Church

Evidence of Lamanai's history during the Spanish colonial period.

View from a high vantage point of a lush green jungle with palm trees and a cloudy blue sky, with a stone structure and railing in the foreground.

Ancient stone step pyramid surrounded by lush green trees with a clear blue sky in the background.

The Spanish churches are another important highlight because they show what happened at Lamanai after the arrival of the Spanish. Spanish missionaries built churches at the site as they tried to introduce Christianity to the Maya population. The remains of these churches show that Lamanai continued to be occupied during the Spanish colonial period. They also show the cultural changes and interactions that took place between the Maya and the Spanish. This makes the churches important because they connect Lamanai’s ancient Maya history with its later colonial history.