Mayan Ruins of Nim Li Punit

After meeting your tour guide you will set off on an approximately one-hour entertaining journey to this lost world. Pass through several villages along the way and see first-hand the indigenous Mayans of Southern Belize.

Once at the site you will discover this location is notable for the 25 stelae found in the southern Plaza of the Stelae. Four of the finest are housed in the stela house beside the visitor's center. Stelae are carved stone columns that can be found throughout the Caribbean and normally indicated the locations of Mayan keystones.

Stela 14, at 33ft, is the second-longest stela found anywhere in the Maya world (after Stela E from Quirigua, Guatemala). Be amazed by the plazas that boast 25 stelae, one of which is the longest in the Mayan civilization. It shows the ruler of Nim Li Punit in an offering or incense-scattering ritual, wearing an enormous headdress which is responsible for the name Nim Li Punit ('Big Hat' in Kekchi Maya).

Rediscovered in 1976 by oil prospectors, Nim Li Punit was thought to be inhabited by 5000 to 7000 people at its peak, and likely was a political and religious community of some importance in the region.

The most interesting part of the site is the south end, comprising the Plaza of the Stelae and the Plaza of Royal Tombs. The Plaza of the Stelae is thought to have acted as a calendrical observatory: seen from its western mound, three of the small stones in front of the long eastern mound align with sunrise on the equinoxes and solstices. The Plaza of Royal Tombs, with three open, excavated tombs, was a residential area for the ruling family. Archaeologists uncovered four members of this family in Tomb 1, along with several jadeite items and 37 ceramic vessels.

Please Note: Guests must be able to step in and out of vehicle. Guests will find uneven surfaces and varying grades while at the site. Bottled water and entrance fees are included in this tour. Total time spent at the site is approximately just over 1 hour.