3 Best Sights in The Deep South, Belize

Lubaantun, which lies beyond the village of San Pedro Columbia, is southern Belize's premier Maya site and sight. The Late Classic complex was rediscovered in 1924 by German archaeologist Thomas Gann, who gave it a name meaning "place of fallen stones." Lubaantun must have been an awe-inspiring sight: on top of a conical hill, with views to the sea in one direction and the Maya Mountains in the other, its stepped layers of white-plaster stone would have towered above the jungle like a wedding cake. Lubaantun's structures are notable for their rounded corners and precision cutting, with no mortar needed to fit the stones together. No one knows exactly what function the structures served, but the wealth of miniature masks and whistles found suggests it was a center of ceramic production. (The altars so common to other Maya sites are nowhere to be found here.) The trio of ball courts and the central plaza with tiered seating for 10,000 spectators seems like a Maya Madison Square Garden, and you'll occasionally see kids kicking around a soccer ball here. There's a small visitor center at the site. Although this is southern Belize's largest Maya site, visitors are few during the week, and you might find you have the whole place to yourself. Most tour operators in Punta Gorda can arrange trips to Lubaantun, or you can visit by rental car, an easy trip down the San Antonio Road.

Nim Li Punit, a Late Classic site discovered in 1976, has 26 unearthed stelae, including one, Stela 14, that is 30 feet tall—the largest ever found in Belize and the second largest found anywhere in the Maya world. It's a fact that the original names of most Maya complexes in Mesoamerica are lost to to the ages. In a right and rite of first modern encounter, the archaeologists rediscovering each site conferred their own descriptive Modern Mayan, Spanish, or English names on them, and here is another example: Nim Li Punit, which means "Big Hat" in the Kek'chi Mayan language, is named for the elaborate headgear of a ruler pictured on Stela 14. Shady trees cool you off as you walk around the fairly small site (you can see it all in an hour or so). Stop by the informative visitor center on the premises—it's one of Belize's best such facilities—to learn more about the site. Nim Li Punit is near the Kek'chi village of Indian Creek, and children (and some adults) from the village usually come over and offer jewelry and crafts for sale. It is easily accessible via a short dirt road off the Southern Highway.

The Mopan Maya village of San Antonio, 35 miles (56 km) west of Punta Gorda, is Toledo's second-largest town, with a population of about 1,000. Despite the town's name, St. Louis, the French king, is its patron saint. It was settled by people from the Guatemalan village of San Luis, who brought their devotion to their patron and protector with them. The impressive village church, built of stones carted from surrounding Maya ruins, has a stained-glass window donated by another city with a connection to the saint: St. Louis, Missouri. Cacao harvesting has brought a bit of development, prosperity, and infrastructure to San Antonio not seen in the region's other Maya villages. Yet, the people of San Antonio haven't forgotten their ancient heritage: each June 13, they take to the streets for a festival that dates back to pre-Columbian times. The San Antonio waterfall sits a mile outside of town. It cascades a scant eight feet over smooth limestone and is a popular gathering spot for picnickers (and hummingbirds). The road to the Guatemala border—still no official border crossing, but one day, perhaps—passes through San Antonio Village, making access easy. No official accommodation options exist here, but overnight stays can be arranged with local families through the Toledo Ecotourism Association (T.E.A.).