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55 miles (98 km) south of San Ignacio

Caracol (Spanish for “snail”) is the most spectacular Mayan site in Belize, as well as one of the most impressive in Central America. It was once home to as many as 200,000 people (almost two-thirds the population of modern-day Belize).

Getting Here and Around

Caracol is about 55 miles (92 km) from San Ignacio, and about 35–40 miles (57–66 km) from the major lodges in the Mountain Pine Ridge. Because roads are mostly unpaved and often in poor condition, cars or tour vans take 1½ to 2 hours from the Pine Ridge lodges and about 2½ to 3 hours from San Ignacio, sometimes longer after heavy rains.

Advance permission to visit Caracol is no longer required. Although only about a 10-mile (17-km) section of the road to Caracol from San Ignacio is paved, once into the Mountain Pine Ridge the road is generally in good shape, except after heavy rains. The Belize government has plans to eventually pave the entire road to Caracol.

Safety and Precautions

Occasional holdups of tourists by armed gangs believed to be from Guatemala occurred here over the past several years. For caution’s sake, trips to Caracol are now in a group convoy, protected by Belize Defence Forces troops. The meet-up point is Augustine De Silva village, a few miles into the Pine Ridge. As off-putting as that may seem, Caracol is well worth seeing. The robbery incidents have occurred only rarely, and not a single one has taken place with the Belize Defence Forces on hand. The tour operators to Caracol know the ropes, and will work to make sure your trip to Caracol is rewarding and safe.

Timing

You can’t overnight at Caracol, except occasionally on very expensive overnight tours by local hotels such as Ka’ana Boutique Resort in San Ignacio, so you have to visit on a day trip. You can see the excavated area of Caracol in a few hours.

Tours

Most visitors to Caracol come as part of a tour group from San Ignacio, or from one of the lodges in the Mountain Pine Ridge. Full-day tours from San Ignacio, which often include a picnic lunch and stops at Río Frio Cave, Río On, and other sights in the Mountain Pine Ridge, cost from about BZ$140 to BZ$220 per person, including the BZ$20 admission fee to Caracol, depending on what is included and the number of people going. Tours from independent operators generally cost less than those from lodges. Lodges in the Mountain Pine Ridge charge around BZ$200–BZ$250 per person for tours to Caracol, including tax.

Because of its remote location, Caracol gets only about 12,000 visitors a year. That’s about one-tenth the number who visit Altun Ha, one-fifth the number who visit Xunantunich, and a smaller fraction of the number who see Tikal. Thus, you’re in exclusive company, and on some slow days you may be one of only a handful of people at the site. Excavations by a team from the University of Central Florida usually are carried out in the winter, typically January through March.

Exploring

Fodor’s Choice | Caracol.
Caracol was a metropolis with five plazas and 32 large structures covering almost a square mile. In AD 650, the urban area of Caracol had a radius of approximately 6 miles (10 km) around the site’s center. It covered an area larger than present-day Belize City. Altogether it is believed there are some 35,000 buildings at the site, though only a handful of them have been excavated. Excavations at Caracol are being carried on by Diane and Arlen Chase of the University of Central Florida. The latest excavations are in an area approximately 500 yards southeast of Caracol’s central plaza. Once Caracol has been fully excavated it may dwarf even the great city of Tikal, which is a few dozen miles away (as the toucan flies) in Guatemala. The evidence suggests that Caracol won a crushing victory over Tikal in the mid-6th century, a theory that Guatemalan scholars haven’t quite accepted. Until a group of chicleros (collectors of gum base) stumbled on the site in 1936, Caracol was buried under the jungle of the remote Vaca Plateau. It’s hard to believe it could have been lost for centuries, as the great pyramid of Caana, at nearly 140 feet, is still Belize’s tallest structure.

The main excavated sections are in four groups, denoted on archaeological maps as A, B, C, and D groups. The most impressive structures are the B Group at the northeast end of the excavated plaza. This includes Caana (sometimes spelled Ca’ana or Ka’ana), or “Sky Palace,” listed as Structure B19-2nd, along with a ball court, water reservoir, and several large courtyards. Caana remains the tallest structure in Belize. The A Group, on the west side of the plaza, contains a temple, ball court, and a residential area for the elite. The Temple of the Wooden Lintel (Structure A6) is one of the oldest and longest-used buildings at Caracol, dating back to 300 BC. It was still in use in AD 1100. To the northwest of the A Group is the Northwest Acropolis, primarily a residential area. The third major plaza forming the core of the site is at the point where a causeway enters the “downtown” part of Caracol. The D Group is a group of structures at the South Acropolis.

Near the entrance to Caracol is a small but interesting visitor center. If you have driven here on your own (with a Belize Defence Forces escort, used as insurance against the very rare chance of bandits) instead of with a tour, a guide usually can be hired at the site, but you can also walk around on your own. Seeing all of the excavated area involves several hours of hiking around the site. Wear sturdy shoes and bring insect repellent. Also, watch for anthill mounds and, rarely, snakes. This part of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve is a good place for birding and wildlife spotting. Around the ruins are troops of howler monkeys and flocks of oscellated turkeys, and you may also see deer, coatimundis, foxes, and other wildlife at the site or on the way. | Caracol, Chiquibul | From Mountain Pine Forest Ridge reserve entrance, head south 14 miles (23 km) to village of Douglas DiSilva (where you can meet up with a Belize Defence Forces escort), turn left and go 36 miles (58 km) | www.caracol.org | BZ$20 | Daily 8–5.

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