This excursion takes approximately 2 - 3 hours to complete.

The ancient Maya have fascinated scholars and the general public for centuries. Images of jungle covered ruins and lost cities have fired our imaginations in film and print. Belize offers a unique view of this little known yet much studied civilization because it is home to a wide variety of sites spanning the life of the Mayan culture.

This tour will follow the chronology of the ancient Mayan culture and civilization in Belize. It is by no means comprehensive. At last count, the Belize Department of Archaeology had identified over 600 sites within the borders of Belize. It is still possible to explore deep within the forests and caves of Belize and come upon ruins, artifacts and even burial sites. This Mayan Ruin tour can be completed in about 25 to 45 minutes, though we hope you will linger longer and enjoy the wealth and mystery of the Mayan Civilization which lie hidden within the country of Belize.

Altun Ha means "stone water" in Mayan and takes its name from the ancient Maya reservoir, or aguada, that Belizeans call "rock stone pond." Altun Ha was an important Classic Period site situated to take advantage of the trading that occurred between the waters of the Caribbean and the deep interior of the Mayan Civilization.

Within the central portion of the site there are more than 275 structures. The entire city covered some 5 square kilometers and contain around 250 to 300 unexcavated mounds. Though the exact size of the site is still unknown, population estimates for Altun Ha at its peak are 8,000 to 10,000 inhabitants.

By 250 A.D, work had begun on what was to be the central plaza of the site for the next six centuries. All the major temples are actually not single buildings, but several built on top of each other. Apparently, the Maya seem to believe that temples had a finite life span. They could be used for a certain purpose for a fixed amount of time, then had to be modified to fit a new purpose. But in all cases, the basic form was the same: a solid pyramid atop which a chambered building or altar was placed.

The evolution of the temples at Altun Ha continued until near the end of the 9th century. Evidence suggests that the final collapse at Altun Ha may have been brought about by some sort of peasant revolt. The archaeological evidence also points with reasonable certainty that military invasion, famine and pestilence played no significant role in the downfall of Altun Ha.

Seven tombs were found and excavated within the main temple at Altun Ha. Of all the tombs discovered, the most striking was the last one discovered - and the earliest built. This tomb, built deep within the huge stair block of the main temple dated from 600 A.D.. An elderly priest lay buried here accompanied by bits and pieces of cloth, cordage, wooden objects and a number of jade objects. Include among the jade was the largest jade artifact ever recovered in all of Mayandom. Kinich Ahau is a giant head of the Sun God, standing 6 inches in diameter and weighing in at 10 pounds.