Mayan Odyssey (trip)

Mayan Odyssey

  • Maya Mountains, Cayo, Belize
  • Active & Adventure
Belize, Central America

from $839* per person4 DaysJanuary-May
Comfort accommodations Exertion level: 3
Operator: Slickrock Adventures 12 people max
This tour encompasses exploration of Caracol, the premier Mayan ruin in Belize, as well as the spectacular Mayan ceremonial cave, Actun Tunichil Muknal. Caracol Mayan ruins in Belize

Belize is home to some spectacular Mayan ruins which rival any found in the Yucatan. Temples, carvings, ceramics, and many other relics from the Mayan civilization can be seen within easy reach of our itineraries. Slickrock offers a trip that combines a journey to a world-renowned Mayan ruin with an excursion into a sacred ceremonial cave in Belize. Visit our Mayan Odyssey itinerary page to see what we do each day.

Loading map, please wait...

Locations visited/nearby

Belize, Central America

Comments from Facebook

Itinerary

Wednesday, Day 1

Meet Shuttle Service and Transfer to Jungle Lodge. Whether you are flying in from the U.S. on this day or if you are already in the country, it is easy to meet our shuttle to Maya Mountain Lodge. For further information on how to meet us, visit the Mayan Odyssey Additional Information page. After leaving Belize City you are driven to Maya Mountain Lodge, a wonderful jungle hideaway nestled beneath the rainforest canopy. This is a 2 hour drive. Maya Mountain Lodge is famous throughout Belize for their cuisine. After a swim in the pool we enjoy our first dinner at the lodge’s open air veranda. See our Mayan Odyssey main page for more images of Maya Mountain accommodations.

Thursday, Day 2

Caracol Mayan Ruins. Early in the morning we depart for the Mayan ruins of Caracol, located deep in the jungle of the Maya Mountains. This 1 hour drive climbs over Mountain Pine Ridge and crosses the Macal River on the way to this extremely remote site. Restoration work is in progress, much of the ruin lies in its natural state. The tour of the site is fully guided. Lunch is served picnic-style at the site. After this all-day tour we return to Maya Mountain for dinner and overnight. You can read more about Caracol Mayan ruins on our Mayan Odyssey Destinations page.

Friday, Day 3

Actun Tunichil Muknal. After an early breakfast we drive to trailhead for Actun Tunichil Muknal, the Cave of the Crystal Sepulcher. This cavern was considered to be an entrance to Shivalva, the Mayan home of subterranean gods. Discovered only a few years ago, this is one of the most impressive archaeological treasures in the region.

First we hike about two miles from the edge of the rainforest to the cave entrance. We enter by swimming a few feet across the creek which issues from the cave’s mouth. Inside we find vaulted halls brimming with tall columns of crystallized flowstone. We view ceramic offerings left by Shamans, mixed with the bones and skulls of sacrificial victims. Deep inside the cave we reach a fully-articulated skeleton of a woman bonded to the cave floor. Few other Mayan sites can compare to the treasure found here, the premier caving tour in Belize. Persons on the 2-night package are returned to Belize City in time for our 5:30 p.m. meeting at the Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel in time for our Adventure Island at Glover's Reef orientation. Persons on the 3-night package enjoy another fabulous meal and overnight at the lodge.

Please visit our Belize caving and our Belize Mayan ruins pages for more information on Actun Tunichil Muknal and Caracol.

Saturday, Day 4

Transfer to Belize City. Breakfast only is included this day. We return you to Belize City on your schedule. You need to be at the international airport about 2 hours prior to departure. If you want to hang around at the lodge in the morning, that’s no problem.

More information from Slickrock Adventures: