Located a few hours drive south of San Ignacio, Belize, in the dense rainforest, the ruins of Caracol were once one of the most important cities of the Maya Lowlands during the Classic period. The site is highlighted by Caana (Maya for “sky pyramid”); it’s the towering temple on which I filmed my above video. The vista is where Maya kings stood, overseeing their city and surveying the surrounding jungle for approaching danger.
Caracol means “snail” in Spanish. The actual name of the Maya stronghold has been lost to time, but hieroglyphs in the area describe the city as a powerful military force. In 562 CE, Caracol toppled Tikal, which was historically the most dominant city in the Maya Lowlands. It was the first “star war,” a term used to describe the most consequential conflicts in Maya history.
“Star wars” occurred around the middle of the Classic period, which extended from 250-900 CE. The ending of the era coincided with the mysterious collapse of the Maya civilization, but the beginning aligned with another enigmatic historical event: the meteoric rise of shadowy Teotihuacán in modern-day Mexico’s central valley. For more on Teotihuacán’s influence on the Maya Lowlands, check out my feature article “Tikal: The Day the King Died.”
Related Content
– Click to browse my travel guides for San Ignacio, Belize.
– Click to view my high-resolution photo collection from the Maya ruins of Xunantunich, which are near Caracol.
– Click to view my high-resolution photo collection from nearby San Ignacio, Belize.