Central America
Guatemala
Izabal Department
Quirigua
Things to Do in Quirigua
Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua
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Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua

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Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua
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236
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
236 reviews
Excellent
142
Very good
83
Average
11
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Ramadama
New Providence, NJ2,230 contributions
Interesting park
Jan 2023 • Couples
This was a very interesting archeological Park where the Mayan Kings at their peak erected sandstone statues documenting their accomplishments. It take about an hour to walk through the whole park and read the signage.
Written 16 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Spencer N
2 contributions
A tranquil and fascinating Mayan ruin
Dec 2022
If you are going to visit Eastern Guatemala, Quirigua is worth seeing. It was about a two hour drive from Chiquimula, where I was staying, and it's in the middle of a Del Monte banana farm. The Estela's are fascinating, and the inscriptions and carvings rival those in Copan. There are three small shops there: one sells snacks and drinks, and the other two sell souvenirs, and more important, bug repellent (in case you forgot to bring some). The park has been fully restored from the damage caused by the hurricanes a few years ago.
Written 8 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Catherine N Wilde
38 contributions
Slowly recovering from the hurricanes of last year, still gorgeous
Jul 2021
The archaeological park is busy cleaning mud off the monuments from the hurricane last year, which left standing water and mud up to three or four feet up the surface of the monuments. However, since the last time I visited (4 years ago), they have updated the signage and are working hard at cleaning the park up after the hurricanes. It's a great place to visit, located in the middle of banana plantations-- if you drive on the main road around 3pm you might even see the banana train carrying bananas across the street :)
Written 11 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
zug55
Austin, TX54 contributions
Exquisite Mayan Art
Dec 2019
The Quirigua Archaeological park features perhaps the best rock art in the Mayan world--certainly on a par with Copan. The stelae and altars are sublime--the iconographic and artistic qualities of the rock carvings are exquisite. The site also features a small acropolis with interesting buildings, but the site lacks the monumental architecture seen in Tikal or even Copan. This is a relatively small site (completely surrounded by banana plantations) so the average tourist easily can manage the site in a day.

I would recommend that you read up on the site before you visit. You also should be able to hire a local guide,

It is easy to get there by tuk-tuk from the town of Quirigua or from Los Amates. You could also take the bus to the turnoff for the park, but it is a good 20 minute walk to the entrance. I recommend that you stay at the Posada de Quirigua in the town of Quirigua.
Written 5 July 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
WhiteMouseBurrow
Moscow, Russia2,343 contributions
Cozy ruins
Mar 2020
Quiet, cozy ruins - we were the only visitors. And here there is something to see - these are perfectly preserved steles with inscriptions.
Written 13 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
rogerw109
Market Weighton, UK172 contributions
Small Maya archeological site without the crowds
Feb 2020
This is a small interesting Maya site with some interesting carved Stella's in particular one which is the tallest known at 11metres. It is quite an atmospheric place with a small museum on the site. The atmosphere is enhanced by some rather tremendous trees on the site. Well worth a visit en-route to the larger more well known sites.
Written 21 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Jasmine38Chichester UK
Chichester, UK1,770 contributions
Interesting minor Mayan site if you have the benefit of an explanation
Feb 2020 • Couples
This is the smallest of the 3 UNESCO Mayan sites in Guatemala. It's interesting for its stellae which are mainly dedicated to the primary ruler of this city back in around 750 - 800 AD.

We visited with a guide on a cruse ship excursion. Its 1.5 hour bus ride each way from the port. Our guide provided lots of interesting information and explanation. Without this I'm not sure we would have found the site that stimulating although it's in an attractive setting and not too crowded.

We spent around 1.5 hours here with our guide. Alone we would probably have spent considerably less.
Written 17 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Sheryl T
Mahwah, NJ874 contributions
First stop on our Mayan tour
Dec 2019
There are no temples here, but there are individual sculptures where our guide was able to tell us what the glyphs said and what time period they came from. These are mostly vertical structures with dedications.
Written 30 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
kitancat
Louisville, KY66 contributions
Best Mayan stelas, no pyramids
Dec 2019
The rating actually depends on what Mayan stuff you want to see. There are some ruins and a nice park with beautiful clearings and jungle, good bathrooms and shops. However, the showstopper is the monuments covered with sculpture and Mayan writing. If you want pyramids, go to Tikal, etc, but if you want to see the best examples of stone-carved writing, this is a great place to go. A good reference is "Reading the Maya Glyphs" by Coe and Stone.
Written 25 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
AllenO756
Godfrey, IL107 contributions
A nice small archaeological site you can see in a couple of hours.
Nov 2018
I visited Quirigua while driving from Tikal back to Guatemala City. There are no large temples like Tikal or Copan, to which this site is related, but the stellas are larger and more complex than you will see at either site. To get the most out of your visit, make sure you employ the services of a local guide to explain everything you're seeing. Oddly enough, the site itself is only a fraction of how large the city was. The site has been encroach on by banana plantations which you will pass through and on the way out. we had to stop to allow a small banana train to pass in front of our car and a worker from the plantation approached us and showed us pottery fragments they found while working the bananas. If this happens to you, don't buy any artifacts as it is illegal. Other than that, it is a very worthwhile visit.
Written 29 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK AND RUINS OF QUIRIGUA - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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