Nelson Maya Adventures
Alluring Mayan Site Tours and Outstanding Transfers Service for the Insightful Traveler.
With our team of expert travel agents and tour operators, we ensure your experience is truly unforgettable.
Price varies by location - Can be done during a transfer.
Easy - Walking and Climbing
Guide, Entrance Fee, Round Trip Transportation, Lunch, Water, and (full day tour).
Bug spray, Hat and Sunglasses.
Located along the scenic shores of Corozal Bay, Cerros is a unique and lesser-visited Maya archaeological site that offers breathtaking coastal views and a glimpse into early Maya civilization. As one of the oldest known Maya trading centers, Cerros played a key role in maritime commerce, connecting the Maya world to the Caribbean. Unlike other inland ruins, this site blends ancient history with a peaceful seaside atmosphere, making it a hidden gem for travelers looking to explore Belize’s past away from the crowds.
Climb the Temples Overlooking the Sea: Cerros features several pyramid structures, the tallest standing at 72 feet, offering stunning views of Corozal Bay. It’s one of the few Maya sites where visitors can admire ancient ruins with the sea as a backdrop.
Explore the Ball Court and Plaza: Cerros has an ancient Maya ball court, where ritualistic ball games were played, and a central plaza where important ceremonies and gatherings took place.
See the Unique Stucco Masks: The temples at Cerros feature intricate stucco masks depicting Maya gods and rulers, similar to those at Lamanai and Altun Ha, providing insight into Maya religious beliefs.
Enjoy the Tranquil Coastal Setting: Unlike other jungle-covered ruins, Cerros is surrounded by mangroves, lagoons, and ocean breezes, making it a peaceful place for reflection and photography.
Wildlife Watching: The area around Cerros is home to various bird species, iguanas, and even manatees that can sometimes be spotted in the nearby waters.
Cerros is located on a peninsula near Corozal, about 85 miles (137 km) north of Belize City and 15 miles (24 km) from Orange Walk Town. The most adventurous way to reach Cerros is by boat from Corozal, offering a scenic ride across the bay. Visitors can also drive to Copper Bank and take a short ferry ride to the site. The journey from Belize City takes around 2.5 hours by car, making Cerros a great day trip from northern Belize.
Cerros was an important trade hub during the Late Preclassic Period (400 BC – 250 AD) and is believed to have been one of the first coastal cities to develop large-scale ceremonial architecture. Unlike other inland Maya cities, Cerros had strong maritime connections, facilitating trade with the greater Maya region and the Caribbean.
The city reached its peak around 100 AD but eventually declined, likely due to rising sea levels and environmental changes that impacted its agricultural and economic stability. Despite its abandonment, the site remains well-preserved, offering a rare glimpse into early Maya civilization and coastal trade networks.
For travelers exploring northern Belize, there are several other fascinating sites near Cerros worth visiting:
Santa Rita: Located in Corozal Town, Santa Rita was an important Maya settlement that later became a Spanish colonial outpost. It’s also believed to be the origin of the Mestizo culture in Belize.
Lamanai: A larger and more famous Maya site located along the New River Lagoon, Lamanai features towering temples, intricate masks, and a boat ride through the jungle to reach the ruins.
Corozal Town: A laid-back coastal town with a mix of Maya, Mestizo, and Caribbean influences, Corozal is a great place to relax after visiting Cerros. Enjoy fresh seafood, explore local markets, or take a boat ride on the bay.
My husband Joe & I had a great tour with Josh as our guide. He took us to the Community Baboon Santuary to see the Black Howler Monkeys, the Belize... read more Prison Gift Shop where there are beautiful hand carved items made by the prisoners, and to Caves Branch Outpost for some excellent zip lining. Josh is a wealth of knowledge and really took the time to make sure we had everything we needed. We would give him 10 out of 10 stars if we could.
While visiting Caye Caulker with friends we decided to visit the Xunantunich ruins. Booking was seamless and our guide Auner met us at the water taxi.
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Our day with Auner was perfect! He is a wealth of information and ensured all of our questions were answered. Cold water was readily available along with a delicious traditional Belizean lunch. Highly recommend this tour company, we will definitely use them again.
We decided to arrange a private tour for a family of four to Tikal with Nelson Maya Adventures after reading a couple of reviews here and on a couple of... read more other platforms. We like to give our business to smaller companies whenever possible, and we rarely regret it. We were extremely impressed with the service: the drivers (Wilbert in Belize and William in Guatemala) were very professional and friendly, and the guide who met us for our transfer at the Guatemala border and accompanied us to Tikal (Oliverio) was outstanding. The entire process went very smoothly, and Nelson Díaz was great at keeping in touch and providing details about the adventure.
My family of 4 was picked up at 7:00 at our lodge near San Ignacio and were driven to the Guatemalan border by our first driver. There, we were met by our guide (arranged by Nelson) who walked us through the border-crossing process and then took us to our next van on the Guatemala side that drove us the 2.5 hours to Tikal. The van was brand new and very comfortable, and the driver was super friendly and professional. Our guide (Oliverio) was amazing. He was extremely knowledgable (spoke English and Spanish) and provided lots of interesting information during the drive and at Tikal: he was an expert in the flare and fauna of Tikal and also knew a great deal about the history of this incredible place. He was also extremely helpful when it came to negotiating the lines at the border and at the entrance to Tikal. He easily saved us a couple of hours and made it clear to us that driving our rental vehicle and trying to do this on our own would have been a real hassle.
Our guide and driver were also very flexible allowing for several short stops to take photos, buy a snack, visit an artisan shop, etc. Lunch was included in the price of our day-long trip, and they took us to a fabulous roadside restaurant - Restaurante González - outside of the park. We opted to stay in the park till early afternoon and have a late lunch on the way back to Belize.
The price that we paid for our family to spend the day at Tikal was significantly less than we would have paid through our lodge and through other companies in San Ignacio, and it was great to have the private tour. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Nelson for any of your transportation needs in Belize.
We decided to arrange a private tour for a family of four to Tikal with Nelson Maya Adventures after reading a couple of reviews here and on a couple of... read more other platforms. We like to give our business to smaller companies whenever possible, and we rarely regret it. We were extremely impressed with the service: the drivers (Wilbert in Belize and William in Guatemala) were very professional and friendly, and the guide who met us for our transfer at the Guatemala border and accompanied us to Tikal (Oliverio) was outstanding. The entire process went very smoothly, and Nelson Díaz was great at keeping in touch and providing details about the adventure.
My family of 4 was picked up at 7:00 at our lodge near San Ignacio and were driven to the Guatemalan border by our first driver. There, we were met by our guide (arranged by Nelson) who walked us through the border-crossing process and then took us to our next van on the Guatemala side that drove us the 2.5 hours to Tikal. The van was brand new and very comfortable, and the driver was super friendly and professional. Our guide (Oliverio) was amazing. He was extremely knowledgable (spoke English and Spanish) and provided lots of interesting information during the drive and at Tikal: he was an expert in the flare and fauna of Tikal and also knew a great deal about the history of this incredible place. He was also extremely helpful when it came to negotiating the lines at the border and at the entrance to Tikal. He easily saved us a couple of hours and made it clear to us that driving our rental vehicle and trying to do this on our own would have been a real hassle.
Our guide and driver were also very flexible allowing for several short stops to take photos, buy a snack, visit an artisan shop, etc. Lunch was included in the price of our day-long trip, and they took us to a fabulous roadside restaurant – Restaurante González – outside of the park. We opted to stay in the park till early afternoon and have a late lunch on the way back to Belize.
The price that we paid for our family to spend the day at Tikal was significantly less than we would have paid through our lodge and through other companies in San Ignacio, and it was great to have the private tour. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Nelson for any of your transportation needs in Belize.
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