Xunantunich Facts and Figures
Hours, prices and access verified by the Xunantunich Tours team — last checked 2026-08-28
One page, one figure per row, each one traceable. Where a number is
disputed or unconfirmed, the row says so rather than picking a side.
The name
| |
|---|
| Modern name | Xunantunich |
| Pronounced | shoo-nan-too-nich |
| Meaning | Stone Woman, or Maiden of the Rock |
| Language | Yucatec and Mopan Maya |
| Age of the name | Nineteenth century, from a ghost story about the site |
| The ancient name | Not known |
Dimensions and layout
| |
|---|
| El Castillo height | 130 feet / 40 metres above the plaza floor |
| Catalogue number | Structure A-6 |
| Rank in Belize | Second-tallest structure, after Caana at Caracol |
| Setting | An artificially levelled limestone ridge above the Mopan River |
| Main plazas | Plaza A-I, Plaza A-II, Plaza A-III |
| Outlying groups | Groups B, C and D, plus an aguada |
| Ball court | Not marked on the reserve's own plan — unconfirmed |
Dates
| |
|---|
| Main building phase | Late and Terminal Classic, 8th–9th centuries CE |
| El Castillo upper levels | Two phases, about 800 and about 900 CE |
| Structures A-1 and A-13 | Ninth century |
| Panels 3 and 4 (origin) | A Caracol staircase commissioned in 642 CE |
| Lady Batz' Ek | Died 638 CE |
| Abandonment | Terminal Classic |
| Opened to the public | 1954 — the first Maya site in Belize to open |
Money
| |
|---|
| Admission, non-resident adult | BZ$25, about US$12.50 |
| Admission, Belize resident | BZ$10 |
| Previous fee | US$5, until 2025 |
| Ferry crossing | Free |
| Guide hired at the site | about US$30 for two people |
| Guided departures | $70 per person and upwards, admission included |
| Photo ID at entry | Required since 2025 |
Access and hours
| |
|---|
| Address | San José Succotz, Cayo District, Belize |
| Coordinates | 17.0899° N, 89.1448° W |
| Gate hours | 8:00am to 5:00pm, every day of the year |
| Ferry hours | About 7:30am to 4:00pm |
| Effective cutoff | 4:00pm |
| Last admission | One hour before closing if you drive up, an hour and a half if you walk |
| From the ferry landing | One mile, 1.6 kilometres, uphill |
| From San Ignacio | 15–20 minutes |
| From Belize City | 2.5–3 hours |
| Guide ratio | One guide to a maximum of fifteen visitors |
| Amenities | Visitor centre, restrooms, picnic area, parking |
The excavation record
| |
|---|
| Thomas Gann (1894–95) | The first excavations. |
| Teobert Maler (1904) | Photographed the site for the Peabody Museum and drew the first plan of El Castillo. |
| J. Eric S. Thompson (1938) | Built the first ceramic chronology for the region, which is what made everything after it datable. |
| Linton Satterthwaite (1950) | Further excavation and recording, including work on the standing structures. |
| Euan MacKie (1959–60) | The Cambridge expedition. |
| Xunantunich Archaeological Project (1991–97) | Richard Leventhal and Wendy Ashmore. |
| Getty Conservation Institute (1992–96) | Conserved the El Castillo friezes and set the replicas that stand in their place. |
| Jaime Awe (2000–04) | Conserved six core structures, which is why the plazas are walkable and the stairs are climbable. |
| XACP and BVAR (2015–present) | Jaime Awe again, with the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance project. |
The 2016 royal tomb
| |
|---|
| Structure | A-9 |
| Found by | Jaime Awe and the BVAR project |
| Significance | Largest burial chamber found in Belize in a century |
| Occupant | Adult male, 20–30 years old |
| Grave goods | 36 ceramic vessels, a jade necklace, 14 obsidian blades |
| Faunal remains | Deer or jaguar |
| Panels 3 and 4 | Cut from a Caracol ceremonial staircase, deciphered by Helmke |
Where these figures come from, and what the excavations actually found, is set out on
the history page and the structures
page. For hours and fees in planning form rather than table form, see
visiting. Xunantunich Tours compares every departure that includes
admission in the fare.