Strategically located on a spit of land on the South eastern part of Chetumal Bay, Cerros began as a small fishing village in Pre-Classic times. It grew to become an important trading center between Northern Yucatan (salt and honey) and the Maya Highlands to the south and west (obsidian and jade).

There are no roads leading to Cerros and a short boat ride from Tony's in Corozal Town was the only way of reaching the site.

The main structures at Cerros were built from 50BC to 100AD and one of the most important buildings is the one I have chosen to illustrate for this gallery, Structure 5C-2nd. This small Temple-like structure backs right onto the bay on a north-south axis and was the first structure of several that compose the main core of the site.

On each side of the stairway lay two platforms with a temple at the very top. The platforms were adorned with massive stucco masks depicting elements of Maya cosmology and social order. On the upper platform to the left, the backdrop and mask depicted the setting of the Evening Star. To the upper right, the mask depicted the rising of the Morning Star. The mask on the lower left depicted the sun setting to the west and on the right of the platform the sun was depicted rising in the east. This was a grand design, indeed, for a king who would ascend the stairway and, before the whole community, perform the ritual act of shaman on his sacred journey.

A sense of awe surrounded me as I stood there. I imagined the masks being vividly painted and I created the scene complete with musicians summoning the gods and the throngs of people observing the king's performance amongst the burning torches and intense smoky smell of copal incense.

In addition to the temple structures, Cerros is almost entirely surrounded by a series of canals and raised fields for farming. I suggest further reading in the book, " Forest of Kings," in David Freidel’s chapter entitled, "Cerros: The Coming of Kings."

Whatever great spirits you may conjure up at Cerros today, please keep in mind that it is the home of the tiny mosquito and I strongly recommend a repellent to keep them at bay.