Belize

One of the largest Maya cities, Caracol, is rarely visited and is lost far in the jungle off the beaten path in Belize.

Still, the only road to Caracol leaves much to be desired. Caracol is also close to the border with Guatemala. Visitors can choose to visit Caracol on both a self-driving tour and a guided tour. Caracol is home to the largest and highest ancient building in Belize. [surreal road trips](https://eternalarrival.com/caracol-mayan-ruins/) one can take in the country. The largest building at Caracol is Caana. Caracol may not be a household name, unlike Tikal and Chichen Itza, but it is one of the large Maya archeological sites. At the time, Belize (then called British Honduras) was a part of the British Empire. One of the most notable Maya cities lost in the jungle is Caracol. [Perhaps the second most famous Mayan ruin is Guatemala's Tikal](https://www.thetravel.com/what-is-the-tikal-in-guatemala/) (although the crowds are much smaller there). [Chichen Itza is probably the most famous of all Maya ruins](https://www.thetravel.com/chichen-itza-seven-wonders-facts-trivia/), and the site is virtually overrun, with tourists drawing coming on for 3 million gawking visitors annually. [Belize offers plenty of excellent areas for tourists to stay](https://www.thetravel.com/what-is-the-best-area-to-stay-in-belize/), and it is also an unusual country for being one of the few English-speaking countries of Central America; culturally, it is more similar to the Caribbean than Central America.