2000–04 | Jaime Awe — six core structures conserved |
| 2015–present | XACP / BVAR, Awe |
Cave tubing — not at Xunantunich
| Where it actually happens | Nohoch Che'en Caves Branch Archaeological Reserve |
| Distance from the ruins | About 90 minutes by road |
| Also branded | "Jaguar Paw", "Caves Branch" |
| Alternative used by some Hopkins tours | St. Herman's Cave, Blue Hole National Park |