San Ignacio, Belize Kayaking

Take this tour into depths of the mysterious and enchanting Barton Creek Cave. Barton Creek flows through the cave, allowing you to paddle through its interior. This tour also introduces you to some interesting archeological remains.

On this tour, you’ll get to see two very different Maya sites. The first, Xuanantinuch, is the ruins of a compact but impressive Maya city. Here visitors can stroll around multiple plazas and temples. At the nearby Barton Creek Cave, you’ll see a cave that served as an entrance to Xibalba, the Maya underworld.

Canoe down Barton Creek to see an enormous and mystical cave that played an important role in local Maya culture. Once you paddle inside, it’s easy to see why the Maya chose this awe-inspiring cave as a site for ceremonies. Guides on this half-day tour are well-versed in Maya history as well as natural history.

Rent a canoe for a self-guided tour of the Macal River. You’ll begin by paddling upstream from the Chaa Creek Lodge, before you float back to your starting point. The Macal River is an excellent place for canoeing because of the wildlife you can see on the banks of the river—you can expect to spot colorful birds as well as iguanas among the dense vegetation.