Maya Stele Sacrifice Island AC Black Flag Resynced: the walkthrough

Alexandre Jollier July 21, 2026 at 5:50 PM

In brief

Sacrifice Island hides one of the 16 Maya Stones to unlock - an optional but worthwhile puzzle that rewards an exclusive outfit and protection against projectiles. A few minutes are enough to solve it once you're there, provided you know the exact order of the totem manipulations.

Sacrifice Island isn't on the main story path - if you follow the quests without straying off course, you'll miss it. The Maya Stele puzzle here is optional, but it rewards one of the 16 Maya Stones needed to unlock one of the best rewards in the game. Set aside a few minutes once you're there, no more.

Accessing the puzzle: location and enemies

Sacrifice Island is located west of Havana, at the edge of the map, at coordinates (18, 548). The island is occupied by Spanish soldiers. Two options: a stealthy approach by skirting south, or a direct clear-out if you'd rather not overthink it. The second option is often quicker, honestly.

The puzzle is located right next to the island's southern viewpoint. Climb the tallest Maya pillar - the central totem - to trigger the puzzle.

Solving the stele puzzle

Once activated, glowing lines project onto the ground forming a triangle, with a circle at each of its three corners. Three stones on the ground need to align with these circles. Here are the steps in order:

Orient the triangle so that it points in the direction opposite Edward.
Center the triangle so that it's properly positioned between the three stones on the ground.
Reduce the size of the projected lines until each circle lines up exactly with a stone.

When all three alignments are correct, an area lights up at the center of the triangle. Interact with the ground at that spot: Edward digs, and retrieves a Maya Stone.

What is the Maya Stone collected here used for?

The stone from Sacrifice Island is one of 16 Maya Stones to collect throughout the archipelago, all tied to the Maya Mysteries side quest. Every island with a stele puzzle contains one.

Once all 16 are gathered, head to the Maya Temple of Tulum - in the northwestern corner of the island. You'll automatically pass through Tulum during a main mission in Sequence 4, so you can't miss it. Inside the temple, at the back, there's a stone wall with slots: insert the 16 stones to unlock the reward.

And the reward is worth the grind: an exclusive Maya outfit and a trinket that makes Edward immune to projectiles - meaning bullets no longer do anything to you. In the mid-game, that's frankly broken. Plenty of motivation to do a bit of exploring off the story's beaten path.

Do you explore the optional puzzles or focus on the main story?

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Maya stele located on Sacrifice Island?

It's located right next to the island's southern viewpoint. Climb the central totem to activate it.

Do you need to eliminate all the soldiers before you can access the puzzle?

Not necessarily - you can take the stealth approach by skirting along the south side. But in practice, clearing everything out directly is often faster and less stressful.

What's the exact order to solve the triangle puzzle?

First orient the triangle in the direction opposite Edward, center it between the three stones, then shrink it until each circle lines up exactly with a stone on the ground.

What does the Maya Stone on Sacrifice Island actually do?

It's one of the 16 Maya Stones needed to complete the Maya Mysteries side quest. Once all 16 are gathered at the Tulum Temple, you unlock a jewel that grants Edward immunity to projectiles - a reward that's honestly very powerful.

Key takeaways

The puzzle triggers by climbing the central totem after clearing the island of Spanish soldiers.
You need to orient the triangle away from Edward, center it, then shrink it until the three stones align perfectly.
The 16 Maya Stones gathered at the Tulum Temple unlock a jewel that makes Edward immune to bullets - frankly broken in the mid-game.
Sacrifice Island is located west of Havana at coordinates (18, 548), at the edge of the map.