Southern Belize Caves For The Adventure Seeker

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Southern Belize Caves For The Adventure Seeker
Belize country is not only for taken it easy touring and picturesque Belize beach vacations; it is also a perfect place for adventure lovers. Their various caves offer a great hiking journey that will treat you with spectacular sights and wildlife in the end. Right here are Belize's most popular caves.

Hokeb Ha Cave

Among the most outstanding natural sites in Toledo is the Hoken Ha Cave in Blue Creek. The cave is a 20-minute trip from the village. Hike a well-defined path along het creek, until a clearing appears. Go through the research station in the clearing finding the wide trail on the other side. In a couple of minutes, a 10-foot waterfall and the main cave entrance shows up.

Long vines dangle from the sheer rock wall above the cave mouth. The huge cave entrance is carved from the summit of a hill in which the Blue Creek gurgles up from underground. The creek goes out the entrance of the cave, plunging over limestone boulders. Archeologists have discovered many Late Classic ceramics and an altar inside the cave, leading them to speculate that the Hokeb Ha Cave was exclusively used for ceremonial purposes.

Tiger Cave

A 1 1/2-hour trip from San Miguel, Tiger Cave got its name from the villages after a dog chased after a jaguar cub inside the cave several years ago. The hike to the cave needs a guide. The trail mostly travels through second growth forest. You will pass adjacent corn milpas and jungle streams. Ask your guide to identify a jippi jappa plant, which grows wild in the forest. The freshly-picked white heart of the young plant is tasty.

The dark entrance of the cave squeezes through small elevated corridors leading to a wide interior camber. Large open holes in the ceiling of the cave produce shafts of sunlight into the dark interior. In time, rain pouring via the gaps in the cave ceiling has formed smooth indentations on the limestone floor of the cave. No streams or creeks go through the entrance chamber. Deeper into the cave, you will need to cross water.

Laguna Cave

Laguna Cave is approximately an hour hike from Laguna Village. Leaving behind the village, you must cross a little stream. The first stretch of the trail is located over hilly grounds and through secondary forest. Cacao orchards exist along the road. Guides point out the jippi jappa tree and the jackass bitters. The jippi jappa tree is utilized for both food and crafts, while jackass bitters is a medical plant used to treat belly aches and malaria.

After hiking through tall forest for about half an hour, the gaping limestone entryway of the cave appears. A 12-foot-high ladders results in the interior. Once inside, the ground slopes downward among stalagmites and stalactites. No streams or rivers flow through the cave. The ceiling of the cave has open holes where the forest canopy is clearly visible. A 20-minute hike takes you to the end of the cave where there is one more entrance.

There are local guides available in the area to assist you make it through the hikes and treks. Talk to your Belize hotel concierge for Belize vacation packages that involve exploring these caves.