Mayan Odyssey Itinerary

Caracol Mayan temple and Actun Tunichil Muknal ceremonial cave

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, Day 1

Meet Shuttle Service and Transfer to Jungle Lodge. Whether you are flying in from the U.S. on this day or if you are already in the country, it is easy to meet our shuttle to Crystal Paradise Resort. For further information on how to meet us, visit the Mayan Odyssey Additional Information page. After leaving Belize City you are driven to Crystal Paradise, a wonderful jungle hideaway nestled beneath the rainforest canopy. This is a 2 hour drive. After settling into our cabanas we enjoy our first dinner at the lodge’s open air veranda.

 

 

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Thursday, Day 2

Caracol Mayan Ruins. Early in the morning we depart for the Mayan ruins of Caracol, located deep in the jungle of the Maya Mountains. This 1 hour drive climbs over Mountain Pine Ridge and crosses the Macal River on the way to this extremely remote site. Restoration work is in progress, much of the ruin lies in its natural state. The tour of the site is fully guided. Lunch is served picnic-style at the site. After this all-day tour we return to Crystal Paradise for dinner and overnight. You can read more about Caracol Mayan ruins on our Mayan Odyssey Destinations page.

 

Friday, Day 3

Actun Tunichil Muknal. After an early breakfast we drive to trailhead for Actun Tunichil Muknal, the Cave of the Crystal Sepulcher. This cavern was considered to be an entrance to Shivalva, the Mayan home of subterranean gods. Discovered only a few years ago, this is one of the most impressive archaeological treasures in the region.

 

First we hike about two miles from the edge of the rainforest to the cave entrance. We enter by swimming a few feet across the creek which issues from the cave’s mouth. Inside we find vaulted halls brimming with tall columns of crystallized flowstone. We view ceramic offerings left by Shamans, mixed with the bones and skulls of sacrificial victims. Deep inside the cave we reach a fully-articulated skeleton of a woman bonded to the cave floor. Few other Mayan sites can compare to the treasure found here, the premier caving tour in Belize. Persons on the 2-night package are returned to Belize City in time for our 5:30 p.m. meeting at the Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel in time for our Adventure Island at Glover's Reef orientation. Persons on the 3-night package enjoy another fabulous meal and overnight at the lodge.

 

Please visit our Belize caving and our Belize Mayan ruins pages for more information on Actun Tunichil Muknal and Caracol.

 

 

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Saturday, Day 4

Transfer to Belize City. Breakfast only is included this day. We return you to Belize City on your schedule. You need to be at the international airport about 2 hours prior to departure. If you want to hang around at the lodge in the morning, that’s no problem.

 

Note: In the event of heavy rains the roads to both ATM cave and Caracol ruins could become impassible. In this case we substitute another ruin on Thursday and another cave on Friday. No refunds or advance notice would be given, and each guest will be responsible for the $42.50 Guatemala exit in the unlikely event we do have to go to Tikal.

 

Maya Tours and Ancient Mayan Civilization, Maya Ruins | Cultural Mayan Tour, Mayan Temples of Caracol

The Mayas, Ancient Mayan Culture | Ancient Mayan culture and Belize Mayan ruins | Mayan history and Maya temples, Mayan resorts