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.
Moderate - Walking and Climbing
Guide, Entrance Fee, Round Trip Transportation, Lunch, Water, and (full day tour).
Bug spray, Hat, Sunglasses, and Sturdy Shoes.
Perched on a hilltop overlooking San Ignacio, Cahal Pech is one of Belize’s most accessible and historically significant Maya sites. Dating back to 1200 BC, it is one of the oldest known Maya settlements in Belize and was once an elite residential and ceremonial center. Unlike larger sites like Caracol or Xunantunich, Cahal Pech provides an intimate and immersive glimpse into the daily lives of the Maya aristocracy, making it a must-visit destination for history enthusiasts and travelers exploring western Belize.
Explore the Ancient Royal Palace: Cahal Pech was home to Maya nobility, and its structures include plazas, ball courts, temples, and residential buildings. Walking through its narrow passageways and inner courtyards gives visitors a sense of how Maya elites lived over 3,000 years ago.
Climb the Temples and Pyramids: Although not as tall as other Maya pyramids in Belize, the temples at Cahal Pech still offer fantastic views of the surrounding Belize River Valley.
Visit the On-Site Museum: The Cahal Pech Visitors Center and Museum houses artifacts uncovered at the site, including jade jewelry, pottery, and carved stelae, offering deeper insight into the lives of the ancient Maya.
Enjoy the Scenic Surroundings: Cahal Pech’s elevated location provides stunning views of San Ignacio and the Belize River Valley. The lush jungle setting also makes it a great place to spot colorful birds, butterflies, and small wildlife.
Cahal Pech is located just 1 mile (1.6 km) from downtown San Ignacio, making it one of the most accessible Maya sites in Belize. Visitors can walk or take a short taxi ride to the entrance. If traveling from Belize City, the journey takes about 2 hours with us, making Cahal Pech a great stop on the way to other western Belize attractions.
Cahal Pech is one of the oldest Maya sites in Belize, with evidence of continuous occupation from 1200 BC to 900 AD. It was primarily a residential palace for an elite ruling family, rather than a large city-state like Caracol. Archaeologists have discovered artifacts that suggest the inhabitants of Cahal Pech were actively engaged in trade, agriculture, and ceremonial practices.
Despite being abandoned around 900 AD, the site remains well-preserved, offering visitors a unique look into early Maya civilization and the daily life of the aristocracy.
If you’re visiting Cahal Pech, there are several other fascinating sites nearby worth exploring:
Xunantunich: Just 8 miles (13 km) away, Xunantunich is home to El Castillo, the second-tallest Maya pyramid in Belize. Its hilltop location provides breathtaking views of the Belize-Guatemala border.
Caracol: Located about 2.5 hours south, Caracol is Belize’s largest and most powerful ancient Maya city, known for Caana, the tallest pyramid in the country.
Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM Cave): One of Belize’s most famous archaeological caves, ATM is home to crystalized skeletons, pottery, and artifacts left behind by the Maya. It’s a must-visit for adventure seekers and history lovers.
San Ignacio Town: The lively town of San Ignacio is a great place to experience Belizean culture, with local markets, delicious food, and adventure tours to nearby caves, rivers, and jungle reserves.
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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