Cahal Pech Maya Temples And Palaces

Overlooking the town of San Ignacio is an ancient Maya City called Cahal Pech, the "Place of Ticks." It was called this name because before the archaeologists arrived to do some serious excavations in the area, it was being used as a pasture for cattle and there were loads of ticks in the area. Walking uphill, it's 20-minutes from downtown San Ignacio, while driving only takes 5 minutes. Cahal Pech sits under a canopy of trees on top of the “Cahal Pech Hill." You will also typically see excavations underway by the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance team, under the license from the National Institute of Culture and History. Cahal Pech is a small city whose history started as far back as 1200 BC. It collapsed by 850 AD, but new finds suggest that people came back to do some infrastructural work on the site afterwards. This little city has produced many Maya figurines and it is also the city where the oldest Stela in Belize was found. It’s a very intimate experience, and you will feel like the people who once lived there while you easily explore the palaces and climb to the tops of the temples - the tallest is 77 feet high.