Guatemala - The Caves of Naj Tunich

The Caves of Naj Tunich Archaeological Park is located in the village of La Compuerta, in the municipality of Poptún. The Park lies southeast portion of the Department of Petén on the southern edge of the Maya Mountains, 35 kilometers away from the municipalities of Poptún and San Luis, 7 kilometers from the Belize border, and located within the Maya Mountains/Chiquibul, sector III Biosphere Reserve. The caves of Naj Tunich are proposed as cultural heritage for its outstanding prehispanic rock art. Naj Tunich in the Mayan language of Quiché means "stone house" and it is actually a single cave with a number of branches. The front portion is quite wide providing an impressive access point that greets its visitors. This cave was used by the ancient Maya of southeastern Petén as a center of worship and as a result many clues to this civilization’s magical and religious beliefs have been acquired. Its geological formations are of exceptional beauty and the painted images date back 2,000 years.