The Acropolis de Quiriguá (or Acropolis of Quiriguá) is a National Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site in southeast Guatemala. The site is 200 kilometers (125 miles) from Guatemala City, 48 kilometers (30 miles) north of the archeological site of Copán in Honduras, and 15.7 kilometers (9.8 miles) northwest of the Honduras border.
Quiriguá is one of the last important remnants of the tropical rainforest and a final refuge for native species of flora and fauna. The 34 hectare (84 acre) archeological park has been developed for tourism. It features a parking lot, site museum, and sanitation facilities. This site was declared a National Monument in 1970 and upgraded to a National Park on June 19, 1974. 7 years later, in 1981, the site was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
UNESCO declared the ancient city of major cultural importance due to the exquisitely detailed stelae of the site. Stelae are monuments that consist of tall, sculpted stone that are often referred to as alters. The importance of the stelae is unconfirmed; however, many include hieroglyphs depicting historical information about the city that they’re featured in. The superb stelae of Quiriguá include both anthromorphic and zoomorphic figures of incredible detail.
The Mayan’s used stones that were built from local rocks made of hard red sandstone, that was implausible to shear or fracture. The stelae of Quiriguá are often referred to as the grandest and most detailed from the Mayan world. The tallest stelae ever discovered, Stelae E, measures at an astonishing 10 meters (33 feet) and weighs an impressive 55 tons.
An Ancient Dynasty
Quiriquá is on the southeast border of the Maya lowlands, dating back to the Classic Maya period. The ancient city is on the northeast bank of the Motagua River and was a major crossroads for trade throughout the region. Due to the strategic location of the city, Quiriguá, was able to control major trade routes and prosper from the industries of jade and obsidian.
It is believed that the city was founded around 550 AD. The most prosperous period was during the 8th century under the ruler known as K’ak’Tiliw Chan Yopaat. He was able to sustain the prosperty for 61-years, between 724 and 785 AD. Most of the site’s monuments, stelae, and acropolis had been erected during his reign, with an explosion of construction during the 8th century.
The dynasty dominated both the region of the Motagua River and Copán River. Quiriguá was originally under the control of the Copán dynasty. However, in 738, the Quiriguá dynasty managed to secure independence and would eventually subjugate Copán. According to the hieroglyphs on some of the stelae of the site, it is believed that Quiriguá captured the ruler of Copán and sacrificed him upon arrival to the city.
During the 9th century, Quiriguá experienced mass population decline. The ancient city suffered from the Classic Maya collapse. The region experienced a significant decrease in trade, the entire reason the city had gained significance in the first place.
The first outside visitor was a European native Frederick Catherwood who published his first-hand account in 1840. With the intentions of banana production, the site was bought in 1910, with large swaths of land, by the United Fruit Company with the intentions of banana production. They set aside 30 hectares (75 acres around the ceremonial center) as an archeological park. This ancient city was one of the first Mayan sites to be extensively researched. However, little to no restoration’s efforts begun, causing the ruins to be overgrown by the jungle until the 1970’s.
From 1974-79 extensive archeological research was sponsored and conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, the National Geographic Society, and the Guatemalan Instituto de Antropología y Historia (Guatemalan Institute of Anthropology and History). The project cleaned the monuments and stelae, excavated the acropolis, and studied several outlying groups.
This archeological site is one that is off the beaten path. I have yet to meet anyone else that has made the trek to get down to this small but impressive site. There are two ways to get here, the most obvious being a car rental. If you’re like me and travel solo while on a tight budget, then collectivos and busses are the better option.
How to Get There
I would highly recommend using Rio Dulce as a base camp and launching point. The collectivos pick up from the main street and are passenger vans that generally include five rows of seats. The first collectivo you’ll want to catch will be headed to Morales. Locals are incredibly friendly and can help with where exactly to catch the bus.
When I took this collectivo, it departed from in front of Pollo Express, looking at the Puente Rio Dulce (Rio Dulse Bridge) it was on the left side of the highway that passes through town. I took this trip in April 2022 and the price was 40 Quetzales (roughly $5.50). I want to take this moment to note, that my return collectivo from Morales to Rio Dulce was 10Q more expensive and totaled 50Q to get back to Rio Dulce.
Visitors want to transfer in Morales to a large bus headed to Guatemala City for 20Q ($2.75). Be sure to jump off at the connecting street to the Acropolis of Quiriguá. Tell the driver your destination when paying for the ticket, as this will help you avoid paying to go to Guatemala City. Don’t forget to ask the driver when to get off, they’re generally happy to make sure it’s the right stop! I like to keep an eye on Google Maps, by having a downloaded offline map, to make sure that I don’t miss any turnoffs.
The bus will drop you off right next to the small town of Quiriguá, at a junction across from the school. Visitor’s will want to walk down the connecting road for 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) to get to the entrance of the archeological site. There is also the option, to do as I did, and hitchhike this portion of road. I got a ride in both directions on the back of a motorcycle. The entrance fee cost 80Q ($10.75) for foreigners and 20Q for Guatemalan natives with identification.
I spent an afternoon and was surprised to find that I was the only foreigner visiting. I saw about 10 other people throughout the duration of my exploration, that did not work there. It was difficult to not be in complete awe of the stunning detail in the sandstone created by the Mayans. Somehow the sandstone withstood the sands of time and avoided significant erosion. Unlike most every other site I’d been to, Quiriguá features nothing but incredible art with the finest attention to detail. Each stelae told an impressive story outlined by archeologist’s discoveries and interpretations, according to the signs posted.
Anyone that is interested in visiting this small but magnificent site should take the time to do so. It’s worth taking a day trip to see just how impressive the stonework is in person. It’s the perfect stop for backpackers dying to get off the beaten track and see something most others skip over. I would also highly recommend this stop for families. It’s the perfect place to spend the day and immerse oneself in Mayan culture.
Quick Notes:
- Collectivo from Rio Dulce to Morales: 40Q
- Bus from Morales to Quiriguá: 20Q
- Collectivo from Quiriguá returning to Morales: 20Q
- Collectivo from Morales to Rio Dulce: 50Q
- Archeological Site Entrance Fee: 80Q Foreigners and 20Q Guatemalans
