The British exploration of Palenque that set out from Belize was the only one to reach the Stone Houses from the eastern side of the Yucatán peninsula: "up the River Belize via Peten on the lake of Itza to Polenki- By adopting this route, the actual position of the Lake of Itza will be ascertained by observation taken on the spot" MacDonald to Lord Russell, cited in Pendergast 1967:31. This route was combined with the search for navigable routes that would allow the extraction of the hardwood timber needed to expand the railway systems in Europe.
La exploración británica de Palenque iniciada desde Belice es la única que ingresa a las Casas de Piedra desde la base oriental de la península de Yucatán: "up the River Belize via Peten on the lake of Itza to Polenki- By adopting this route, the actual position of the Lake of Itza will be ascertained by observation taken on the spot" Mac-Donald to Lord Russell, citado en Pendergast, 1967, p.31, vía unida a la búsqueda de vías navegables para la extracción de maderas duras requeridas por el tendido de vías férreas en Europa.