The Maya sites of Altun Ha and Lamanai in the rainforest jungle

The Maya adventure can begin at the site of Altun Ha, located just over 45 kilometres from the capital Belize City in the middle of the trade routes that existed between the Caribbean coast and the hinterland during the Classic Maya Period. It was founded from 250 BC and occupied until 1000 AD, inhabited at some times by as many as ten thousand people. The name means 'of water and stone': its uniqueness lies in the thirteen plazas that emerged after excavations in the 1960s, the two main temples and the numerous residential structures. The Temple of the Altars in Masonry, on the other hand, stands out for its height of no less than 16 metres. Also spectacular is the jade sculpture of Kinich Ahau: it represents the Sun God and is the largest jade-carved object found in Meso America, weighing four and a half kilos, it was found in a tomb in the Temple of the Masonry Altars. Lamanai, which means 'submerged crocodile' in the Mayan language, also leaves one speechless. It stands on top of the western headland of the New River Lagoon, surrounded by a pristine rainforest populated by black howler monkeys. It has been inhabited for three thousand years without interruption, partly by virtue of its being in the tropical rainforest alone. It is especially exciting to reach by boat following the New River. During the Spanish conquest of Yucatán, Spanish monks founded two Catholic churches here, but a Mayan revolt drove the Spaniards out.