Walking Tour of Altun Ha, Belize

The only way to actually experience the Mayan ruins at Altun Ha, Belize, is to take a walking tour. The ground is mostly level and the plazas are covered by a thick carpet of grass. There are a few shady areas around the sides of the site offering a bit of relief from the tropical sun.

There is no trail as such, but the natural configuration of the site leads first through Plaza A, then Plaza B, where we found a wooden staircase leading up to the top of the highest pyramid.
After taking the steep zig-zag stairs back down the other side of the pyramid there was a footpath that led back to the starting point, restrooms, souvenir shops and the parking lot.

Upon entering Altun Ha the first feature that caught our eye was this impressive mound to the right, facing Plaza A, known as Structure A-6. Less is know about this mound that the other structures in Plaza A due to its great size and poor condition. It is thought that an earlier building may be hidden deep within what appears to be an earthen mound.

Archeologists believe that the entire mass may have been raised in just two stages, between 550 and 600 AD. Adjoining Structure A-6 is a smaller low mound known as A-7. It is in the northeast corner of the plaza.

Altun Ha Mayan Ruins, Belize

Altun Ha, located about 6 miles inland from the Caribbean Sea and 30 miles north of Belize City, is an ancient Mayan center surrounded by tropical jungle. Small in comparison to better known Mayan sites, Altun Ha once flourished on the periphery of Mayan civilization. The true name of the city is unknown. It is called Altun Ha (Mayan for Rockstone Pond) for the name of a nearby village.

The site includes 500 or more visible structures, however only a few of the more prominent ones are easily seen by visitors. Earliest evidence of habitation dates to 200 B.C. The major structures were built in the 6th and 7th centuries A.D. At its peak, Altun Ha and the surrounding vicinity had a population which would have approached 10,000, with about 3,00 inhabitants in the central core of the city.

As is the case with all Mayan ruins, much of this atypical site is shrouded in mystery, which makes it a particularly appealing place for the curious traveler to visit.

Temple of the Masonry Altars, Altun Ha, Belize

Temple of the Masonry Altars, Structure B-4, is the most imposing building at Altun Ha. It rises 54 feet above the floor of Plaza B. Archeologists have probed the entire construction history of this temple, determining that it was built in eight phases, the first beginning around 550 A.D. The present reconstruction is of the temple as it would have appeared around 600-650 A.D.Seven tombs have been uncovered in this temple, each of them rich in artifacts.

The most impressive of the tombs was found within the huge stair block at the top of the temple. In it was found the remains of an elderly male and also numerous spectacular jade objects. One of them, a carved jade head of Kinich Ahau, the Sun God, is almost six inches high, making it the largest carved jade object ever found in any Mayan ruin. The tomb also contained remains of cloth, cordage, and wooden objects which are rarely preserved in the humid tropics.