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Adventures
Caving
Due to an abundance of limestone and a wet climate, many
fascinating caves are found throughout Belize. The caves
can be either wet or dry and may even include
subterranean waterfalls. Where else but Belize can you
explore and experience caves in an inner tube or canoe,
with only a headlamp to light your way? Caves were used
as ceremonial cites by the ancient Maya, and evidence of
their activities can often be found deep within the
caves. The ancient Maya filled Belize’s caves with
ceremonial pots, sculptures and painted messages on the
slippery limestone walls.
Belizean caves are found
primarily around San Ignacio, in the Cave Branch area,
and the Toledo District. Here are some of the more
notable cave adventures that you can experience near
River House Lodge:
St. Herman's Cave
St. Herman's Cave is a is located in Blue Hole
National Park (at Mile 45 along the Hummingbird
Highway). Be sure to register in the Visitor
Center at the
Blue Hole before entering the park (there is a small
entrance fee).
It is one of the few caves
that you can enter without a guide and will give you a
taste of caving at a very low price. After a short
hike into the jungle on a well marked trail you will
enter the cave on a path with markers, which leads 300
yards into the cave alongside an underground river.
To explore deeper into the
cave you are required to have a guide. With a
guide you will hike further into the cave and also go
cave tubing through 1 km of stream to see bigger caverns
and Mayan ceremonial areas with artifacts.
Crystal Cave
Crystal Cave is one of only ten crystal caves in the
world and is also located in Blue Hole National Park.
You will need a guide to explore this cave and you also
need to be in good shape as getting to and thru the cave
can be challenging.
The jungle hike to the
cave entrance takes about 40 minutes. A 40 feet
rappel lowers you gently into first chamber. The
Crystal cave system goes through miles of huge caverns
that are adorned with speleothems and crystalline
formations.
Artifacts in this cave
include: pottery, beads, obsidian knives, fire pits,
charcoal ash and human skeleton calcified in the
limestone floor.
Caves Branch
The Caves Branch region of Belize is 10 to 20 miles
south of Belmopan along the Hummingbird Highway and has
many exciting and diverse caving opportunities. For the adventurous we
recommend the challenging:
Black Hole Drop -
this tour
starts off with a hike into the jungle, where a sinkhole sitting over 300 feet above the cave
basin below awaits. Guides will rig a rope system for the 300-foot
drop to the cave basin. A tour of the cave follows and
the adventure ends with a climb up a ladder out of the
sinkhole and a return hike out of the
jungle.
Waterfall Cave Expedition
- this tour also starts with a jungle hike and has a
good trek inside the cave as well prior to reaching the
six waterfalls that must be
challenged and conquered before days end. Spectacular crystal formations loom above and
ancient Maya ceremonial centers are hidden in side
chambers. |
