Last Updated on: 28th May 2024, 04:40 pm
Inhabited from around 200 BC to 900 AD, Altun Ha would reach its zenith around 500-600 AD. And though it was likely just a medium-sized city in its day, the Altun Ha ruins are now one the country’s most-visited sites, as they’re only 50 km from Belize City.
Altun Ha is also just 10 km west of the Caribbean coast. And with its position in the center of the Mayan world, it long thrived as a major trading hub.
Today, reaching the Altun Ha ruins by public transport isn’t a realistic option. So unless you’re renting your own car, taking a private tour will be the only option for most (learn more below).
Frankly speaking, if you’ve already visited numerous Mayan sites throughout Mexico, Altun Ha may underwhelm you. While the excavated structures are indeed impressive, the site only consists of two plazas, and your visit shouldn’t take longer than an hour.
In the following guide, we’ll be covering what you can expect to see and experience during a visit to Altun Ha so you can decide if visiting these ruins is right for you. For more info on transportation and accommodation, be sure to check the end of the article.
Visiting the Altun Ha Ruins
At the time of writing, Altun Ha costs $10 BZ, or $5 USD to enter. The site is open daily from 8:00-17:00.
As mentioned, the site just consists of two main plazas. But before reaching them, you’ll walk through an area with gift shops, bathrooms and a museum. When buying anything from the shops here, always be sure to confirm whether the quoted price is in Belizean or US dollars.
While the museum is indeed worth visiting, it would be wise to save it for last, as Altun Ha can get crowded from as early as 9:00. If you’ll be traveling independently, you’ll want to get to the ruins shortly after 8:00.
Plaza B
Approaching the ruins from the parking area, you’ll first walk past Plaza A. But I decided to keep going and begin my visit with Plaza B, which is home to the ancient city’s tallest and most significant structure.
Structure B4, also known as the Temple of The Masonry Altars, stands at 55 ft (17 m) high. Not only was it the primary structure at Altun Ha, but it’s presently one of Belize’s most recognizable buildings, as it’s depicted on the logo of Belikin Beer.
Near the pyramid’s base, you’ll find a stone face representing the Mayan solar deity Kinich Ahau. But that’s not the only place where an image of Kinich Ahau was found at this pyramid.
Within the pyramid itself was a tomb belonging to a high priest. And found within it was an exquisite jade carving of Kinich Ahau, which is now regarded as Belize’s most cherished treasure. You can find a replica at the on-site museum (more below).
If you’ve already visited some of the more popular Mayan sites in Mexico, you’ll be pleased to learn that most structures in Belize are climbable – including most of the pyramids at Altun Ha.
And from the top of Structure B4, you can enjoy an incredible view of both Plaza B and Plaza A in the distance.
Altun Ha may have had as many as 10,000 residents at its peak. Of course, the overall city was much bigger than what’s currently been excavated.
But the ceremonial area we see today was probably home to around 3,000 inhabitants, who likely built houses of perishable materials atop the stone platforms.
Before heading over to Plaza A, I took a slight detour to see Gordon Pond, which archaeologists believe to have been one of three main water sources at Altun Ha.
Plaza A
if you’re taking a tour (more below), you’ll likely begin in the center of Plaza A. But having visited Plaza B first, I entered the area via a complex series of rooms situated next to the plaza’s main pyramid.
Officially known as Structure A2, this complex of rooms was largely built of stone but probably had wooden or thatched roofs in the city’s heyday.
While there are a couple of different ways to climb up Structure A1 – this section’s main building – I made my way up via a staircase from A2. And yet again, this pyramid offers excellent views of the overall site.
Once at the main upper level, you’ll find an additional staircase leading to some narrow rooms that were likely used for ceremonial purposes.
A1 is also known as the Temple of the Green Tomb, as a royal tomb (dated to around 550 AD) was discovered within that contained hundreds of jade objects. But none of these objects are quite as remarkable as the Kinich Ahau carving discovered in Structure B4.
As mentioned, the views from the top of A1 are great. Directly across the plaza, you’ll see Structure A5, which is only partially excavated. It’s one of the few structures at the site that remains unclimbable.
Over to your right, meanwhile, is a four-tiered pyramid known as Structure A5. And at its top is a temple consisting of multiple rooms.
And over to your left is Structure A6, which appears as a large mound. But this structure is indeed climbable, and that’s where I was headed next to finish my journey.
Over to the side, you’ll find a steep staircase taking you to the top of the mound. And once at the top, you’ll find that the long series of rooms have mostly been excavated.
Be sure to walk over to the end to appreciate a clear view of Structure A1. This angle reveals what a unique and complicated pyramid A1 really is.
And that concludes what there is to see at this small archaeological site. But as mentioned, be sure to check out the museum near the entrance before you leave.
The Museum
The Altun Ha on-site museum is small but contains some interesting information about Altun Ha’s history and Mayan society as a whole. The main object of note here is the replica of the jade Kinich Ahau carving discovered within the B4 pyramid in 1968.
It has a height of 14.9 cm (almost 6 inches) with a circumference of 45.9 cm (about 18.5 in). Belize claims it to be the largest carved jade treasure found in the Mayan world, though their criteria is unclear. Some of jade Mayan masks found in Mexico, for example, are clearly much bigger.
As for the original? It’s now kept in a vault beneath the Belize Central Bank. Unfortunately, Belize lacks a proper museum that could safely display such an important object.
Many other important Belizean artifacts, meanwhile, are kept in the UK, with many Belizeans calling for their return. But as one local admitted to me, even if the country were to get everything back, there would be no adequate museum in which to house them.
Also at Altun Ha’s museum is a replica of the B4 tomb, with a painting depicting some of the objects discovered inside.
Additional Info
As mentioned above, there’s no private transport to Altun Ha. Of course, if you’re renting a car in Belize, you shouldn’t have an issue. The place should be fairly easy to locate via Google Maps, but be sure to save the location in advance, as reception out here can be very spotty.
In my case, I was staying in a small village to the west of Belize City and arranged private transport with the owner of my accommodation.
If you’re based in Belize City itself, the best option would probably be to take a private tour. There are actually numerous options available, many of which combine a trip to the sanctuary with other nearby attractions.
While this tour simply takes you to the ruins and back, this tour, combines a visit to Altun Ha with the Community Baboon Sanctuary (‘baboon’ here refers to howler monkeys). And this one includes a cave tubing excursion.
This tour, meanwhile, can take you to both Altun Ha and the monkey sanctuary from Caye Caulker.
As mentioned, Altun Ha isn’t the cheapest place to reach, especially if you won’t be renting your own car while in Belize. And the site is so small that it only takes between 30-60 minutes to see.
Ultimately, whether or not visiting Altun Ha is worth it depends on both your budget and enthusiasm for Mayan ruins.
If you’re the type of traveler who likes to visit as many ancient ruins as possible, you surely won’t regret your visit to Altun Ha (as long as you know what to expect). And as mentioned above, you can easily combine a visit to the ruins with other nearby attractions.
If you’re on a tight budget but still interested in Mayan sites, bear in mind that there are two great sites in Belize that you can easily and cheaply visit from the town of San Ignacio: Xunantunich and Cahal Pech. And both sites are more impressive than Altun Ha. So if you’ll be traveling to the western part of the country, I wouldn’t be too bummed out about giving Altun Ha a miss.
Frankly speaking, few visitors would consider Belize’s largest city to be a destination in its own right. Nevertheless, most visitors will be passing through here at some point. And Belize City is also a great base for certain day trips, such as to the Community Baboon Sanctuary and Altun Ha.
One of the top-rated hotels in the whole city is Villa Boscardi which features a swimming pool and easy access to the water.
Those on a bit more of a budget should consider the Stylish Apartments near Best Western Hotel, which is a great value albeit a bit far from the city center.
Even more reasonable is the DB Tower Vacation Rental which includes a private kitchen.