On The Mainland

Explore the Caves and Rivers

River Cave Tubing and Belize Zoo Adventure

This wonderful day begins as we make our way towards the mainland and up the Old Belize River. Once in the river, we serve a light breakfast while you encounter wildlife such as crocodiles, iguanas and howler monkeys. When we reach Manatee Lookout, we board a private bus with your guide, who will take you to Jaguar Paw.

At Jaguar Paw the guide takes you along a jungle path up to the caves. Then it is time to put on your head lamps and to splash into the cool water in individual inner tubes and float your way through cave systems where the Maya people once worshiped among the limestone and crystal formations.

Once back at Jaguar Paw you can change into dry cloths and enjoy lunch. Next it is on to the famous Belize Zoo, not your average zoo and well worth the trip. Finally it’s back to the swift boat for the ride back to San Pedro.

Includes: Breakfast, lunch, beer, sodas, rum punch and snacks. This adventure departs at 7:00 am and returns at approximately 5:30 pm

Note: this trip can also be done with either a Horseback riding at Banana Bank Lodge or the Jungle Zip Line adventure, instead of the Belize Zoo option.

Jungle Zip Line and Cave Tubing Adventure

This wonderful day begins as we make our way towards the mainland and up the Old Belize River. Once in the River, we will serve a light breakfast while you encounter wildlife such as crocodiles, iguanas and howler monkeys. When we reach Manatee Lookout we board a private bus with a guide who takes you to Jaguar Paw.

At Jaguar Paw, you travel through the jungle to the Zip Line, where you climb to the first platform. From there you “Zip” through the jungle in eight different stages. After about an hour and a half, you return to the resort lunch.

After lunch, your guide takes you along a jungle trail up to the entrance to the caves. Then it is time to put on your head lamps, splash into the cool water in individual inner tubes and float your way through cave systems of limestone and crystal formations where the Mayan people once worshiped.

Includes: Breakfast, lunch, beer, sodas, rum punch and snacks. This adventure departs at 7:00 am and returns at approximately 5:30 pm

Actun Tunichil Muknal Belize Cave Tours – Mainland Stays Only

For the fit and adventurous this is hands down the most talked about cave in Belize. Discovered in 1989 and open to the general public since 1998, the ATM cave is a full five kilometers deep. After a 45 minute hike in the cool tropical rainforest and across three streams you enter its hourglass-shaped mouth for a 10 meters swim in water at most 5 meters deep, to land on a rock shelf. The next 600+ meters is a journey of well over a half hour filled with many sharp & slippery edges, water depth alternates from just covering your toes to portions where only the tallest won’t need to swim. Along the way you pass many calcite formations, a few which have undergone minor sculpting (purpose unknown), by the Maya. After this distance, you ascend 2 or 3 meters to a shelf above the river. From this point forward is shallow ground, where you walk barefoot (with socks only).

As you go forward you encounter increasing amounts of pottery of all sizes, their condition from near intact to completely shattered. Cataloged within the cave are over 1400 artifacts – pottery, tools, and ceremonial items dating from 1 to 1000 AD – including over 200 vessels. While over half of all the items appear in plain sight in small pools, they are also tucked away between stalagmites, on small, high shelves or other unusual places. The artwork found in Actun Uayazba Kab in unmatched when compared to any other site.

A not-so-common artifact are human remains. So far, remains from fourteen individuals have been found; 7 adults & 7 children, all under the age of 5. These are not the ceremonial burials found in the other two caves in the area, but are sacrificial victims. They were all likely sacrificed in the hopes of appeasing the gods and bringing rain. Young victims, particularly females, were important for rituals to be “zuhui” – pure & uncontaminated in the eyes of the gods. The Crystal Maiden was a young woman of about 20 years old whose complete remains lie at the back of the cave. It is believed that she was clubbed and left for dead, and with the passing of time she has been cemented to the floor in a layer of brown calcite. (To reach her final resting place, you must climb aluminum ladders mounted on a sheer rock face!) Don’t choose this tour if you are not an extreme adventure lover, it is not for the faint hearted!

Rio Frio Cave – Mainland Stays Only

The massive mouth of the Rio Frio cave is its signature. Belize potentially has the largest cave system in Central America, with the dome of Rio Frio being the largest in the country as well.

Large boulders, some covered with moss, allow for climbing high up along the side near the wall of the cave, and stepping-stone stairs have also been set to make the hike easier. When inside the cave, the other large entrance (or exit) can also be seen, as the entire cave is less than half-mile long. A river runs through the cave, and in the dry season, it is possible to hike through to the other side. This less traveled path reveals another trail outside the cave, and some smaller caves are accessible from here. Flashlights are always a good idea, but are not necessary, as the cave has natural light filtering through most of the day, since both entrances are not far from each other.

A visit to the enormous Rio Frio Cave is highly recommended, when in the Mountain Pine Ridge area. This is probably one of Belize’s least strenuous cave tours, so if you have a specific interest in caves, and enjoy adventure, consider this your first of many, all with varying degrees of difficulty.

The Belize Zoo & Tropical Education Center

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center was started in 1983, as a last ditch effort to provide a home for a collection of wild animals which had been used in making documentary films about tropical forests.

Shortly after the backyard “zoo” began, it was quickly realized that its Belizean visitors were unfamiliar with the different species of wildlife which shared their country. This very aspect fomented the commitment to develop the little zoo into a dynamic wildlife education center.

Today, The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center is settled upon 29 acres of tropical savanna and exhibits over 125 animals all native to Belize. The zoo keeps animals which were orphaned, born at the zoo, rehabilitated animals, or sent to The Belize Zoo as gifts from other zoological institutions.

A visit to the zoo is the best way to get an introduction to the animals of Belize, and to understand why it is important to protect the habitats that sustain them. We hope this website will be the next best thing to visiting us in person.

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center believes that by bringing the people of Belize closer to the animals which are their natural heritage, they will feel proud of these special resources, and want to protect them for future generations.