Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive Belize City, Belize

Arrive in Belize City, where our guide meets you at the airport. Make the short transfer to San Ignacio and the Tropical Education Center, tucked within 84 acres of pine forest savanna adjacent to the Belize Zoo. We stay on site in forest cabanas, each on a raised platform and fully screened. They are simple but comfortable and offer a feeling of being one with nature. Shared bathrooms in a central facility include toilets, sinks and showers with hot and cold running water. This afternoon we enjoy an introduction to the nature and wildlife of Belize as we learn about the role of the center and zoo in conservation education.

D...Tropical Education Center

 

Day 2: Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave / Billy Hawk Cay

Our first destination is one of Belize’s most fascinating natural and cultural highlights: Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave, a 45-minute drive followed by a 45-minute hike into the Maya Mountains. Following ancient jungle trails used by the Maya, our route crosses three streams as it passes through the 6,700-acre Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve. Within the caverns we’ll see burial chambers, ceremonial vessels and other cultural artifacts left by the Maya centuries ago. Returning to the coast, we hop a boat from Dangriga for Billy Hawk Caye, the ultimate desert island. The 1.2-acre tropical outpost offers fantastic reef snorkeling and paddling among mangroves and palm-fringed islets. Our location also offers a unique opportunity for understanding and interaction with the Garifuna, one of the indigenous peoples of Belize. While our accommodations are simple, with separate bathroom facilities, there is more than enough compensation in our idyllic setting!

B, D...Billy Hawk Caye

 

Days 3-5: Outdoor Adventures on Billy Hawk Caye
Billy Hawk is but one of more than 225 cays, or small islands, that dot Belize’s barrier reef. Stretching over 150 miles, the reef is the second longest in the world and one of the richest marine ecosystems on earth. We explore its treasures over the next few days, paddling through turquoise water so clear we can see bright red starfish and a kaleidoscope of neon fish below. After some instruction in the basics, we’re quickly comfortable in our kayaks and ready to discover the natural wonders that surround us. Keep an eye out for fishing pelicans, leaping sting rays and dolphins and magnificent frigate birds soaring overhead. The world beneath the sea is just as captivating, and we have plenty of time to float among the waving sea fans and schools of parrotfish as we enjoy some of the finest snorkeling on the planet—followed by time to laze on the powdery white-sand beach.

B, L, D...Billy Hawk Caye
 
Day 6:  Jungle River Paddling / Crooked Tree Lodge

Our idyll on Billy Hawk Caye comes to a close early this morning, but fabulous adventures lie ahead. Today is devoted to one of the most exciting experiences Belize has to offer, a raft journey down the Caves Branch River. From the put-in point we paddle downstream for a bit before entering the evocative underworld of the ancient Maya. With only headlamps to light our way, we float for five miles through a mystical cave realm, drifting past ‘windows’ in the rock walls that filter green jungle light as we swirl around stalagmites jutting out of the river and stalactites looming from above. We’ll pass by underground waterfalls, then into the crystal cathedral, a spiritual center for the Maya. Once again above ground, we transfer to Crooked Tree Lodge for two nights. This small family-run eco-lodge enjoys a lush, serene setting with six individual cabanas nestled beneath the trees along a lagoon. Each features local art, crisp linens, tiled en-suite bathrooms and a private deck. The lodge lies within the heart of Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the premier birding locations in Belize. Grab a hammock in the shade and chill out with a cold drink before savoring a dinner of authentic, home-cooked Belizean fare.

B, L, D...Crooked Tree Lodge


Day 7:  Lamanai

More entrancing Mayan ruins await our discovery at the ancient city of Lamanai on the New River Lagoon. Lamanai, which translates to ‘submerged crocodile,’ was one of the most important trading and ceremonial centers in the Caribbean lowlands. Surrounded by pristine rainforest, remote Lamanai was continuously occupied for more than 3000 years, from 1500 B.C. until 1600 A.D. Excavated beginning in 1974, its spectacular ruins illuminate a period of history that encompasses the early formative years of Mayan civilization through to initial European contact and colonization. With structures ranging from pre-classic temples to the Spanish colonial era, with jungle trails, refreshing swimming holes and an excellent on-site museum, Lamanai is one of the most intriguing of all Mayan sites in Belize. After our day of exploring, we return by boat, winding our way through the wildlife-rich wetlands of the New River on the way back to our waterfront lodge at Crooked Creek.

B, L, D...Crooked Tree Lodge

 

Day 8: Lagoon Tour / Depart

Before departing Crooked Creek we explore the lagoons around the lodge on a morning boat tour. Cruising through Spanish Creek, Revenge Lagoon and the surrounding wetlands, we’ll see many of the several hundred bird species that live here, likely sighting northern jacanas, white ibis, tiger herons, snowy egrets, wood storks and the huge jabiru stork. Then it’s time to say farewell to the wonders of Belize, as we make the 40-minute transfer back to Belize International Airport for flights homeward.
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