There are many ways to learn about the world of the Maya. We explore the civilizations of the Maya the adventure way. Our company derives its roots from the same spirit the Mayan warriors lived by in their quest for adventure.

Ancient Maya

Belize was the home of the earliest Mayan settlements as proven by glyph translations and diggings. Archaeologists have found traces in the Orange Walk District of Mayan communities to as far back as 2000 B.C.

Mayans considered themselves, and still do, as products of the ceiba tree. This tree is said to be in the center of the universe, holds up the heaven and is a symbol of life.

The fact that the Mayans have contributed the concept of the zero among other things, tells that they had an advanced civilization. Yet it is somewhat a mystery why such a civilization disintegrated. One theory that has been accepted is due to the type of militarism.

The Mayans in one community only identified with their priest and nobles. They considered Mayans in other communities, including those not living far way, as enemies.

Maya Civilization

Archaeologists estimate that at their peak, 1 to 2 million Native Americans lived within the borders of present day Belize. Mighty cities such as Caracol, Xunantunich and Lamanai dotted the landscape, with small agricultural communities farming the land between. The Maya civilization is divided into the Pre-Classic (1000 B.C. to A.D. 300), the Classic (A.D. 300 to 900) when the civilization reached its height of development, and the Post-Classic (A.D. 1000 to 1500) when the civilization fell apart and disappeared.

No one knows for certain what caused the disappearance of the Maya. Perhaps it was war, loss of faith, famine or a series of natural disasters.

Maya Today

There are three groups of Mayas present in Belize namely the Yucatec, Mopan and Kekchi Mayas.

The Yucatec originated from Yucatan, and came to Belize in the mid nineteenth century running from the War of Castes. They now reside in the Corozal and Orange Walk Districts. The Yucatec Mayas have exchanged their spoken language for English and Spanish, as well as their traditional rituals.

The Mopan Mayas, who were fleeing taxation and forced labor, came to Belize in 1886 from Peten. Settlements can be found in San Antonio Village in Toledo District and other villages in the Cayo District.

Kekchi Mayans came to Belize in 1870's, running from enslavement by the German coffee growers in Verapaz. They settled in the lowland areas along rivers and streams, forming small isolated villages throughout Toledo. Because of their isolation, the Kekchi have become the most self reliant ethnic group in Belize. They are also peaceful people known for their cooperative practices in farming and cultural development.

All Mayans have become very much concerned with retaining their cultural identity as Mestizos and Creoles consider their culture to be inferior.