In this late afternoon view, the Caracol (Spanish word for "snail") sits atop its own platform around which other buildings once stood (see the remains of the structure to the lower right of the platform). The Caracol's name derives from its internal spiral structure, reminiscent of a snail's shell. The building was once an astronomical observatory, its outer wall pierced at several points to allow tracking the paths of several celestial bodies from within the building.