Which Mayan Ruins to Tour?

[CruiseKate]

I will be on the Conquest in early January 2013, my first cruise, and would welcome your input as to which Mayan ruins are the most interesting. If you were going to choose one excursion to visit Mayan ruins would you choose Altun Ha (Belize), Xunantunich (Belize), or Tulum (Cozumel)? Thanks! CruiseKate

[wranglerguy]

I heard all are good. Keep in mind in Cozumel the ruins are on the main land so you will be far from the ship. So if I was you I would book it through carnival

 

 

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[ShellLoves2cruise]

I heard all are good. Keep in mind in Cozumel the ruins are on the main land so you will be far from the ship. So if I was you I would book it through carnival

 

 

 

 

On our trip the beginning of November, we chose to go see the Ruins that are on the island of Cozumel San Gervasio (I think I spelled it correctly) because we didn't want to spend all of our time in port traveling to the Ruins and only have a short time there. The SG excursion is approx. 4-5 hours and includes some time at a private resort beach afterward. We completely enjoyed the tour of the Ruins and time at the beach where we ate some very good authentic Mexican cuisine right on the private beach. I decided on this tour by reading all the reviews over on Carnival's Forum. The Ruins there are smaller but the tour is very informative plus your guide will tell you some history about Cozumel while you travel to the Ruins and you still have time to shop afterward.

[CorvetteLady]

I will be on the Conquest in early January 2013, my first cruise, and would welcome your input as to which Mayan ruins are the most interesting. If you were going to choose one excursion to visit Mayan ruins would you choose Altun Ha (Belize), Xunantunich (Belize), or Tulum (Cozumel)? Thanks! CruiseKate

 

I have not been to Xunantunich so can't help you on that one. Been to Altun Ha twice and they are nice ruins, we did it with a boat ride on the river and that is a nice tour.

 

Tulum is probably my favorite, it is about a 7 hr. trip, also suggest you take the Carnival tour. There are so many structures, it is on a cliff overlooking the ocean, it is just beautiful.

[mavvie]

The only ruins mentioned that I have visited are those in Tulum. As previously mentioned it is a long excursion which involves a fairly rough ferry and lengthy bus ride. However, the ruins are beautiful. There are many structures to view along with a few local iguanas. You also have a couple of hours to use the beach at the base of the ruins if you so choose. It is one of the nicest beaches I have visited and the view of the ruins from below is amazing. Just my two cents,

[bunny1954]

I will be on the Conquest in early January 2013, my first cruise, and would welcome your input as to which Mayan ruins are the most interesting. If you were going to choose one excursion to visit Mayan ruins would you choose Altun Ha (Belize), Xunantunich (Belize), or Tulum (Cozumel)? Thanks! CruiseKate

 

We did the ruins to Xunantunich thru Carnival. Loved it. You really need to do this on a Carnival excursion. It's an all day trip. Bus trip thru the countryside and had a lot of time to spend at the ruins. Large compound to explore. Stopped for lunch on the way back. Good food and included in the price of the excursion. As long as you do it thru Carnival, you will get back to the ship. We were on the last tender back to the ship.

[Laurie S.]

Tulum, no question about it.

[tef43]

Of the OP's three choices, I would select Tulum.

 

My preference however would be Chichen Itza or Xel Ha if the opportunity ever presented itself.

[MrSchwump]

Tulum is very cool but would be an all day proposition from Cozumel. There's the ferry to and from the mainland and an hour or less bus down and back to Tulum. It is a spectacular setting with lots of good photo ops.

I found San Gervasio underwhelming.

[billie5]

Laurie,

I am afraid your response is not very useful.

 

Have you been to all three ruins mentioned by OP?

 

If so, how would you compare them? Obviously Tulum is on a cliff overlooking the ocean and the others have a jungle setting. But what leads you to rate Tulum over the others? Altun Ha, for example, has the best classic Mayan pyramid of the three (though nothing to compare to Chichen Itza). Tulum and Xunantunich don't have pyramids, although they do have large structures.

[craigster46]

I found this a while back and is the best answer I have seen , so good I saved it to notepad for my own future reference I cant imagine a better answe it was posted by a user named pdmlynek on here I dont have the original link but all credit to him for this great research tool :)

Originally Posted by pdmlynek

This question about which ruins to see in Belize comes up frequently, thus it might be appropriate to settle this question. I have been studying Maya archeology, history, and culture off and on for about 20 years (just as an enthusiast, not as a professional) and have travelled to various Mayan sites many times, including the three sites in Belize to which the cruise lines sent their passengers. We have visited these three sites in November 2011. Several notes:

 

(1) The Ancient Maya have lived throughout the entire area of what is now Belize, and one can find archeological evidence everywhere. There are hundreds of sites of various archeological quality and significance throughout the whole country. Of these hundreds of sites, there are about 5 major sites in Belize: Altun Ha, Lamanai, Xunantunich, Caracol, and Lubaantun.

 

(2) When it comes to picking Ancient Maya sites for Belize, the cruise lines did an excellent jobs in selecting the appropriate ones. All three sites (i.e., Altun Ha, Lamanai, and Xunantunich) that the cruise ships picked are major sites for Belize. There are dozens of smaller sites that are just as close or closer to the ship, that the cruise lines have correctly ignored. This can’t be said for site selections in, for example, Cozumel, where the cruise lines offer excursions to even some third rate archeological sites, from which cruise passengers invariably come back disappointed.

 

(3) All three sites that cruise ship excursions visit in Belize have been partially excavated, and pyramids have been consolidated (i.e., rebuilt by archeologists). You and your kids are able to climb pyramids and other structures on all three sites. A few portions of pyramids are off limits, but generally there are no official restrictions on climbing on structures. This is not like Chichen Itza where climbing is forbidden, or Tulum, where everything is roped off and people are herded on crushed gravel walkways. Whether the excursion guides will allow you to do so (for liability reasons) is another question.

 

(4) The sizes of the three sites are comparable. All have multiple pyramids to climb. None of them are huge (like Chichen Itza or Copan or Tikal), and within a few hours you will see pretty much the whole site. It is also not so small like so many of the sites in Puuc Hills. I have no idea how long the excursion last, but guidebooks that specialize in visiting Mayan sites, and which I have found to have good estimates, recommend spending 1.5 hrs in Altun Ha, 2 hrs in Xunantunich, and 3 hrs in Lamanai.

 

(5) If you are looking to take photos of your family members or friends each standing on a different distant pyramid, then go to Altun Ha or Xunantunich. Specifically, if you are looking to put your friends on different pyramids across a wide field of view, then Altun Ha is best; if you are looking to put your friends on different structures in a row, then Xunantunich is best.

 

(6) If you are looking for an overgrowth of a jungle, then Lamanai is the best. The pyramids in Altun Ha and Xunantunich are around plazas of lawn. On the other hand walking between structures in Lamanai the paths generally wind through a jungle (except for one open plaza, P2). The nice thing about walking in a jungle is that you are walking in a shade. If you are visiting from a cruise ship, you will be visiting the site during the hottest part of the day, thus walking in a shade does make a big difference.

 

(7) If you are looking to climb a tall pyramid, go to Xunantunich or Lamanai. El Castillo (structure A-6) in Xunantunich measures 127 feet. El Castillo (structure N10-43) in Lamanai measures 108 feet. Though the Lamanai’s El Castillo is a little bit shorter than the one in Xunantunich, it appears higher from the ground, because you have to climb is straight up holding onto a chain as you climb. El Castillo in Xunantunich is easier to climb for people who are afraid of heights. However, because of the vast grassy plaza in front of El Castillo in Xunantunich, when you are at the top, it does appear that you are significantly higher than from El Castillo in Lamanai which is most surrounded by treetops. (The tallest pyramid in Altun Ha is Temple of the Masonry Altars with 59 feet).

 

(8) If you want to include in your excursion a visit to unconsolidated and overgrown structures where tourists generally do not wander, where your kids can feel like Indiana Jones, and where you can see how the structures looked like before archeologists consolidated them, then go to Xunantunich or Lamanai. In Xunantunich there is a path leading westward from the southern edge of the ball court for about 500 feet to about 7 structure of “middle class residences” called “Group B”. In Lamanai there is a path heading further north from the Mask Temple looping around a huge unexcavated, unconsolidated “Structure P9-25” (it is about 90x110 meters, reaching heights of 28 meters, making the most massive structure in Lamanai). Note that P9-25 is not on most tour books (except for Lonely Planet) and not on maps posted on the bulletin boards at the entrance to the site. It will take more time to go off to hike to P9-25 in Lamanai, then to hike to Group B in Xunantunich.

 

(9) If you are looking for the best way of getting to the site, go to Lamanai. All or a portion of the trip to Lamanai is on a speedboat on a river. This is generally the preferred way of getting to Lamanai. You’ll see monkeys getting into the boat, and you’ll see crocodiles, etc.

 

(10) If you are looking for the closest site to Belize City, go to Altun Ha. However, about half of the road from Belize City to the turn off to Altun Ha is on an old potholed road.

 

(11) The road from Belize City to Xunantunich, is fast, goes through a picturesque country, but it is a long drive. You are essentially going across the whole country, almost into Guatemala.

 

(12) If you want to visit a site on your own, and want to rent a car to get there, then go to Altun Ha. This is the easiest of the three to drive to and see.

 

(13) If you want to rent a car to visit Xunantunich on your own, the drive is long (130 km or so) but the road is in a relatively good condition. The trickiest part is getting though Santa Elana/San Ignacio; you should study maps of this twin town to save yourself the time.

 

(14) If you want to rent a car to visit Lamanai, then you need to be early enough to make it to the bridge across the New River from underneath which speed boats take off for Lamanai. There is usually someone hanging around the bridge who could take you to Lamanai for a reasonable fee if you miss the boat. It is also possible to drive all the way to Lamanai, going across the bridge crossing the New River, and then turning south on a packed gravel, unmarked, road through Mennonite farming communities. Note that both ITM maps (250K Belize and 500K Yucatan) differ from each other and from reality, thus you should rely on Google Earth. If you get lost, try out your German language skills.

 

(15) At the entrance to any of these sites will be locals who you can hire to be your guide.

 

(16) If you want to visit Caracol, which is a little bit more impressive Mayan site than Altun Ha, Xunantunich, or Lamanai, then it will be very difficult to do it on a daytrip from a cruise ship. To get there, you’ll need to drive on Western Highway almost to Xunantunich, then head off south into jungle covered mountains for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours on a deeply rutted jungle tracks (4WD drive is preferred, but we did it during dry season in a front wheel drive car), and then you will need to report by 9:15 to the military outpost in Douglas da Silva, from which you will join a convoy of cars protected by military escorts for about another hour to reach Caracol. At 14:00 you will head back, and reverse to process.

 

 

In summary, I don’t think that you can go wrong with either Lamanai, or Xunantunich, or Altun Ha; all have plusses and minuses, all are very good sites, but none is a world-class site. I hope that this has helped.

 

This question about which ruins to see in Belize comes up frequently, thus it might be appropriate to settle this question. I have been studying Maya archeology, history, and culture off and on for about 20 years (just as an enthusiast, not as a professional) and have travelled to various Mayan sites many times, including the three sites in Belize to which the cruise lines sent their passengers. We have visited these three sites in November 2011. Several notes:

 

(1) The Ancient Maya have lived throughout the entire area of what is now Belize, and one can find archeological evidence everywhere. There are hundreds of sites of various archeological quality and significance throughout the whole country. Of these hundreds of sites, there are about 5 major sites in Belize: Altun Ha, Lamanai, Xunantunich, Caracol, and Lubaantun.

 

(2) When it comes to picking Ancient Maya sites for Belize, the cruise lines did an excellent jobs in selecting the appropriate ones. All three sites (i.e., Altun Ha, Lamanai, and Xunantunich) that the cruise ships picked are major sites for Belize. There are dozens of smaller sites that are just as close or closer to the ship, that the cruise lines have correctly ignored. This can’t be said for site selections in, for example, Cozumel, where the cruise lines offer excursions to even some third rate archeological sites, from which cruise passengers invariably come back disappointed.

 

(3) All three sites that cruise ship excursions visit in Belize have been partially excavated, and pyramids have been consolidated (i.e., rebuilt by archeologists). You and your kids are able to climb pyramids and other structures on all three sites. A few portions of pyramids are off limits, but generally there are no official restrictions on climbing on structures. This is not like Chichen Itza where climbing is forbidden, or Tulum, where everything is roped off and people are herded on crushed gravel walkways. Whether the excursion guides will allow you to do so (for liability reasons) is another question.

 

(4) The sizes of the three sites are comparable. All have multiple pyramids to climb. None of them are huge (like Chichen Itza or Copan or Tikal), and within a few hours you will see pretty much the whole site. It is also not so small like so many of the sites in Puuc Hills. I have no idea how long the excursion last, but guidebooks that specialize in visiting Mayan sites, and which I have found to have good estimates, recommend spending 1.5 hrs in Altun Ha, 2 hrs in Xunantunich, and 3 hrs in Lamanai.

 

(5) If you are looking to take photos of your family members or friends each standing on a different distant pyramid, then go to Altun Ha or Xunantunich. Specifically, if you are looking to put your friends on different pyramids across a wide field of view, then Altun Ha is best; if you are looking to put your friends on different structures in a row, then Xunantunich is best.

 

(6) If you are looking for an overgrowth of a jungle, then Lamanai is the best. The pyramids in Altun Ha and Xunantunich are around plazas of lawn. On the other hand walking between structures in Lamanai the paths generally wind through a jungle (except for one open plaza, P2). The nice thing about walking in a jungle is that you are walking in a shade. If you are visiting from a cruise ship, you will be visiting the site during the hottest part of the day, thus walking in a shade does make a big difference.

 

(7) If you are looking to climb a tall pyramid, go to Xunantunich or Lamanai. El Castillo (structure A-6) in Xunantunich measures 127 feet. El Castillo (structure N10-43) in Lamanai measures 108 feet. Though the Lamanai’s El Castillo is a little bit shorter than the one in Xunantunich, it appears higher from the ground, because you have to climb is straight up holding onto a chain as you climb. El Castillo in Xunantunich is easier to climb for people who are afraid of heights. However, because of the vast grassy plaza in front of El Castillo in Xunantunich, when you are at the top, it does appear that you are significantly higher than from El Castillo in Lamanai which is most surrounded by treetops. (The tallest pyramid in Altun Ha is Temple of the Masonry Altars with 59 feet).

 

(8) If you want to include in your excursion a visit to unconsolidated and overgrown structures where tourists generally do not wander, where your kids can feel like Indiana Jones, and where you can see how the structures looked like before archeologists consolidated them, then go to Xunantunich or Lamanai. In Xunantunich there is a path leading westward from the southern edge of the ball court for about 500 feet to about 7 structure of “middle class residences” called “Group B”. In Lamanai there is a path heading further north from the Mask Temple looping around a huge unexcavated, unconsolidated “Structure P9-25” (it is about 90x110 meters, reaching heights of 28 meters, making the most massive structure in Lamanai). Note that P9-25 is not on most tour books (except for Lonely Planet) and not on maps posted on the bulletin boards at the entrance to the site. It will take more time to go off to hike to P9-25 in Lamanai, then to hike to Group B in Xunantunich.

 

(9) If you are looking for the best way of getting to the site, go to Lamanai. All or a portion of the trip to Lamanai is on a speedboat on a river. This is generally the preferred way of getting to Lamanai. You’ll see monkeys getting into the boat, and you’ll see crocodiles, etc.

 

(10) If you are looking for the closest site to Belize City, go to Altun Ha. However, about half of the road from Belize City to the turn off to Altun Ha is on an old potholed road.

 

(11) The road from Belize City to Xunantunich, is fast, goes through a picturesque country, but it is a long drive. You are essentially going across the whole country, almost into Guatemala.

 

(12) If you want to visit a site on your own, and want to rent a car to get there, then go to Altun Ha. This is the easiest of the three to drive to and see.

 

(13) If you want to rent a car to visit Xunantunich on your own, the drive is long (130 km or so) but the road is in a relatively good condition. The trickiest part is getting though Santa Elana/San Ignacio; you should study maps of this twin town to save yourself the time.

 

(14) If you want to rent a car to visit Lamanai, then you need to be early enough to make it to the bridge across the New River from underneath which speed boats take off for Lamanai. There is usually someone hanging around the bridge who could take you to Lamanai for a reasonable fee if you miss the boat. It is also possible to drive all the way to Lamanai, going across the bridge crossing the New River, and then turning south on a packed gravel, unmarked, road through Mennonite farming communities. Note that both ITM maps (250K Belize and 500K Yucatan) differ from each other and from reality, thus you should rely on Google Earth. If you get lost, try out your German language skills.

 

(15) At the entrance to any of these sites will be locals who you can hire to be your guide.

 

(16) If you want to visit Caracol, which is a little bit more impressive Mayan site than Altun Ha, Xunantunich, or Lamanai, then it will be very difficult to do it on a daytrip from a cruise ship. To get there, you’ll need to drive on Western Highway almost to Xunantunich, then head off south into jungle covered mountains for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours on a deeply rutted jungle tracks (4WD drive is preferred, but we did it during dry season in a front wheel drive car), and then you will need to report by 9:15 to the military outpost in Douglas da Silva, from which you will join a convoy of cars protected by military escorts for about another hour to reach Caracol. At 14:00 you will head back, and reverse to process.

 

 

In summary, I don’t think that you can go wrong with either Lamanai, or Xunantunich, or Altun Ha; all have plusses and minuses, all are very good sites, but none is a world-class site. I hope that this has helped.

[CruiseKate]

to my inquiry. I very much appreciate it. I will keep checking back, but I now feel that I am in a much better position to make a decision. CruiseKate :)

[americanrascal]

Having visited Xunantunech 3x and Altun Ha once, your overview was excellant. The only two things I found were that we loved the trip to Xunantunech as we got to see a lot of country which has always awed us. The view from the top of El Castillo is breathtaking and we keep going back for more.

 

Altun Ha was a close second for us. It was a bit warmer down on the coast along the road and it was combined with a River Wallace tour that made it a bit of a long day. You are right about that road !!! I'm still bouncing from it!!

[Jeffy294]

Thank you for providing this info. I plan on going to Xunantunich in January and I was doing a little research.

[otowncruisr]

Thank you for providing this info. I plan on going to Xunantunich in January and I was doing a little research.

 

I've been to both Xunantunich and Altun Ha, and although you'd probably be happy with either, Xunantunich is definately more impressive. I believe the main structure at X is about twice as high as Altun Ha. However, if it makes a difference to you, the structures at Altun Ha were a bit easier to climb because they were smaller and less steep (don't take this to mean Altun Ha is not high or steep, because it is too :))

 

I have not been to Tulum, so I can't compare that.

[crews4fun]

I have not been to Xunantunich so can't help you on that one. Been to Altun Ha twice and they are nice ruins, we did it with a boat ride on the river and that is a nice tour.

 

Tulum is probably my favorite, it is about a 7 hr. trip, also suggest you take the Carnival tour. There are so many structures, it is on a cliff overlooking the ocean, it is just beautiful.

 

If you want to really get up close and personal with ruins, skip tulum. Our tour included a lot of political propaganda not local cultural or history.

[Jen1000]

I did both Tulum and Xunantunich on my last cruise. Xunantunich is by far better. At Tulum you cannot get close to much and there are always people around. The views are nice and it is an interesting place though. The beach below is beautiful. But for ruins Xunantunich are larger in size and more jungle around. It is probably more along the lines of what you think about when you think of Mayan ruines. When our Carnival group was there, very few other people were there for some time. Another Carnival tour arrived while we were there but they were in a different part of the ruin so it never seemed crowded. I have been to Chichen Itza back when you could climb and that is of course the best, but Xunantunich because the area is so beautiful and it is very remote.

 

If you want to really get up close and personal with ruins, skip tulum. Our tour included a lot of political propaganda not local cultural or history.

[CityGirlLost]

We were pretty sold on Tulum but I think you've changed our minds!

[caregiver]

Brilliant research pdmlynek / Craigster46. Thank you for posting. Looking forward to Princess's Lamanai tour.

[TourDeCruise]

Thank you for the valuable information provided here. It helped us decide to go to Xunantunich last month during our Celebrity Equinox cruise and to go to Altun Ha next year.

 

Dh and I have been to Lamanai (2003), Tulum (2x for me, 2003 & 1976), and Xunantunich (2 wks ago) but have not been to Altun Ha and Coba (45km from Tulum), which we plan to visit next year. We have been to some others too such as Chacchoben near Costa Maya and a few in the Mexican Riviera (Olmec, Aztec (?), not Mayan in Mexican Riviera). And in 1976, I went to Chichen Itza, Uzmal, Tulum, Xel-ha, Kabah, Labna, Sayil, and Xlapak. There were no roads for last 4 in 1970s, so we went into forest by an extremely rough land rover ride literally having to duck branches and over rocks and tree roots; only 28 people per day could get in back then and only when the weather (no rain) permitted.

 

If going to both Cozumel and Belize, why not treat yourself to both Tulum from Cozumel and then Xunantunich, Lamanai, or Altun HA in Belize? It's not like if you've seen one Mayan ruin, you've seen them all. The settings and terrain; site layouts; mode of transportation; scenery in route; adventure; and the architecture, composition, history, purpose and type of structures and sites themselves all vary. Each offers an experience not offered by the others.

 

Tulum is lovely perched on cliffs above the beautiful Caribbean-sea setting. It is easily accessible via a tour from Cozumel, but the site is more crowded and has a more touristy and less adventurous feel than Lamanai and Xunantunich. In 1970s, we could climb the structures, but they no longer permit this.

 

To get to Xunantunich ("stone woman") last month, our excursion took us around 2 hours via bus plus a hand-cranked ferry near the site. The in-route scenery was interesting, and the bus trip will take you close to the Guatemala border providing a good cross section of Belize in route. We had a pleasant but hurried sit-down lunch in route to the site. The largest of the elaborate temples "El Castillo" has stairs on the front side (no rail or rope). From the top of the temple, you can see Guatemala and of course the other structures and mounds scattered about the site. When facing El Castillo, there is a set of stairs on the right side of the temple that has a rail and wider steps going part of the way up (trickier after that point). On a tour, you'll come down those side stairs versus the front steps. You'll notice the front steps are very narrow and steep, and from the top, much steeper looking down than up, typical of Mayan temples. If you have bad knees or hips and don't feel you can take the front steps, you might want to consider the side steps if you feel you can handle them and at least go up the one level. Caution - remember though that coming down is more difficult than going up for most people especially those with knee problems! In addition to some other excavated structures, you'll see large grassy mounds of unexcavated temples, for which excavation is scheduled to begin next year on at least one mound. Look for iguana and cousins at the site and near the hand-cranked ferry, but don't miss the ferry like I almost did when I was absorbed photographing iguana! The site is not as crowded with tourists like Tulum.

 

Lamanai ("submerged crocodile") remains one of our favorite Caribbean excursions. Lamanai had the best variety on our Celebrity shore excursion as it included the boat ride to see wildlife including crocodiles, birds, monkeys, and a Mennonite farming area; a delicious Mayan lunch on site; and the rainforest with ruins. What a view when approaching the rain forest via boat and then rising from the rainforest treetops, you see the tops of temples. It sets the tone for your remaining time at the ruins. I recall hearing the haunting sounds of howler (?) monkeys at the site, and some passengers on our tour saw them. Again, the site as not as crowded with tourists as in Tulum.

 

Although all are certainly worth visiting, of the three sites, my dh and I would rate the Lamanai excursion highest, Xunantanich second, and Tulum third, mainly because of the remoteness, "adventure," and the more authenic feel and ability to climb the Mayan ruins at the Lamanai (we haven't been there since 2003 - can you still climb?) and Xunantanich sites. We have not been to Altun Ha, so we can't put that one into the mix. With two different port opportunties, you can still visit both Tulum from Cozumel and one of the Maya sites from Belize. Coba and Altun Ha are on tap for us on next year's Celebrity Equinox cruise.

 

Kathy