Cacao was one of the most important crops of the lowland Maya. Ethnohistoric sources document that the postclassic colonial period Maya settlement of Tipu in western Belize was an important cacao growing center, yet evidence of where the cacao was grown is not apparent. The authors analyzed the suitability of floodplain, terrace, and bedrock soils for cacao cultivation. The results indicate that the soils most likely to have been used for cacao growth were those on the modern floodplain of Macal River, based on their physical properties and chemical analysis. In addition, buried stone walls of late classic or postclassic age that may have been used for field demarcation were found on the floodplain, suggesting that this geomorphic surface was also utilized well before the time of Spanish contact, possibly for intensive agriculture.