Cahal Pech

Cahal Pech

Cahal Pech is the ruins of a Mayan city located near the town of San Ignacio in Belize. Cahal Pech was settled around 1000 BCE, but most of the buildings and structures date to the Preclassic (ca. 300 BCE-250 CE) and Classic periods of Maya civilization (ca. 500 CE-700 CE). Along with religious buildings and dwellings, two ball fields and, presumably, a bathhouse were discovered at Cahal Pecha.

General information

The main building in Cahal Pech is a tall temple (about 25 meters high), with the rest of the city’s structures around it. Most likely, Cahal Pech was the seat of Mayan nobility or even the “country residence” of some of the Mayan rulers. This settlement, or rather its ruins, was discovered in the 50s of the last century, and excavations began in 1988. They continue to this day, but the main part of Cahal Pech is open to tourists.

Title

The name Cahal Pech comes from a combination of the languages of the Yucatan Maya and the Maya who lived in present-day Belize and Guatemala, and means “place of purpose” (the name did not arise until the mid-20th century, however).

Address

Maya Vista Drive, San Ignacio Cayo, Belize