Xunantunich is the most accessible of western Belize's major Maya sites — about a twenty-minute drive from San Ignacio, the last leg of which involves a hand-cranked cable ferry across the Mopan River. The site is dominated by El Castillo, a 40-metre pyramid that until recently was the tallest building in Belize. The frieze on its eastern flank — a reconstruction protecting the original stucco beneath — shows astronomical and dynastic motifs in remarkable detail.
The view from the top of El Castillo is the best in the country: rolling Maya Mountains in every direction, the Mopan River winding north, and the Guatemalan border ridge in the west. A 2016 excavation found an undisturbed royal tomb inside the structure, with jade jewellery, ceramic vessels, and a skeleton thought to be a Classic-period ruler. Allow two hours; bring water and a hat.