Which one to choose in San Ignacio
Two ancient sites in San Ignacio. Cahal Pech has no online ticket listed; Xunantunich has 6 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
San Ignacio, Belize
Cahal Pech is a Maya hilltop palace complex on the edge of San Ignacio in western Belize, with 34 structures arranged around plazas and a central acropolis. People lived here from about 1200 BC, making it one of the oldest known Maya settlements in the Belize valley. It is a short walk from town, compact and rarely crowded.
San Ignacio, Belize
Xunantunich is a Maya ceremonial centre on a ridge above the Mopan River in western Belize, a kilometre from the Guatemalan border. You reach it by a hand-cranked ferry, and its main pyramid, El Castillo, about 40 metres high, carries a carved stucco frieze and gives views deep into Guatemala.
| Cahal Pech | Xunantunich | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Ancient City | Ancient City |
| Civilisation | Maya | Maya |
| Founded | 1200 BC | — |
| Height | — | 40 m |
| Visitors | 27 870 a year (2019) | 100 939 a year (2019) |
| Entry | Small NICH entry fee, paid at the visitor centre | Small fee in BZD at the visitor centre; ferry free |
| Hours | Daytime opening, roughly 8 am to 5 pm; confirm locally | Daytime, usually from about 8 am to mid-afternoon; the ferry runs in the same hours |
| Time needed | 1 to 2 hours | 2 to 3 hours |
| Booking | No booking; pay at the visitor centre | Pay at the gate; book ahead only for a tour from the coast or Belize City |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | none listed | 6 |