The main pyramid at Xunantunich, El Castillo, rises to 127 feet (38m). It's a steep climb, but the view from the top is worth it. On a clear day, you'll be able to make out the twin border towns of Benque Viejo, Belize, and Melchor de Menchos, Guatemala.
Try watching the sun rise over the New River Lagoon from a hammock strung on the front porch of your veranda at the Lamanai Outpost Lodge (tel. 800/733-7864 in the U.S., or 322-2199 in Belize; fax 727/864-4062 in the U.S.; www.lamanai.com). It is a view you'll always treasure. The view is lovely throughout the day, but it's worth waking up early for.
The Blue Hole is probably best experienced and viewed from above. A perfectly round sinkhole measuring some 1,000 feet (300m) across in the middle of the Lighthouse Reef Atoll lagoon, the Blue Hole appears as a deep dark blue circle in a sea of shimmering turquoise.
Although the main temple at Cerros is a just a diminutive 70 feet tall (21m), it offers excellent views across Corozal Bay. Moreover, this is an easy climb for most, and far easier than the climbs to the tops of most other major Mayan ceremonial pyramids.
Poking their heads over the dense rainforest canopy, the pyramids of Tikal offer some of the best views to be found in all of Central America. Temple IV is the tallest, and the preferred platform for enjoying this view, but Temple II just off the Great Plaza is really just as good. Get here early, or stay late, to enjoy the views without the hustle and bustle of busloads of tourists.
