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.
Nestled in the foothills of the Maya Mountains in southern Belize, Nim Li Punit is an impressive Maya ceremonial center known for its towering carved stelae and breathtaking views of the surrounding rainforest. The name Nim Li Punit, meaning “Big Hat” in the Kekchi Maya language, comes from a depiction of a ruler wearing an elaborate headdress on one of its most famous stelae. This site offers a rich glimpse into Maya history, royalty, and artistry, making it a must-visit destination for those exploring Belize’s Toledo District.
See the Tallest Stelae in Belize: Nim Li Punit is home to some of the largest and most well-preserved carved stelae (stone monuments) in Belize, with depictions of Maya rulers, gods, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. One stela stands over 30 feet tall, making it one of the tallest ever found in the Maya world.
Explore the Ceremonial Plazas: The site consists of three main plazas—the West Group, East Group, and South Group, which were used for religious ceremonies, elite gatherings, and political events.
Walk Through the Ball Court: Like many important Maya cities, Nim Li Punit has a ball court, where ritualistic ball games were played, often with deep spiritual and political significance.
Spot Wildlife in the Lush Surroundings: The surrounding jungle is teeming with colorful birds, butterflies, and even howler monkeys, making it an ideal spot for nature lovers and photographers.
Nim Li Punit is located 25 miles (40 km) from Punta Gorda and about 4 miles (6 km) off the Southern Highway, making it easily accessible for visitors to southern Belize. The journey from Punta Gorda takes about 45 minutes by car, while from Belize City, it’s a longer 5-hour drive.
The site is a great day trip when visiting Toledo’s cultural and natural attractions, often paired with nearby ruins like Lubaantun.
Nim Li Punit was an important ceremonial and political center during the Classic Period (250–900 AD). The site is best known for its large carved stelae, which depict Maya rulers dressed in elaborate attire, performing rituals, or engaging with deities. These inscriptions provide valuable historical records of royal lineage and events, making Nim Li Punit a key site for understanding Maya history.
Archaeologists believe Nim Li Punit was a small but powerful city that maintained connections with larger Maya centers such as Caracol and Tikal (Guatemala). Like many Maya cities, it was eventually abandoned around 900 AD, likely due to climate change, resource depletion, or political instability.
If you’re visiting Nim Li Punit, there are several other fascinating places nearby worth exploring:
Lubaantun: Just 14 miles (22 km) away, Lubaantun is known for its dry-stone construction and the famous Crystal Skull legend, making it an intriguing site to visit alongside Nim Li Punit.
Rio Blanco National Park: A stunning nature reserve featuring waterfalls, swimming areas, and jungle trails, perfect for a refreshing dip after exploring the ruins.
Blue Creek Cave (Hokeb Ha Cave): A mystical Maya ceremonial cave with crystal-clear waters, underground waterfalls, and ancient artifacts—great for adventure seekers.
Punta Gorda Town: The cultural heart of southern Belize, Punta Gorda offers Maya, Garifuna, and Creole influences, with delicious local food, markets, and easy access to marine adventures.
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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