The splendorous Caracol was the largest metropolis in the Maya lowlands of ancient times. A world in which the gods demanded rituals, and ceremonies and believed that every inanimate or animate object had a spirit of its own. Time hangs in space at Caracol. Located deep within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, you will enjoy the flora and fauna that along with stunning scenery on the way, will enhance the true beauty of this magnificent Maya center. We will take you along a forest trail giving you the experience of a lifetime as we recount the history of nobles and peasants living in a mystic world. The trees and forest have taken over guarding the secrets of this place where our ancestors once gazed at the stars, plotted wars, designed and built magnificent structures, developed agricultural practices, and conducted their most sacred rituals. You will visit ancient courtyards, ball courts, residential complexes, and a complete astronomical observatory.
Caracol is the largest Maya archaeological site in Belize. In AD 650, the urban area of Caracol had a radius of approximately 10 kilometers around the center of the site. Caracol maintained a population of over 140,000 people through the creation of an immense agricultural field system and through elaborate city planning. Caracol is noted not only for its size during the Maya Classic era (A.D. 250-950) but also for its prowess in war; this includes an AD 562 defeat of Tikal and the subsequent conquest of Naranjo.