Current Watch Site

Located near the Motagua River in Guatemala, Quiriguá is an archaeological site dating to the Classic Maya period. The monumental complex of pyramids, terraces, and stairways are echoes of a time when the city prospered from trade in jade and obsidian under the rule of K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat, between 724 and 785. (...)

Located near the Motagua River in Guatemala, Quiriguá is an archaeological site dating to the Classic Maya period. The monumental complex of pyramids, terraces, and stairways are echoes of a time when the city prospered from trade in jade and obsidian under the rule of K'ak' Tiliw Chan Yopaat, between 724 and 785. Quiriguá is best known for its superb sculptures, including sandstone stelae in the archaeological park, carved with striking anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures, including the tallest Maya stele ever discovered. Quiriguá was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981.

Quiriguá faces many conservation challenges, as it is located in a high-risk seismic zone, and it is exposed to storms and hurricanes that cause flooding and landslides regularly in the region. Illegal timber cutting and deforestation from agricultural activities have greatly increased the risk of flooding, as more than 70% of the forest cover in the surrounding valley has been lost in recent years. Damage from a tropical storm in May 2010 forced the temporary closure of the park.