Benque Viejo del Carmen is a town in the Cayo District of the nation of Belize, with a population of about 5,200 people, mostly of Maya decent. It is the furthest west sizable population center in Belize, located about 81 miles west of Belize City, by the border with Guatemala. The town was established in the 19th century, mostly by immigrants from Guatemala. The ancient Maya ruins of Xunantunich are near by.