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| Xunantunich | ||
| District | Cayo District | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | unknown | |
no value for residents on Wikidata:  | ||
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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Xunantunich is a Mayan ruin and is located in Cayo District in Belize.
background
Xunantunich means stone woman and goes back to a legend that the locals tell. According to this, a beautiful stone Mayan woman statue is said to have been seen in the ruined city several times in the 19th century.
history
The first traces of settlement go back to 600 BC. BC, but this city only became great because of the Mayan city Naranjo in Guatemala also took over the scepter in Xunantunich. Under Naranjo's leadership, Xunantunich reached a population of approximately 10,000. Surprisingly, Xunatunich survived your conqueror. As Naranjo Just as all surrounding cities perished in the course of the so-called Mayan collapse in the Peten, the city of Xunantunich was only just beginning to flourish. The largest buildings were erected in the 8th & 9th centuries AD and then Xunantunich was abandoned around 1000 AD for reasons previously unknown.
getting there
Xunantunich is within sight of the Western Highway between San Ignacio and Benque Viejo del Carmen but can only be reached via a hand-operated ferry across the Mopan River. This runs on request between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. You can get to the landing stage from either city by car, taxi or bus.
Tourist Attractions
In principle there are three temples. From the ticket office it goes directly to group A. About 200 meters behind is group B and 200 meters to the right is group C. While groups B and C are just a collection of smaller structures, you will find group A. several imposing structures:
- In the north, with Plaza A-3, you will find the palace area for the ruling family consisting of 4 structures (A10 to A13)
- In the middle you will find plazas A-1 and A-2, a collection of different structures, of which structure A-1 was only built in the 9th century
- Behind this group there is a ball playground
- In the south one finds the highlight the structure A6 - El Castillo, a 40 meter high temple complex. You can climb this path and from here you have a unique all-round view of the tropical rainforest
There is also a visitor center here that provides information about the history of Xunantunich.
shop
A small kiosk sells souvenirs, drinks and snacks.
kitchen
Inn at Xunantunich is located exactly at the ferry landing point on the Western Highway Tel .: 803 - 2115
accommodation
In general, it is quite possible in San Ignacio and Benque Viejo del Carmen to stay overnight. There is also the possibility to stay overnight directly at Xunantunich:
Inn at Xunantunich is located exactly at the ferry landing point on the Western Highway Tel .: 803 - 2115
Clarissa Falls Resort [1] 2 miles away on Western Highway Tel .: 824-3916
