Cave tubing and a visit to the Belize Zoo will bring you face-to-face with Belize’s incredible outdoors. First you’ll visit the Belize City Zoo, which is known for its rehabilitation programs for endangered animals. Then you’ll head to the Caves Branch River, where you will ride on an inner tube through the ancient caves of the Maya

From Belize City, you’ll take the Western Highway from Belize City to the Belize City Zoo. Belize City Zoo offers a permanent home to animals that can’t be reintroduced to the wild, and a safe place for injured animals to recover. You’ll get to see jaguars, tropical birds, insects, and an odd, pig-like animal called a tapir. If you’ve never seen one before, then you’re in for a surprise.

After the zoo, you’ll drive to the Caves Branch Outpost in the Nohoch Che'en Caves Branch Archeological Reserve. The outpost is located a few hundred feet from the Caves Branch River. This river winds its way through the Nahoch Che’en caves, which were frequented by the ancient Maya thousands of years ago.

Once you’ve retrieved all the gear you’ll need from the outpost, your tour group will set out on a nature walk. During the walk your guide will point out various plants, roots, and herbs that the Maya used medicinally, as well as various species of birds. You’ll also hear about how the caves tie into Maya mythology and Xibalba (pronounced she-bal-ba), the cave that serves as the opening to the underworld.

To get ready for tubing, your guide will help you assemble your gear. You get your own inner tube, a hard hat with a headlamp, and a life vest. Before you enter the cave your guide will explain basic cave safety. Once your inner tube is in the water, the gentle current will take you through the cave system. Inside the cave you’ll see crystalline formations, as well as stalactites and stalagmites. Bursts of sunlight through openings in the cave will punctuate your voyage.

After you complete your tour of your cave you’ll head for lunch. Canopy Café at Caves Branch Outpost provides a sumptuous buffet. You’ll have a wide range of lunch options to enjoy at the end of your trip.