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The Marco Gonzalez Maya Reserve is a Mayan site located about 5 miles south of San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye. This site is unique to Belize's Mayan sites in that it existed along a maritime trade route that existed between the Yucatan and Central America. This is an active archeological site, and there are currently 49 known structures inside the reserve, with a trail traveling to each of them. Structures, in this case, mean small stone mounds and foundation outlines.
The site is thought to have been active between 100 B.C. and A.D. 1500. Mayan activity on the site was first found by archeologists in 1984. Currently, Marco Gonzalez Maya Reserve is one of 22 sites on Ambergris Caye that have been recognized as archeological sites. At just over 7.5 acres, Marco Gonzalez is the largest of those sites, and evidence shows that the above-water area was much larger 2,000 years ago. It's believed that today the site is only 15 to 20% excavated.
While there is not much standing, the site's location sees far fewer visitors than other Mayan sites. As of spring 2019, plans are in the works to construct a visitor center at the entrance to the reserve. The Marco Gonzalez Maya Reserve is located at milemarker 5.25 on the main dirt road following Ambergris Caye's eastern shoreline to the south. Under normal conditions, golf carts are able to make the drive. Visiting the site requires a 0.25-mile hike in on the plank walkway.
The site is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $20BZ for non-residents. Visitors should bring mosquito spray, as the insects here are especially bad. More information can be found at the Marco Gonzalez Maya Reserve.
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