Caracol

Caracol, the age-old rival of present-day Guatemalan Naranjo and Tikal is a very important Maya city, not only in Belize, but also throughout all of Central America. Caracol flourished, especially at a time when its two arch-enemies, Tikal and Naranjo, fought against each other. The remains of Caracol are spread over a large area of about 200 square kilometers on Vaca Plateau in Cayo District. There is a huge number of temples, houses, and the remains of sacred altars. Some temples, such as El Caana (the highest building in whole Belize), climb even higher than the modern buildings in the country. The city, which has the ancient name of Uxwitza, was officially founded in 331AD, although the area, which lies in the midst of a tropical forest, was already inhabited by the 12th century BC.