ancient ruins
Xunantunich
An ancient Maya archaeological site featuring El Castillo pyramid with panoramic views across the jungle to Guatemala.
3 km · about 5 min drive
North AmericaGuatemalaPetén
Melchor de Mencos
Petén, Guatemala · North America
About Melchor de Mencos
Melchor de Mencos is worth a stop: 25 minutes from Bullet Tree Falls, 33km from Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM Cave).
Melchor de Mencos is in Petén, Guatemala, with about 11,000 people. The nearest town is Bullet Tree Falls, about 12 km away.
Melchor de Mencos is a municipality in the Petén Department of Guatemala with a population of 23,813. It is situated on the eastern border with Belize, and is the only major border crossing from Guatemala to Belize.
The city was established in April 1960. It is named after Sergeant Major Melchor de Mencos y Varón,Read more
who in 1754 journeyed with a tiny contingent of Spanish colonial troops from what is now Antigua, Guatemala to the coast of present-day Belize, there to combat English "pirates" who had settled that region and established a self-governing community. A large signboard-map at the border crossing between Benque Viejo del Carmen and Melchor depicts Belize as Guatemala's eastern province, consistent with Guatemala's ongoing claim.
Large numbers of its young people attend secondary school across the border in Belize, seeking the competitive benefits of English-language fluency. They can be seen when dropped off on weekday mornings at the Guatemalan end of the pedestrian border crossing, walking through, and boarding the same school buses at the Belizean end, from there to be transported onward to their secondary schools in Benque Viejo del Carmen, Melchor's twin city across the border in Belize, or further afield.
Tensions along the border heightened in the autumn of 2014, following the shooting (presumably by a Guatemalan engaged in illegal exploitation of Belizean timber or other resources) at a major archaeological site in the Cayo District.
Prior to their relocation in 1989, Melchor de Mencos was home to the two training centres of the Guatemalan Army's elite Kaibiles special operations force. The Guatemalan army still maintains a major unit encamped adjacent to the border in Melchor.
The Maya archaeological site of La Blanca is located within the municipality.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Melchor de Mencos?
Within an hour or so of Melchor de Mencos: Xunantunich (3 km), Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM Cave) (33 km), Caracol (34 km), Hummingbird Highway (51 km).
Are there any good drives near Melchor de Mencos?
The nearest famous roads are Hummingbird Highway.
Where is Melchor de Mencos?
Melchor de Mencos is in Petén, Guatemala, about 12 km from Bullet Tree Falls.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 11,457
- Continent
- North America
- Country
- Guatemala
- Region
- Petén
- Timezone
- America/Guatemala
- Coordinates
- 17.0661, -89.1523
Tags
Worth the detour from Melchor de Mencos
5 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM Cave)
A sacred Maya cave with crystal-encrusted skeletons and ceremonial pottery, reached by swimming through an underground river.
33 km · about 40 min drive
ancient ruins
Caracol
The largest Maya site in Belize, once a powerful city-state rivaling Tikal, with the tallest man-made structure in the country.
34 km · about 40 min drive
famous road
Hummingbird Highway
Belize's most beautiful road, winding 87 km from Belmopan to Dangriga past citrus groves, jungle karst hills and the swimmable St. Herman's Blue Hole right beside the tarmac.
51 km · about 60 min drive
landmark
Tikal
Sprawling ancient Mayan city with towering temple pyramids rising above the rainforest canopy of Guatemala.
53 km · about 60 min drive
Driving roads near Melchor de Mencos
- 51 kmHummingbird HighwayBelize's most beautiful road, winding 87 km from Belmopan to Dangriga past citrus groves, jungle karst hills and the swimmable St. Herman's Blue Hole right beside the tarmac.
When to drive here
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
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