Many refugees fleeing from the Spanish conquests of the Yucatan settled at the far frontier town of Tipu in western modern-day Belize. Tipu was at the forefront of the Itza Kingdom and was the stepping stone for the Spanish conquest of the Itza Kingdom.[1]
One of these refugees that had fled from Campeche was very wealthy and planted a grove of 8000 cacao trees. It was said that Tipu was a very wealthy Mayan town.
It was from Tipu that the Fransiscan priests Bartolomé de Fuensalida and Juan Orbita started on their visit to Peten Itza on March 25, 1618. This was the first time any Spaniard had ventured into the Itza Kingdom in 94 years since Cortes passed through in 1524 on his way to Spanish Honduras.[1]
Although the Province of Dzuluinicob was conquered by the Spaniards in 1544, Tipu was too far from colonial powers to be effectively controlled.[2]
In 1642 the entire province of Dzuluinicob was in rebellion against the Spanish. The Mayans abandoned around 8 towns at this time and some 300 families relocated to Tipu.[2]
Between 1638 to 1695 Tipu enjoyed autonomy from Spanish rule, but in 1696 Spanish soldiers used Tipu as a base from which they subdued the surrounding area and supported missionary activities.[2]
In 1697 the Spanish conquered the Itzá, and in 1707, the Spanish forcibly resettled the inhabitants of Tipu to the area near Lago Petén Itzá.[2]
The population estimates vary from 30 in 1622, to 1,100 in 1643 and 1,000 in 1655.[1]
Tipu was excavated in the 1980s.[2]