The southern part of Belize is located to the southeast of the Maya Mountains, in a small strip where you will find several rivers flowing into the Gulf of Honduras. This gave the settlements strategically to control trade routes which connected the Caribbean regions of the Central lowlands and the southeastern periphery of the Maya Area. The colonial Chronicles also indicate that this was an important region for the cultivation of cocoa, which was favored by the high annual rainfall. Its main archaeological sites include Lubaantún, located on a rise near the Columbia River. It is characterized by its architecture made with dark slate blocks, which were assembled without any mixing. The ceremonial Centre of Lubaantún measuring 984 ft. length and consists of four squares and three ball courts. Two pyramidal temples (Structures 10 and 12) are also in the central part of the ceremonial center and the largest rises by 36 ft. from its base. The site has a visitor’s Center.