Mayan Ruins * Begineer Whitewater Kayaking * Jungle Hiking * Advanced Whitewater Rafting * Caving
Looking for a high-action experience in Belize but your time is limited? Look no further, our goal with this new itinerary is to offer three of the most exciting one-day sport activities in the country.
Our three-day adventure features our renowned Macal River whitewater raft trip, which we used to offer as part of our Belize Adventure Week itinerary. No tour in Belize matches the thrills of running the country’s best whitewater, rated Class IV and V. These turbulent waters are surrounded by 1500’ cliffs of limestone and verdant jungle.
To prepare for the rapids of the Macal, we warm-up with a run down South Stann Creek, a small river that flows through a stunning gorge as it drains the mountainous basin of the Jaguar Preserve. Using the latest sit-on-top whitewater kayaks, we negotiate several beginner–level rapids that are challenging yet fun and safe in these highly maneuverable boats.
We finish our expedition with an all-day exploration of Actun Tunichil Muknal, the most impressive Mayan ceremonial cave yet discovered in Belize. Deep inside the cave we discover ceramic offerings, ceremonial altars, stone carvings, and numerous skeletons of sacrificial victims left there by Mayan Shamans 1500 years ago.
At the end of the trip we travel by charter van to Belize City in time to meet our Sea Kayak Glover’s Reef group, allowing guests to neatly dovetail these two trips together for one grand adventure.
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Wednesday: Whitewater Kayak South Stann Creek Gorge. Arrive at Pelican Beach Resort in Dangriga, Belize, in time for a 9:00 a.m. meeting with your guide. You may book Tuesday night at Pelican Beach or fly to Dangriga that morning from Belize City in time for our meeting (see “How to Get to Dangriga”). After a short orientation, we load up the van and head for the Jaguar Reserve, a 40-minute drive. Located in a mountainous basin beneath dramatic Victoria Peak, Belize’s highest point, we tour the Reserve’s Visitor Center before proceeding to our put-in.
First your guide gives complete instruction on all equipment and kayak maneuvers. Quick and responsive, these state-of-the-art kayaks employ the “sit-on-top” style with thigh straps and back rests, which are combined with a solid foot brace to allow the same control as an advanced design whitewater kayak. The beauty of a sit-on-top is that a flip is safe and easy to recover from, you simply turn your kayak over and climb aboard!
As South Stann Creek winds through rainforest, several tributaries join below our put-in to create the whitewater in the gorge. These challenging but safe Class II and III drops are a thrilling introduction to whitewater kayaking. In just a few miles we exit the mountains and paddle through coastal plain before meeting the van waiting for us on the Southern Highway. We then drive the Hummingbird Highway through the Maya Mountains on our way to San Ignacio and our accommodations at Casa Maya Resort. Includes: (L) (D)
Day 2:
Thursday: Whitewater Raft the Macal River Gorge. Today is the highlight of our trip, whitewater on the Macal River! We pioneered the Macal run ten years ago and are still the only company to offer this exciting descent. The canyon cuts through the Maya Mountains, where towering cliffs of white limestone jut out of lush rainforest. We run eight miles of Class III and IV (expert level) whitewater over a granite riverbed that creates steep drops with intermittent pools. We make the run in rafts and inflatable kayaks (hard shell kayaks available for qualified boaters). This steep, technical river is a constant challenge - it includes Class V and VI rapids, which we portage. After the take out, (time permitting) we visit Cahal Pech Mayan ruins. We then continue on to Pook’s Hill Resort for dinner and overnight. Includes: (B) (L) (D)
Day 3:
Friday: Explore Actun Tunichil Muknal, the Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre. After breakfast we rendezvous with a Belizean guide who specializes in leading tours through this spectacular cave. This cavern was considered to be an entrance to Shivalva, the Mayan home of subterranean gods. Discovered only a few years ago, this is is one of the most impressive archaeological treasures in the region.
After a four-wheel drive ride across remote terrain we reach the edge of the rainforest where we hike a short jungle path to the cave entrance. We enter by swimming a few feet across the creek which issues from the cave’s mouth, being careful not to submerge our headlamps. Inside we find vaulted halls brimming with tall columns of crystal, and soon we arrive at a bench that accesses a side chamber where a Mayan statue is still in place as the Shamans left it. We travel barefoot from here, and view ceramic offerings left by the shamans, mixed with the bones and skulls of sacrificial victims. We also see a fully-articulated skeleton of a woman crystallized on the cave floor. Few other sites in the Mayan world can compare to the treasures found in this cave. Featured in the July/August 2001 issue of National Geographic Adventure, this is the premier caving tour in the country of Belize.
We then continue to the Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize City, arriving by 5:30 p.m., in time to meet the Sea Kayak Glover’s Reef trip, allowing guests the opportunity to dovetail this exciting package with our Glover’s Reef trip to our private island. Dinner and hotel is not included this final night. Guests not continuing on with us may book Friday night at the Biltmore or another hotel in Belize City (in preparation to fly out of the country Saturday morning), or simply remain in the San Ignacio area for further adventures. Includes: (B) (L)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Small-Trip Surcharge: All trips have a minimum requirement of 4 guests; however, we will run a trip for two to three guests with an additional surcharge of $300/person. When you sign up for a trip, please be aware you will be charged this additional fee if fewer than four people sign up. We will bill you two weeks prior to departure for this additional fee if it applies.
Also see tour packages in:
Central America and Caribbean
Belize
Multi-activity
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