Day 1: Cayo District
Arrival to Belize International Airport Private Minibus Transfer to Cayo District – Unguided Overnight at Blancaneaux Lodge Cayo District Located in the western section of the country and bordering Guatemala's department of El Petén, the Cayo District is a vast highland stretch of rainforests, ranches, and some of the country's most remote and rugged terrain. It's a region you head to not for beaches (there are none), but rather for Maya ruins, extensive cave systems, and the chance to explore the great outdoors on foot, by horse, or in a kayak, raft, or canoe. The country's capital, Belmopan, is located here, but the real hub of the district is San Ignacio, a small town with colonial-era streets and a funky medley of restaurants and shops. Some of Cayo's not-to-miss attractions include the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, the Barton Creek cave, and the ancient Maya city of Caracol.Day 2 : Caracol & Rio Frio Cave & Pools (Private/Guided/Full Day)
Caracol & Rio Frio Cave & Pools (Private/Guided/Full Day) Pick up at your hotel and transfer into the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve which is a 106,000 acre, protected national park. After the Mountain Pine Ridge we start to see that the mountain changes from Pine Forest to Tropical Rainforest and we enter the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. About 1 hour drive from the Pine Ridge we arrive at the beautiful Maya site of Caracol (which means the Snail), named by the archeologists because they found the lather of the snails on site. The original name is "Oxwitza'' which means the sky place. Caracol is the largest archeological site in Belize, covering 30 square miles of thick, high canopy jungle, and includes five plazas, an astronomical observatory and over 35,000 buildings that have been identified. The loftiest among them, a massive pyramid (Caana) capped by three temples and rises over 140 feet above the jungle floor. Guests enjoy a private guided tour of the site with entrances and picnic lunch included. We then return to the hotel and on the way back guests can choose to stop and explore the Rio-on Pools and Rio Frio Caves if they wish. Activity Includes: Private transfers & guide, picnic lunch, admission fees. Overnight at Blancaneaux LodgeDay 3: Actun Tunichil Muknal
Breakfast. Actun Tunichil Muknal "Cave of the Stone Sepulcher" is one of the most impressive caves in the Maya lowland. Located in the heart of the Belizean Rainforest, this cave was a sacred place to the pre-hispanic Mayas of Belize, who first began to use the entrance during the early classic period (300-600AD.) The cave system consists of a series of chambers, ending in a 300 by 50 meter Cathedral where sacrificial ceremonies once took place. Visitors to this cave have the opportunity to travel into the Maya past and witness a living museum where the human sacrifices and artifacts can be viewed in their original context. On the tour, guests will drive to the trailhead and trek for 45 minutes through dense Jungle in the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve, wading across three streams and learning about the flora and fauna of the Jungle. At the entrance of the Cave guests are outfitted in the necessary equipment. Some swimming will be required and also climbing and caving activity. Guests will spend 3 hours in the cave after which they may also visit a nearby dry cave to see ancient inscriptions and handprints of which the origins are unknown. This is a first class caving and archaeological experience. Due to the limited number of accredited guides for the ATM cave in Belize this tour might be collective, especially in high season from November through April. Transport to and from the ATM cave will be guaranteed private. Activity Includes: Private transfers, group adventure guide, admission fees, flashlights & hard hats, picnic lunch. Overnight at Blancaneaux LodgeDay 4 : Xunantunich
Xunantunichi, pronounced 'Shoo - Nan - Tu - Nich', gets its name from a legendary folktale about the ghost of a woman who as locals have it inhabited the sacred grounds as far back as the late 1800’s. A classic period (300 – 900AD) ceremonial center located just a stone’s throw away from San Ignacio in the beautiful Maya village of San Jose Succotz, making this one of the most accessible Maya Temples in the area. Xunantunich boasts Belize’s second largest Maya structures named El Castillo (The Castle) standing 130 feet and offering an astonishing panoramic view of the Maya Mountains. On the way to Placencia we pa ss the St Hermans’s Cave and the Blue Hole National Park. Here we pass an amazing time swimming and having fun. At the entrance of St. Herman's Cave, you will walk the actual steps that the Mayan Shamans walked as they entered Xibalba, “The Underworld”. Enter into an exciting world of rivers disappearing into the darkness as you float on inner tubes with views of massive cathedral size chambers, huge stalagmites and stalactites and crystal formations over 5,000,000 years old. During the incredible tour, floating on your tube on the underground river, you will enjoy amazing waterfalls and exciting rapids. At the end of the cave where the river flows under the wall, our guides will ask you to turn off your helmet lights. Once you do so you will be in total darkness. Whether you keep your eyes open or close it won’t make a difference. If you stay silent and pay keen attention, you will be able to recognize all the sounds of the cave. The water flowing, the waterfalls, the tiny bats that live in the walls above and other sounds that will be unfamiliar to you. It was there where I really felt the mysticism of this cave. Now I can understand why the Mayans used it for their rituals, it is indeed magical! After that remarkable experience in the darkness while floating through the river in such an ancient cave, you will go out to the inland Blue Hole National Park which is just a 3 minute drive from St. Herman's cave. At the inland Blue Hole you can swim and relax in a clear sapphire pool surrounded by sheer rock walls, hardwood trees and tangled vines, all emerging from a collapsed karst sinkhole 25 feet deep. The water, on its way from a tributary to the Sibun River, appears briefly in this jungle setting before disappearing into a large underwater cavern. Placencia Naia Studio Beach View BBDay 5: Placencia- Moho Caye Belize magic island
Enjoy this little private island paradise for swimming and snorkelling Today we will visit the island of your dreams. Placencia Naia Studio Beach View BBDay 6: Ambergris Caye
Flight transfer from Placencia to Ambergris Caye The largest of Belize's islands, Ambergris Caye runs parallel to the magnificent Belize Barrier Reef. Once home to the ancient Maya (they created the island by digging a channel between it and Mexico), Ambergris is located 56 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Belize City and is accessible by boat or plane. It's a popular destination for diving, snorkeling, sailing, fishing, kayaking, and windsurfing; trips to nearby Caye Caulker and the mainland are easy to plan, too. Formerly a fishing village, San Pedro is the island's only town; its sandy streets are lined with waterfront restaurants, hotels, tiki bars, and dive shops. Visitors to Ambergris should note that in order to protect the caye's natural environment, Belizean law prohibits the removal of coastal sea grass. Properties do their best to clean up grass that washes up on shore, but it's not uncommon to find a bit of sea green next to your cold bottle of Belikin. Las Terrazas Room BBDay 7: The Blue Hole
Today we have a flight over the famous Blue Hole-a divers dream Las Terrazas Room BBDay 8: Hol Chan & Shark Ray Alley
Today we invite you for a snorkelling tour with nursery sharks and stingrays. Although this might sound scary they are completely save to swim with Hol Chan & Shark Ray Alley Snorkel Tour (Collective/Half Day/Boat) Hol Chan means Little Channel in Mayan and is a natural break on the barrier reef where ocean depth ranges from 3 to 30 feet. Here guests will enjoy seeing the breathtaking myriad of marine life and huge coral garden, among which are flourishing staghorn corals and sea fans. Shark Ray Alley is a shallow water snorkel where guests will enjoy swimming with the harmless nurse sharks and southern stingrays - this trip is a famous snorkel trip and a "must do'' for Belize. Activity Includes: Snorkel Equipment, transfers and a guide. Not Included: Lunch, $10 USD park fee per person which guests must pay locally, tips & gratuities Las Terrazas Room BBDay 9:
Taxi transfer to San Pedro Airstrip. Watertaxi to Belize city and transfer to the international airportIncluded:
-Accommodation as mentioned, double occupancyNot Included:
-Alcoholic beverages or additional beverages with mealsPlease note:
• All prices are in US Dollars