- Address: Chiquibil Forest Reserve, Belize;
- Phone: +501 600-9863.
Karakol (or El-Karakol) in Belize - the largest ruins of the Maya tribe, located in the Cayo area at an altitude of 500 m above sea level. Discovered in 1937 by lumberjacks. Caracol is located in the heart of the Belize jungle, so it could not be found for so long.
What did the Maya leave behind?
Despite the vast territory of the ancient city (according to images from outer space of more than 100 square kilometers), only a small part is open for visiting - about 10%, the rest is hidden in the jungle or is being studied. But, believe me, the photos made in Karakol will be impressive!
The main structure is the Kaan temple (height 46 m) with three temples on top. It is there is a field for playing ball.
During the excavations, 3000 foundations of dwellings, 23 stelae, 23 altars with hieroglyphs of an ancient tribe were discovered. We warn: some of them are copies, the originals are kept in the museums of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania .
How to get there?
The distance from Karakol to the city of San Ignacio is 40 km, the same distance to another ancient Mayan town of Shunantunich . The ancient city of Tikal in Guatemala is 75 km away.
- The most convenient way to get to the place is by yourself on a rented car. Car choose all-wheel drive (due to bad roads). It is best to keep a landmark on the city of San Ignacio (or on the ride we get to the city and rent a car there). Further - to Karakol. On the way to Karakol you pass through a beautiful nature reserve with waterfalls, caves and simply spectacular views. It is impossible to get lost - along the entire road there are road signs and signs.
- You can also get to Caracol on an excursion organized from Mexico or Guatemala. The advantage is obvious: from the guide you will get a lot of interesting information.
To the note to the tourist
- Open daily from 08:00 to 17:00. Adult ticket price is $ 10 USA, for children - free of charge.
- The best time to visit the weather is from December to April.
- The road to Karakol is not very comfortable: mountainous, highly eroded after rains, difficult to traverse, asphalted stretches are few.