Which one to choose in San Ignacio
Two ancient sites in San Ignacio. El Pilar 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
El Pilar is the largest Maya city in the Belize River area, a forested ruin straddling the border with Guatemala 12 km north of San Ignacio. Over 25 plazas and hundreds of buildings cover about 49 hectares, most deliberately left under the tree canopy. Only a few hundred people visit each year, so you often have the jungle trails to yourself.
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.
| El Pilar | Xunantunich | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Ancient City | Ancient City |
| Civilisation | Maya | Maya |
| Founded | 800 BC | — |
| Area | 49 ha | — |
| Height | — | 40 m |
| Visitors | — | 100 939 a year (2019) |
| Entry | A small fee in BZD paid to the rangers | Small fee in BZD at the visitor centre; ferry free |
| Hours | Daytime, roughly 8 am to 4 pm while rangers are on duty; confirm in San Ignacio | Daytime, usually from about 8 am to mid-afternoon; the ferry runs in the same hours |
| Time needed | 2 to 3 hours | 2 to 3 hours |
| Booking | No booking; arrange a taxi or guide in San Ignacio | Pay at the gate; book ahead only for a tour from the coast or Belize City |
| Tickets and tours on GetYourGuide | none listed | 6 |