Month: October 2017

A different world awaits you not far at Halfmoon Caye Wall, the site of the second dive. Midnight parrotfish,garden eels Southern and Eagle Rays greet you at the start of the dive and lead you towards swim through into the abyss towards sweeping gorgonians, and an array of large sponges. A succulent picnic Lunch will be served on shore at Half moon Caye, following a stroll to the red footed Booby Bird Sanctuary.A one of a kind experience where from a treetop observation tower you can marvel at the cotton like creatures and also the majestic Frigate Birds.

Either, the Aquarium , Silver Caves, Black Beauty or Eagle Ray Wall will be your last dive for the day. Whichever it is, it is sure to close off the day magnificently.

In addition to Mayan buildings and artifacts, the Lamanai site also includes the remains of a 19th century sugar mill, a brick-lined reservoir and the charred remains of two 16th century Catholic churches. The church remains are charred because the Maya burned each of them down after the Spanish built the churches in an attempt to convert the Maya inhabitants of Lamanai to Catholicism. The first church building particularly incensed the Maya — the Spanish built the church on the foundations of a Mayan temple that they demolished to make way for the new church.

Lamanai continued to flourish in the Post Classic Period primarily because of its trade of metals, particularly copper objects, thought to have been produced on-site at Lamanai beginning by approximately 1150 AD. More copper artifacts have been found at Lamanai than at any other Mayan site, and the artifacts have included bells, rings, tweezers, various clothing ornaments, pins, axes, chisels, needles, and fish hooks.

The day trip to Lamanai begins at 5:45 am with pick up at your resort. We then have breakfast in San pedro town, then take either a 6:30am water taxi to Belize City which is an Hour and an half ride or a 7am flight to Belize City which is a 15 minutes flight. In Belize City you are then picked up by your Professional guides. You then enjoy a 1 hour drive north of Belize City to a mestizo village named Carmelita. From there you exit your tour vehicle and board your speed boat as you take your beautiful river tour up the New River to the Mayan Site of Lamanai. On your river tour you sometimes encounter crocodile, spider monkey, howler monkey, and different species of birds. Upon arriving on the Mayan site you head straight to enjoy you fresh cook Belizean lunch, rice and beans with stew chicken and vegetable salad.

After lunch, your guided tour of the Ancient Mayan City begins. The temples are built a little distance apart so you will be short hiking trails through the rain-forest as you view our beautiful flora that leads you to the different temples. Your guide will be doing the full history of that Ancient City, what each temple were used for and its importance for the Mayas. Upon completing your tour at the site, you will have a short stop at the gift shop if you are interested in gift items.

You then board your boat as you cruise back to the little village where you hop back in your tour vehicle and drive back to Belize City. From Belize City you take your water taxi or flight back to San Pedro. In San Pedro you will be met by one of our representative who will insure that you have you transportation back to your resort.

General Tour Information

Light-weight comfortable clothing and shoes with a good grip. Long trousers are more suitable than shorts as they give more protection from insects and weather. Hat, sunscreen, insect repellent .

Included: round trip transfers to/from San Pedro town, light Belizean Breakfast, round trip flights to/from San Pedro airstrip, water, juices, park fees and traditional Belizean Lunch.

Take: sunscreen, insect repellent, camera, binoculars, and wear comfort

Xunantunich is a Classic Period ceremonial center. The site core occupies only 300 square meters but the periphery covers several square kilometers. Recent investigations by Dr. Richard Leventhal of the University of California, Los Angeles and Dr. Wendy Ashmore from the University of Pennsylvania indicate that the site may be even more extensive than previously thought. In Group A, Structure A-6 (El Castillo) rises 130 feet above plaza level making it one of the tallest buildings in Belize. On this structure there are two temples. The lower temple is famous for its large stucco frieze. A mask with larger ears probably represents the sun god. Next to this mask, there is a moon sign with a border of signs representing Venus.

The day trip to Xunantunich begins at 5:45 am with pick up at your resort. We then have breakfast in San Pedro town, and then take either a 6:30 water taxi to Belize City which is an Hour and an half ride or a 7 am flight to Belize City which is a 15 minutes flight. In Belize City you are then picked up by your Professional guides. From Belize City to Xunantunich it’s a 1 hour and 45 minutes drive on the George Price High Way. On your drive you will enjoy the diversity of Belize’s culture and ecosystems. You will be passing through the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena as you head toward the Belize Guatemala Border. Just a few miles away from Belize Guatemala border lays the beautiful Maya Site of Xunantunich. You then take a stop in a little mestizo village known as San Jose Succotz. At this point you will then exit your tour vehicle as you board a “hand-crank ferry” (a moving bridge hooked on cables) as you cross the Mopan River and take a 2 minutes’ drive up to the Mayan Site.

Your tour of the Ancient City will be led by your guide as you listen to the history of this site, the importance of each structure, and what caused the Mayas to flee their City. After the Maya Site, its lunch time! Enjoy your fresh cook Belizean lunch, rice and beans with stew chicken and vegetable salad. After lunch you hop back in your tour vehicle and drive back to Belize City. From Belize City you take your water taxi or flight back to San Pedro. In San Pedro you will be met by one of our representative who will insure that you have you transportation back to your resort.

This Mayan Site could be combined with the following: cave tubing, zip lining, The Belize Zoo, Horseback Riding, Inland Blue Hole, Cahal Pech, Altun Ha, or the Baboon Sanctuary.

General Tour Information

Light-weight comfortable clothing and shoes with a good grip, Long trousers are more suitable than shorts as they give more protection from insects and weather, Hat, sunscreen and, insect repellent.

The site consists of seven plazas and over 30 structures including temples, residential buildings, ball courts, an altar, and a sweat-house, all situated on just 2 acres. A royal burial chamber was found in one of the structures. Inside the tomb a ruler had been laid to rest with the accouterments necessary for the afterlife. Included in the find were shell & bone ornaments, pottery vessels, obsidian blades, and jade objects, the most impressive being a jade & shell mosaic mask.

One of the temples in this small complex commands the best view of the surrounding Belize River Valley. The visitor center and museum has a model of the site, excellent paintings showing Cahal Pech in its heyday, and an interpretive film.

The day trip to Cahal Pech begins at 5:45 am with pick up at your resort. We then have breakfast in San Pedro town, and then take either a 6:30 water taxi to Belize City which is an Hour and an half ride or a 7 am flight to Belize City which is a 15 minutes flight. In Belize City you are then picked up by your Professional guides. From Belize City to Cahal Pech it’s a 1 hour and 30 minutes drive on the George Price High Way. On your drive you will enjoy the diversity of Belize’s culture and ecosystems. You will be passing through the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena. On the outskirt of San Ignacio sits the ancient Maya city of Cahal Pech.

Your tour of the Ancient City will be lead by your guide as you listen to the history of this site, the importance of each structure, and what caused the Mayans to flee their City. After your Maya Site comes lunch time! Enjoy you fresh cook Belizean lunch, rice and beans with stew chicken and vegetable salad. After lunch you hop back in your tour vehicle and drive back to Belize City. From Belize City you take your water taxi or flight back to San Pedro. In San Pedro you will be met by one of our representative who will insure that you have you transportation back to your resort. This Mayan Site could be combined with the following: cave tubing, zip lining, The Belize Zoo, Horseback Riding, or the baboon sanctuary.

The name Caracol is Spanish for “snail shell” and was given because of the inordinate numbers of snail shells found there.

Caracol remains one of the more difficult ruins in Belize to access, however a significant portion of the road leading to Caracol has been paved and getting there gives visitors the chance to travel on one of the more scenic roads in Belize.

At the peak of its existence, the Mayan city of Caracol covered some sixty-five square miles and was home to more than 100,000 people. It is a Classic period urban centre, comprising a central ceremonial area converged on by causeways leading to the outlying structures. The site’s special features include the buildings surrounding the A court, which functioned during the Early Classic period as an astronomical observatory. Following a now familiar pattern, many of the site’s pyramids were constructed in the Early Classic period, and later covered over by ever more impressive structures.

Since it’s rediscovery in the 1920s, archaeologists have found the earliest dated carved stelae in Belize, dating back to 400 A.D., and unearthed the massive structure called Canaa or “Sky Place”, believed to have been completed around 800 A.D. This pyramid is the tallest and largest man made structure in Belize.

General Tour Information

Light-weight, comfortable clothing and shoes with a good grip. Long trousers are more suitable than shorts as they give more protection from insects and weather. Hat, sunscreen, insect repellent and drinking water are advisable.