Cahal Pech Mayan Ruins “Place of Ticks”

The Cahal Pech Maya site and Visitor Center are located in the Cayo District on a hill overlooking the beautiful town of San Ignacio.

Its closeness to town and the vast contrast from town life to the rich jungle environment make Cahal Pech a unique place to visit.

The site center is made up of 34 structures located around several courtyards, including temple pyramids and residential buildings.

The tallest structure here is 23.5 meters (77 feet) high. There are also 2 ballcourts, 8 stelae, and 1 altar.

Preliminary investigations carried out in 1988 revealed that Cahal Pech was settled by 1200 B.C. and abandoned around A.D. 850. This makes Cahal Pech one of the earliest Maya sites in the Belize region of the Maya lowlands, contemporaneous with Cuello in the north.

A carved monument discovered at Cahal Pech is also the earliest carved stelae yet found in the eastern Maya lowlands.