I visited this WHS in Spring 2024 as a detour from Antigua Guatemala before heading to Copan, Honduras. It is rightly famous for its superbly carved and preserved sandstone stelae, 9 of which are protected only by thatched roofs. There are small information boards in front of each stele with hieroglyphic texts and sculpted calendars. The huge trees full of birds surrounding the current site of Quirigua are a mere reminder of the jungle which used to cover these stelae. Old photos of the site can be seen in the small on-site museum, together with photos of the recent flooding. The wooden UNESCO WHS plaque has been changed with another carved one recently.

Stelae A and C are nicknamed as the Creation Stones as they describe the Mayan Creation Myth in about 4 metres of sandstone. Stela K features Quiriguá's last ruler dressed in full regalia, while Stele D depicts Cauac Sky with his unusual beard, who was the most prolific and powerful ruler in Quirigua's history. Stela E is the largest monolithic monument ever erected in the New World and is 10.6 metres tall, with 3 metres of it sunk beneath the ground to hold it upright. Stela I is incredibly ornate and remarkably different from the other stelae in almost every respect. It is of little surprise that it was created by one of the last rulers, Jade Sky. Stela H is most unusual with diagonal date glyphs in groups of four. Another highlight is the Zoomorph B which features the face of Cauac Sky, still with fragments of red paint.