Cahel Pech--Need info please!

Hello there everyone! I am currently doing research for a mayan ruin excursion through the cruiseline for our upcoming cruise. I am interested in Xunatunich and Cahel Pech, however, information and reviews on Cahel Pech are very scarce. I have only found pictures online and the ruins at Cahel Pech are beautiful.

My deciding factor between the two sites would be the time it takes to drive to the ruins. Any input, reviews, or information would be much appreciated!

I think the drive time would be similar from Belize City. But the difference would be you have a 20 minute walk through the jungle to Cahel Pech while at Xunantunich, once you cross the river a van comes and picks you up and it's a short climb to the site. There are reviews and pictures galore on Trip Advisor and just googling Cahel Pech pictures.

I do highly suggest you use a guided service and preferably a ship sponsored excursion to either site. It will be a long day and the Western Highway is notorious for delays and heavy truck traffic. If you DIY, do pay attention to the ship time and last tender back.

Thank you for your help. I have found a YouTube video of the ruins at cahel pech and it seems beautiful, however, I cannot find reviews of cruise sponsored excursions to the site.

So from what I am understanding, is that it is about a 2 hour drive to cahel pech plus a 20 minute walk to the site, and lunch is not provided through the Royal caribbean excursion.

Xunantunich is about a 2 hour drive with lunch provided through the cruise excursion and has tall ruins that you can climb.

I would appreciate any input!

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DW's rule of Thumb on ship excursions: Always Go With The Lunch Option!":D

Seriously, I do hope someone who ahs been on the Cahel Pech RCCL excursion reaches out and shares their impressions. And whichever excursion you choose, enjoy it.:)

I am guessing that maybe it is a new destination for the cruise sponsored excursions and that is why there may be not as many reviews 😰 guess I may have to write my own! 😝

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I think the drive time would be similar from Belize City. But the difference would be you have a 20 minute walk through the jungle to Cahel Pech while at Xunantunich, once you cross the river a van comes and picks you up and it's a short climb to the site. There are reviews and pictures galore on Trip Advisor and just googling Cahel Pech pictures.

 

I do highly suggest you use a guided service and preferably a ship sponsored excursion to either site. It will be a long day and the Western Highway is notorious for delays and heavy truck traffic. If you DIY, do pay attention to the ship time and last tender back.

First read this while I was actually at Cahal Pech, but wanted to wait until I got to a computer to give a better answer. Crewsweeper, I think you are incorrect about the 20 minute walk through the jungle to get to Cahal Pech UNLESS the cruise ships use a different entrance. There is no real jungle to walk through and the short walk is now all paved for the slight incline getting into the site. It is only a about 5 minutes walk.

This was my first trip to Cahal Pech and I fell in love. It is so beautiful. I have been to most of the others, except Altun Ha. It is so easy to get into Cahal Pech was a very nice surprise to me. It is right in town in San Ignacio and from what I could see there is only one place where the tour buses could park and then you have a few steps (may be 20 at the most) to get into the entrance. We did not have a guide and I wish that we had. Since the ticket taker thought that we were locals they did not tell us that we could engage them to guide us. There are no signs like at the other sites. Also if you are not so inclined to climb the faces with the very steep steps, Cahal Pech has many back entrances to the buildings that give you part of the thrill without the effort.

As crewsweeper has already stated, it is not wise to rent a car and drive yourself. The roads and drivers in Belize are horrible. If I didn't know what to expect and have no time limits I would never attempt it myself and even at that we often hire drivers to make sure that we enjoy the encursion.

We stayed at the Cahal Pech Village Resort and the food there is okay and not terribly expensive. The food at St. Ignacio hotel is really good and while there you could also visit the Green Iguana Project. It is a short walk, all downhill from the ruins. I wouldn't want to walk up that hill, but going down would be okay for most to be able to make. It would cost $5 US for a cab at the most should you find yourself there with no lunch included.

I am going to be recommending Cahal Pech to all my visiting friends.

Janice

Thanks for the report Janice. My time line for the walk was based on someone else's experience based on a cruise excursion, I think. Maybe they weren't at Cahel Pech and just didn't remember the correct name. For sure it wasn't Xunantunich. Now that I think about it, that's closer to what we had in walk time to get to Altun Ha. So I apologize for the mis-information.

Glad you like the ruins and your stay in San Ignacio.

Thank you for the information and glad to hear that you enjoyed your visit!

this tour has great reviews, no need to choose one over the other while you can see both in 6 hours, from belize city port, the ruins at cahal pech offer a great experience of the residential area as you can enter into the room chambers while Xunantunich offers the stylist Frieze covering the upper parts of the Castillo, this can be done with the expert guides at vivtours.com

from

stu

Stu,

Have you been to both sites with this tour guide? I do not see this tour listed on the VIV website.

I do not believe this is possible nor would I recommend trying to do both in a 6 hour time frame. The drive time alone would be close to 5 hours and that is if everything goes perfect, allowing only 1 hour between the two sites, no lunch, no breaks. Now if you had 8-10 hours available then maybe.

It would take you 30 minutes, at least 15 each way to walk into Xunantunich alone without any climbing at all.

Janice

the drive time from the port to Xunantunich ferry is 1 hour 35 minutes, 5 minutes upto Xunantunich parking lot, tour time at el castillo is 1 hour, going up to the summit from the west side, seeing the west Freize, arriving to the top, observing the panoramic view then return down the east side, observing the East Frieze, and continuing down the temple back to the car, this is the highlight of Xunantunich, then drive down to the Ferry crossing, 10 minutes up the hill to Cahal Pech which is 6 miles from Xunantunich , both can be seen from each other, at Cahal Pech Parking, one visits the museum, then walks 2 minutes and enter the Cahal Pech square, surrounded by pre-classic structures, the guide leads you into the small hidden square which has the high temple and corbel arches walkways, the walk ways leads you to the private royal residential high vaulted rooms with inter-connecting stairways, and the guide shares information all along the visit on both these sites as to their discovery, archaeologist findings, its an awesome tour, with the right guide , off course. then its back to the car for the 1 hour 20 minutes drive back to the port.

Stu,

Again, I ask have you done this tour? Actually have you done either of these tours? I live here and I don't know a single person who will tell you that you can make it from the TA to San Ignacio, let alone Xunantunich in under 2 hours, let alone one hour and 35 minutes.

I will let this go, I just don't want others to read your response and feel that this is a realistic possibility. YMMV.

Beautiful excursions no matter which one or both any guests to Belize may want to experience.

Janice

Yes, i have been there, and its was worth it, awesome, i cant recall the guide name, his nickname is "booths", we got lots of photos, we even had time to stop and shop at a "Orange" gift shop, now here i am happy we spent 20 minutes, the place has so much beautiful mahagony carvings, bowls, slate carvings, and jewelry, that my cc would explode.