On our first full day back in San Ignacio we took the time to visit Cahal Pech ruins. The name means “Land of the Ticks” in Yucatec Mayan. This is a smaller Maya site located on top of a hill overlooking the Macal River in San Ignacio. Although smaller, this site may have been my favorite site so far. The structures were beautiful and you could feel a sense of peace there. You can appreciate the location as it would have given the Mayan Settlers a vantage point of seeing what goes up and down the Macal River.
When you first arrive you park in a small parking lot with a small souvenir shop set up. There is a small museum set up in a building at the entrance of the site. You pay $10 BZE to enter. There are guides there to assist if you would like to have a paid tour. We chose to go alone as we wanted to go at our own pace. This is the first Mayan ruin site that my Dad has been to.
They have so many artifacts in the museum. From pottery to arrowheads. It was so interesting to see all of this history on display. It was fascinating to see how these items have lasted through the years. some more damaged than others. There were full clay pots with little to no damage then there were just fragments of items. To be this close to items from that time frame was humbling in its own way.
You exit the building and walk down a walkway where you enter the site through Plaza B. There is a large sign here where you can view the area and where everything can be located. There are 8 interconnected plazas, containing buildings, pyramids, a ball court, temples, and residential living areas. Cahal Pech seems to be a smaller location but a lot of the area remains unexcavated. It is believed that people settled here as early as 1300-10000 B.C. However the site was abandoned at some point in the 9th century for unknown reasons.
We took our time walking through the structures. There were only a couple of people around which made it even more peaceful. Here you were able to walk through corridors and climb up inside stairways. You could go into rooms some even still had drawings on them. There were huge trees in some of the courtyards that made the area seem like something out of this world. I could have stayed here all day. But it had rained earlier and the bugs were out. It still did not stop me from getting some pictures. I’m not sure if it was just me but every time I go to these sites I have this calmness come over me. Like everything will be okay and life seems a little simpler.
I think one of my favorite things about San Ignacio is the Mayan History that lies here. Belize itself is so full of history and different cultures. You are constantly learning something new. I am so happy we chose to stop into Cahal Pech. This was my first visit. I am sure it will not be my last.
