{"id":1840,"date":"2017-10-03T09:10:38","date_gmt":"2017-10-03T15:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.visitcentroamerica.com\/visitar\/caracol\/"},"modified":"2025-07-28T20:17:52","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T02:17:52","slug":"caracol","status":"publish","type":"pit","link":"https:\/\/www.visitcentroamerica.com\/en\/visit\/caracol\/","title":{"rendered":"Caracol"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Caracol is located about 25 miles south of the town of\u00a0San Ignacio<\/strong>\u00a0in the foothills of the Maya Mountains, within the\u00a0Chiquibul Forest Reserve<\/strong>\u00a0in western Belize, near the border with Guatemala. This forest reserve is a largely undeveloped tract of primary and secondary tropical rain and pine forests.<\/h4><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Caracol was once the home to 150,000 people, the largest Maya Centre in Belize, and has a dominant place in Maya history. Ancient Caracol was larger in population and area than present-day Belize City.<\/p>\n

Caracol\u2019s central core consists of three plaza groups surrounding a central acropolis and two ball courts, along with a number of smaller structures. The Visitor\u2019s Center exhibits a number of photographs and diagrams of the site, along with artifacts, including a recovered ceremonial altar.\u00a0The largest temple at Caracol is \u201cCaana\u201d or \u201cSky Place\u201d<\/strong>. This massive pyramid rises over 140 feet above the jungle floor and is the tallest manmade structure in Belize. Caana contains four palaces and three temples. The palace rooms were originally coated with white stucco and decorated with red paint. More than 100 tombs have also been found on the site as well as a rich array of hieroglyphic inscriptions.<\/p>\n

Covering an area of nearly 25,000 acres, this site is impressive not only for its size, but also for its immense agricultural field system and elaborate city planning. Caracol is one of the most pristine and well-kept Maya sites in Belize. If you want to see an amazing piece of our history, head to Caracol.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

GEOPOSITION<\/span><\/h2><\/div>