In the foothills of the Maya Mountains lies one of the largest ancient cities. There are no modern settlements in this part of Belize. To visit Caracol you need to take the dirt road south of San Igancio. The ruins located are just a few kilometers from the border with Guatemala. In the past, there have been tensions between the Belize military and illegal loggers or Guatemalan smugglers. Military presence in this area is to ensure the safety of tourists. When driving this road, any vehicle must stop at a military checkpoint. Soldiers need to make sure all the cars get back from Caracol before night falls.

The history of Caracol dominated is by wars with two neighbors, Tikal and Naranjo. Continuous wars influenced the city's development and prosperity, but ultimately weakened it and led to its collapse. Caracol, which covered the area of 200 square kilometers and was inhabited by over 100,000 people was permanently abandoned in AD 1050.

The Caana Pyramid, meaning “Sky Palace” at 43 m / 141 ft tall is the tallest structure in Caracol and in the whole Belize. This palace once had over 70 rooms. The structure also served as a temple and contained four royal tombs. The largest of them contained the remains of a highborn woman. The hieroglyphic panel inside the tomb indicated AD 634.

Caana has a triple-temple form and is an example of a triadic pyramid. On the upper single platform located is the dominant structure (pyramid B19) flanked by two smaller inward-facing structures (pyramids B18 and B20). The triadic pyramid has been popular Maya architectural form for centuries.

On the way back we stopped to see some natural attractions. The Rio Frio Cave has a huge entrance that is over 20 m/ 70 ft high. This cave is actually a tall tunnel with a flowing stream. For the ancient Maya, it was a sacred place and was used as a burial site. Another place we visited was the 45 m/ 150 ft waterfall known as Big Rock Falls.