Ceibal was built on cliffs, about 100 m above the Pasión River , a major tributary of the Usumacinta River . About 100 km downstream, the river joins the Passion Salinas River to form the Usumacinta, which flows north to the Gulf of Mexico . The site is located in northern Guatemala , in the department of Petén , 16 km east of the city of Sayaxché . Ceibal is located 27 km east ofDos Pilas , the ancient Mayan city Late Classic, and 100 km south of Tikal . The Lake Petén Itzá is located 60 km north of the ruins.
Ceibal is located amidst tropical forests on a plain ground limestone with an undulating and flat intermittently
