Belize is known for the Mayan ruins, dark caves, the great Blue hole, and incredible reefs. This is the best itinerary, and it tells you how to fit the most of this tiny country into your perfect vacation.
Day 1: San Ignacio & Cahal Pech
Arrive in Belize City airport and then take the public bus or private transportation to this mountainous town. It’s about a 2 hour car ride. I stayed in the hostel Yellow Belly Backpackers and I can not recommend it enough. The people that work here are the sweetest. They helped me book a cave tubing tour when my original cancelled and they provided me rice when my phone had some water damage to it. Link down below:
Hostel | Yellow Belly Backpackers | San Ignacio
After settling in, I walked to the Cahal Pech ruins. The ruins are set on top of the mountain overlooking the Macal river. It has 8 interconnected plazas which contain 34 structures. The structures include pyramids, temples, and even a ball court. It costs 5 USD or 10 BZD to get in. I had the ruins all too myself .
Day 2: Cave Tubing at Nohoch Che’en Caves Reserve
Ziplining:
This tour was organized for me at my hostel when Tukan Shuttles & Adventures cancelled on me last minute. My new tour guide picked me up from my hostel and we headed towards the archaeological Nohoch Che’en Caves Reserve. First, we did a thrilling zipline course where we flew across the rainforest at a bird’s eye view. There was a total of 7 zipline runs with the largest at 120 feet. This was the first zipline in which I had to brake myself before landing on the platform. You are provided with your harness and a leather glove in which you slow yourself down while holding onto the cable. There is an emergency brake system in case you can’t fully stop yourself, so don’t worry.
Survival skills:
After flying, we picked up our inner tubes. You have a chose to be hooked onto your guide or to float on your own. We decided to float by ourselves. You walk through the rainforest exploring the local flora and fauna. You do have to cross a couple rivers to get to the caves, but you are provided a life jacket. Our guide let us try a few different items on the trail, such as a small fruit that grows on a tree, a bitter leaf that is used as a remedy against parasites, and lastly, termites. Our guide showed us vines that you can cut open in which it releases water and taught many valuable survivor skills.
Cave Tubing & Cliff Jumping
When we make it to the cave, the water is super clear and slowly we are led inside. The Mayans thought that the caves were where their Gods resided, and it was like their underworld. Sometimes we would turn our head lamps off to revel in the darkness and listen to the sounds of water dripping from stalactites and bats flying overhead. If water drips on you in the cave, it is considered good luck.
At one point we got off our tubes to climb up a tiny waterfall and to explore the crystallized rocks. He showed us dishes that were used by the Mayans. Mayan dishes are broken because they believed everything that came from the ground had a soul. After they got done cooking food, they would break the dishes as a sacrifice to their Gods.
Then you can have a chance to cliff jump in the cave. That makes cliff jumping even more of a thrilling venture.
Afterwards, the tour guide gave us our fill of rum punch which is a top commodity in Belize and most tours offer it.
Day 3: ATM Caves
This is my top bucket list experience here if you want to feel like Indiana Jones. You wade through 3 rivers, cross a jungle, and swim inside this massive cave. Once inside the cave you climb over large rocks, spelunk your way through tiny crevices in the dark, and slide down mini waterfalls. This experience tests you in many ways. Once you get close to where the Mayans resided, you take off your shoes and scale a large boulder with the careful directions of your guide.
Photos are not allowed in here anymore since tourist have been known to drop their phones on ancient skulls! You will see Mayan offerings, such as femur bones, skulls, and a whole skeleton named ” The Crystal Maiden.” This is an archaeological wonder and they still have not discovered everything in here because they are not legally allowed to dig it up since it is considered a burial ground. This has been declared by National Geographic as the ” World’s Most Sacred Ceremonious Cave.”
The tour company I used was called MayaWalk Tours. Link down below:
Belize Adventure Tours | San Ignacio Tour Guides | Vacation Packages | Eco – Maya Walk Tours
The tour provided transportation, equipment, a friendly guide, and a delicious lunch with rum punch. It cost me $128 and it was well worth it.
Day 4: Transfer to San Pedro, Blue Hole, and Night Snorkeling
After settling in to your hotel/hostel, you must see the Blue Hole. You can do this two ways. One by water such as snorkel or scuba diving. The second way is by sky. I wanted to see the Blue Hole from up above so I booked my ticket with MayaIslandAir. You can even choose if you would like to sit in the copilots seat.
Belize Blue Hole Tour | Fly Over Tour – Maya Island Air
The experience was jaw-droppingly beautiful. The aquamarine waters contrasted with the dark blue hole. The pilot even takes you to see some shipwrecks near there.
You must get into the water in San Pedro. It is known for the second largest coral reef in the world. You can see the marine life during the day or for the more adventurous, at night. You can explore the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and have a huge chance of seeing many different types of marine life. One experience is in Shark Ray Alley and there are many sharks and stingrays that you can swim with there. Remember we are friends.
On the night tour you can experience more biodiversity. On my tour I saw electric eels, large colorful fish eating smaller ones, playful stingrays, octopus, a large barracuda, lobsters as long as my leg, and to top it off a small amount of bioluminescent plankton. The company I used was Neptune’s Cove Belize. It cost around $75.
Belize Night Diving Snorkeling Tour – Neptunes Cove Belize, San Pedro
Day 5: Explore the Town and Eat Chocolate
Explore the town of San Pedro. Rent a golf cart, get your hair braided, go beach hopping, and drink a chocolate shake from the Belize Chocolate Company. Enjoy your last day relaxing.
Another popular activity is to bet on a number in the game chicken drop. The rules are simple. Whichever number the chicken poops on is the winning number.
If you are interested in more Central America adventures check out Costa Rica.
What to do in Costa Rica? Top Wildlife Adventures – Venture with a Ginger