Belize
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Stepped Maya temple with a central staircase and grass at its base.

Belize · San Ignacio

NICH Maya sites

Xunantunich, Cahal Pech and El Pilar, with tickets in NICH’s shop; all three with unconfirmed status.

3 places3 unconfirmed, flagged

  1. 1

    CultureStatus unconfirmed

    Xunantunich

    Near San José Succotz, Cayo District, according to NICH. The pin is the archaeological site in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.27.4 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

    Entry
    non-resident adult BZ$25
    Hours
    Daily 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
    Booking
    Not stated

    A Maya site dominated by the 130-ft El Castillo pyramid, with carvings and ceremonial architecture; the visit includes crossing the Mopan River on a hand-cranked ferry, according to NICH, which runs the site.

    Status not confirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop, undated, and no dated confirmation of visits was read. Check before you go.

    Source: NICH – Xunantunich, entradas y horario (tienda oficial; consultada oct. 2026) · 2026 · +2

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Non-residents: BZ$25 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$10, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
    Hours
    Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour starts one hour before closing for visitors arriving by vehicle and an hour and a half before for those on foot, according to NICH.

    Tip: On arrival at the ferry, all passengers must get out of the vehicle; inside, NICH asks for footwear for rough ground, to stay on marked trails and not to jump on the monuments, and each guide takes at most 15 visitors.

    Nearby: Cahal Pech (9.5 km)

    Sources: NICH – Xunantunich, entradas y horario (tienda oficial; consultada oct. 2026) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita (consultada oct. 2026) · Thoroughly Travel – Xunantunich (blog; 8 sep. 2026)

  2. 2

    CultureStatus unconfirmed

    Cahal Pech

    Above San Ignacio, about a 10-minute walk from the centre, according to NICH. The pin is the «Cahal Pech Archaeological Reserve» archaeological site in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.18.8 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

    Entry
    non-resident adult BZ$20
    Hours
    Sources disagree
    Booking
    Not stated

    A Maya site above San Ignacio, in the jungle, with a series of connected structures that show how Maya architecture evolved over centuries; its name means «place of ticks», according to NICH.

    Status not confirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop, undated, and no dated confirmation of visits was read. Check before you go.

    Source: NICH – Cahal Pech, entradas y horario (tienda oficial; consultada oct. 2026) · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Non-residents: BZ$20 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$10, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
    Hours
    Every day, including Sundays and public holidays: 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from April to October and 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from October to April (the page names October in both periods); the last tour starts one hour before closing, according to NICH.

    Tip: NICH asks for footwear for rough ground, to stay on marked trails, to use the handrails and not to jump on the monuments; each guide takes at most 15 visitors.

    Nearby: Xunantunich (9.5 km) · Green Hills Butterfly Ranch (11.9 km) · El Pilar (14.2 km)

    Sources: NICH – Cahal Pech, entradas y horario (tienda oficial; consultada oct. 2026) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita (consultada oct. 2026)

  3. 3

    CultureStatus unconfirmed

    El Pilar

    About 12 miles north-west of San Ignacio, straddling the Belize–Guatemala border, according to NICH. The pin is the locality named «El Pilar» in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.27.4 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

    Entry
    non-resident adult BZ$15
    Hours
    Daily 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
    Booking
    Not stated

    A sprawling Maya city with more than 25 plazas, most of whose structures remain unexposed for conservation, and a forest garden showing traditional Maya farming, according to NICH.

    Status not confirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop, undated, and no dated confirmation of visits was read. Check before you go.

    Source: NICH – El Pilar, entradas y horario (tienda oficial; consultada oct. 2026) · 2026 · +1

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Non-residents: BZ$15 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$5, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
    Hours
    Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour starts one hour before closing, according to NICH.

    Tip: The site is on the border with Guatemala: read this guide’s safety notes on border areas first. Each guide takes at most 15 visitors, according to NICH.

    Nearby: Cahal Pech (14.2 km)

    Sources: NICH – El Pilar, entradas y horario (tienda oficial; consultada oct. 2026) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita (consultada oct. 2026)

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