Altun Ha a Maya trading center as well as a religious ceremonial site, is believed to have accommodated about 10,000 people. Archaeologists, working amid a Maya community that has been living here for several centuries, have dated construction to about 1,500–2,000 years ago. It wasn’t until the archaeologists came in 1964 that the old name “Rockstone Pond” was translated into the Maya words “Altun Ha.” The site spans an area of about 25 square miles, most of which is covered by trees, vines, and jungle.

A team led by Dr. David Pendergast of the Royal Ontario Museum began work in 1965 on the central part of the ancient city, where upwards of 250 structures have been found in an area of about 1,000 square yards. So far, this is the most extensively excavated of all the Maya sites in Belize.

For a trading center, Altun Ha was strategically located—a few miles from Little Rocky Point on the Caribbean and a few miles from Moho Caye at the mouth of the Belize River, both believed to have been major centers for the large trading canoes that worked up and down the coasts of Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, Mexico’s Yucatán, and all the way to Panama.

Near Plaza B, the Reservoir, also known as Rockstone Pond, is fed by springs and rain runoff. It demonstrates the advanced knowledge of the Maya in just one of their many fields: engineering. Archaeologists say that an insignificant little stream ran through the jungle for centuries. No doubt it had been a source of fresh water for the Maya—but maybe not enough.

The Maya diverted the creek and then began a major engineering project, digging and enlarging a deep, round hole that was then plastered with limestone cement. Once the cement dried and hardened, the stream was rerouted to its original course and the newly built reservoir filled and overflowed at the east end, allowing the stream to continue on its age-old track. This made the area livable.

Was all of this done before or after the temple structures were built? Is the completion of this reservoir what made the Maya elite choose to locate themselves in this area? We may never know for sure. Today Rockstone Pond is surrounded by thick brush, and the pond is alive with jungle creatures, including tarpon, small fish, and turtles and other reptiles.

The concentration of structures includes palaces and temples surrounding two main plazas. The tallest building (the Sun God Temple) is 59 feet above the plaza floor. At Altun Ha, the structure bases are oval and terraced. The small temples on top have typical small rooms built with the Maya trademark—the corbel arch.

Pendergast’s team uncovered many valuable finds, such as unusual green obsidian blades, pearls, and more than 300 jade pieces—beads, earrings, and rings. Seven funeral chambers were discovered, including the Temple of the Green Tomb, rich with human remains and traditional funerary treasures. Maya scholars believe the first man buried was someone of great importance. He was draped with jade beads, pearls, and shells. And it was next to his right hand that the most exciting find was located—a solid jade head now referred to as Kinich Ahau (“The Sun God”).

Kinich Ahau is, to date, the largest jade carving found in any Maya country. The head weighs nine pounds and measures nearly six inches from base to crown. It is reportedly now housed far away, in a museum in Canada. The two men who discovered the jade head some 40 years ago, Winston Herbert and William Leslie, still reside in Rockstone Pond and Lucky Strike villages. On November 29, 2006, they were honored by the National Institute of Culture and History for their discovery.

Altun Ha was rebuilt several times during the Pre-Classic, Classic, and Post-Classic Periods. The desecration of the structures leads scientists believe that the site may have been abandoned because of violence.

Visiting the Altun Ha Ruins

From the Northern Highway, continue past the Burrell Boom turnoff (to the Baboon Sanctuary) and continue to about Mile 19, where the road forks; the right fork is the Old Northern Highway and leads to Altun Ha and Maskall Village. Ten and a half miles from the intersection, you’ll reach the Altun Ha entrance. The road is in horrible condition and is not getting any better with the increased traffic, mainly from long parades of buses carrying cruise ship passengers.

For those who want to bus it, ask at your hotel for current schedules and make sure there is a return bus the same day if you do not plan on staying in the area. Altun Ha is close enough to the city that a taxi is your best bet, or try a tour operator that specializes in these trips.

The ruins of Altun Ha have become one of the more popular day trips for groups and individuals venturing from Belize City, Ambergris Caye, and Caye Caulker. A gift shop and toilet facilities are at the entrance (tel. 501/609-3540, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., US$10).

Note that Altun Ha is a popular destination for cruise ship passengers (usually Tuesday and Thursday), so if you don’t want to share your experience with 40 busloads of gawking cruisers, be sure to check with the park before coming. In general, it’s easy to avoid the crowds if you get there when the park first opens. You’ll see more birds and wildlife that way as well.

A couple of local tour guides will be waiting for you at the entrance. They charge about US$10 per group per half hour and are well worth it, especially Ann-Marie Avona.

If you’re coming to Altun Ha as part of a package, consider insisting that your tour provider use a local guide. This is important to ensure that local communities receive something other than a crumbling road. To that end, you’ll most likely also find tables of artisans with decent crafts for sale.

Hotels and Restaurants

There are several budget-oriented lodgings in the area around Lucky Strike and Rockstone Pond villages, but few travelers choose to stay here, probably because there’s not much offered in the area, apart from a short hike through the nearby ruins and the tranquil sounds of the jungle. The best option is only about a mile from the entrance to the ruins.

There’s a small casita at the Mayan Wells Restaurant (tel. 501/205-5641 or 501/225-5505, www.mayanwells.com, US$40); it has a kitchenette, a screened porch, and hammocks. You can also camp out for US$5 per person. Meals at the restaurant cost US$6–10. Mayan Wells is set on a nice-size chunk of forest, walking distance from the Altun Ha ruins, and offers meals and tours, and free admission to their butterfly house.

Getting to Altun Ha

For those who want to bus it, ask at your hotel for current schedules and make sure there is a return bus the same day if you do not plan on staying in the area. Altun Ha is close enough to the city that a taxi is your best bet, or try a tour operator that specializes in these trips.