EL PILAR

Straddling the international border of Belize and Guatemala is El Pilar. It is one of the largest classical sites in Belize and not all of it has been explored yet. It is located in Belize’s newest archaeological reserve, which also happens to be a nature reserve with a rich variety of wildlife. The forest has not been cut back like in other sites but just cleared a little bit to display architectural examples. This leaves a sense of discovery that most of the heavily visited Mayan sites lack. Only recently discovered this site is one of the most exciting discoveries in the study of the Maya. An on-site museum is under construction.

Due to its recent discovery, not much is known about the history of El Pilar. What we do know is that the residents began building large structures around B.C. 450 and continued until around 1000 A.D. leaving a little over 15 centuries of construction. Some research has showed that El Pilar is on a strategic location for the Maya because of a small but navigable river that links Tikal with the Caribbean Sea.

So far the estimated size of El Pilar is around 100 acres or 38 hectares. The site is more than three times the size of Xunantunich. The tallest building stands 70 feet above the forest floor. The site is divided into three main districts, Xaman (North) Pilar, Nohol (South) Pilar, and Pilar Poniente (West). Some of the largest structures at El Pilar are centred around the 1.5 acre Plaza Copal. Around this plaza are four large pyramids and a ball court. You can enter this plaza either by a huge staircase from the north or by the causeways, which run from the east and west. Towards the southern end of the plaza is a small residential area which was especially reserved for El Pilar´s elite. The Xaman Pilar has a complex maze of pyramids, palace structures, underground tunnels, and stairs all guarded by only one six foot wide entrance. It has six plazas with Plaza Fraisen being the largest at about 1 acre and Plaza Jobo being the smallest at only 59 by 23 feet. Across the border in Guatemala is the Pilar Poniente. It also has a collection of plazas, pyramids, and a ball court. It has been estimated that there are about 540 structures per square mile in El Pilar.

The earliest report of El Pilar was in 1972 because of looting. Full-scale investigation and excavation began in 1993 by BRASS (Belize River Archaeological Settlement Survey) headed by Dr. Anabel Ford. In 1997 El Pilar was listed on World Monument Fund's 100 Most Endangered Sites in the World along with such high profile sites as Ankor Wat, Pompeii, and the Taj Mahal.

El Pilar is 12 miles north of San Ignacio and just beyond the village of Bullet Tree Falls. Take the Bullet Tree Road, cross the Mopan River Bridge and you will see a sign directing you to El Pilar Road. The road is approved for all types of weather so you can visit any season.

The El Pilar Archaeological Reserve is a refuge for flora and fauna. Only open for a few years it is already considered the finest bird watching site in western Belize. You have a chance to see toucans, scarlet macaws, and other parrots. There is also a sizable population of sloth, deer, armadillo, tapirs, and jaguars. The Reserve has now a total of six trail systems. Three of these are archaeological and the others nature. After being lost for so many years, the city of El Pilar is once again coming into the public attention.