Marco Gonzalez Maya Site

Marco Gonzalez was a small coastal settlement on the southern end of Ambergris Caye, occupied for well over a thousand years and important as a trading and salt-producing point on the sea route along the coast. Excavation has produced obsidian, jade and pottery from across the Maya world. What is visible is low mounds and shell midden, reached along a boardwalk over mangrove, and the site is run by a small local association.

The main sights

• The boardwalk - a raised walk through mangrove to the site.
• The mounds - low structures and shell midden from the settlement.
• The trade evidence - obsidian and jade recovered from across the Maya region.
• The black soil - dark anthropogenic soil created by centuries of occupation.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the most comfortable. Mornings are cooler and better for mosquitoes. The site closes in bad weather.

Good to know

There is very little standing and the visit depends entirely on the guide's explanation. Mosquitoes and sandflies are severe. Opening depends on volunteers being available.

Nearby

San Pedro is north, and Hol Chan is offshore.