Altun Ha Mayan Ruins & City Drive

Description

Be sure to read the Special Notes further down this page for important requirements and restriction.

Your excursion begins at the Fort Street Tourism Village at the pier where you'll board your air-conditioned transportation for a driving tour of Belize City. Accompanied by your friendly guide, learn about the business, historic and cultural aspects of Belizean life as your guide calls out the various points of interest around town. View beautiful landmarks and old colonial buildings mixed in with the modern that gives the old Belize capital its Caribbean charm.

After your city tour, you'll leave the bustling streets behind for a journey into the countryside via the Northern Highway. Drive for approximately 45 minutes passing several quaint villages en route to the amazingly spectacular Mayan ruins of Altun Ha that is surrounded by a lush broad-leaf rain forest.

Altun Ha was once a thriving Mayan city. Artifacts of the 2000-year-old ruins were uncovered in the area by workers searching for stone to use in building the Old Northern Highway. Eventually, the ancient discovery included 13 structures that surround two plazas and a 60-foot Temple of the Sun God, which marked the epicenter of a very important ceremonial site for the ancient Mayan civilization. Altun Ha also served as a center of trade due to its location only seven miles from the sea on the main trade route headed up north through the Yucatan.

This site captured world attention when Professor David Pendergast of the Royal Ontario Museum discovered the 9 ½-pound jade head of the Sun God Kinich Ahau in the tomb of a Royal Priest, located within the main temple of the masonry altars.

For a panoramic vantage point and photo opportunities, climb up the stone steps towards the tops of three main temples on the site to capture the beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. Afterwards, enjoy lunch on the way back to the ship.

Special Notes:

Visitors at Altun Ha must negotiate some uneven surfaces. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Minimum age to participate is 3 years old. Climbing the ruins is not allowed during or after rain because of falling hazard on slippery steps. Once participants join their tour, they will be required to complete a liability waiver. Tour time may vary due to tendering procedures. Pregnant women are not allowed to participate and also guests with back/neck injuries, heart/respiratory conditions, etc

Child Price:

12 & under reduced

Medical Restriction:

Medical conditions that prevent participation: pregnant women not allowed to participate and also guests with back/neck injuries, heart/respiratory conditions, etc