Actun Tunichil Muknal, also known locally as ATM, is a cave in Belize, near San Ignacio, Cayo District, notable as a Maya archaeological site that includes skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware. There are several areas with skeletal remains in the main chamber. The ATM cave is ranked as one of the Top Ten Caves Of The World by the National Geographic Society. National Geographic and the Discovery Channels and History have done documentaries on this spectacular cave.

The Actun Tunichil Muknal is one of the top tourist attractions in the country. The cave tour starts with a scenic 45-minute hike through Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve, wading across crystal-clear rivers and hiking under the jungle canopy. Upon reaching the natural, hourglass-shaped opening you’ll know that you have arrived at the entrance of the cave. Here you’ll gear up with a helmet, headlamp, and life jacket provided by your licensed tour guide.

With a cool swim across a beautiful turquoise pool, you will enter the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave. From that point, follow your tour guide, hiking, climbing, twisting, and turning your way through the darkness of the cave for about an hour. You will witness giant shimmering flowing rocks surrounded by thick stalactites, calcium-carbonate dripping from the ceiling and stalagmites sprouting from the cave floor.

Location: Seven Miles El Progresso, Belmopan, Belize
Website: https://www.kawiiltours.com/belize-adventure-tours/belize-atm-cave-actun-tunichil-muknal-luis/
Tel: 501 668-4889
Hour: 8:00 AM - 17:00 PM
Google Rating: 4.9/5

Jungle Masters, also known as “The Original Cave Tubers”, is located beside the most popular cave tubing site “Cave Branch Jaguar Paw”. It is owned by two brothers who grew up in Central Belize and were among the first to ever tube down the river and into the caves. Along with their training from the Belize Tourism Board, they are qualified to offer you an adventure of a lifetime! Jungle Masters offers many jungle adventures such as Cave Tubing, Zip Lining, The World Famous ATM Cave and many more Adventures in Belize.

You can also choose a more exhilarating activity and try waterfall rappelling. Even though these activities may be a bit challenging, Jungle Masters will guide you all the way and make it an unforgettable day. In addition, you can escape into the Mayan Heart World, explore ancient artefacts and learn about the Ancient Mayan Civilization and the famous hieroglyphs. Visitors can visit The Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary which is home to most of the 574 species of birds found in the country. This way you can discover Belmopan and enjoy an entire day of activities.

Location: 37 Western Hwy, Belmopan, Belize

Website: https://www.belizejunglemasters.com/

Tel: 501 660-5656

Hour: 8:00 AM - 19:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.7/5

Just 12 miles southeast of Belmopan along the Hummingbird Highway is St. Herman's Cave, which is home to one of the nation's most easily accessible caverns. After paying a nominal entrance charge, travellers set off on a short 10-minute trail that leads to the warm entrance of St. Herman's Cave from the visitor centre and parking lot that are conveniently placed off the highway. Because there is evidence that the Maya used this cave during the Classic Period of their rule, it is significant from an archaeological perspective.

Visitors descend steps that the Mayas originally chiselled out of the earth at the cave's entrance. To observe the chilly, dark interior at this stage in the adventure, flashlights or headlamps are required. Torches, spears, and ceramics are some of the artefacts that have been found in the St. Herman's Cave. Crystals can be seen shimmering in the limestone rock of the cave's walls and ceiling shining flashing lights on them.

For the next 20 minutes, guests explore the cave's deeper levels while admiring the impressive rock formations. The self-guided trip will come to a conclusion at a sign. For those desiring to continue and exit at one of the cave's other two entrances, a tour guide is now necessary. A tour guide is also required to enter a different shelter in the vicinity called the Crystal Cave and a number of other trails. The Blue Hole should also be visited by St. Herman's Cave visitors.

Location: Hummingbird Highway, Belmopan, Belize

Website: https://www.belizetravelmag.com/st-hermans-cave/

Tel: 501 621-0312

Hour: 8:00 AM - 16:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.7/5

The Belize Zoo, also known as the Tropical Education Centre, is an 84-acre site set in unspoiled savannah land located adjacent to the zoo. It was started in 1983 by Sharon Matola, as a last-ditch effort to provide a home for a collection of wild animals which had been used in making documentary films about tropical forests. A visit to the zoo is the best way to get an introduction to the animals of Belize and to understand why it is important to protect the habitats that sustain them. Today, The Belize Zoo exhibits over 200 animals, representing over 45 native species.

The Zoo keeps animals that were orphaned, rescued, born at the zoo, rehabilitated animals, or sent to The Belize Zoo as donations from other zoological institutions. You can come and experience fabulous birdwatching from the Bird Deck or take a hike on the unique savannah nature trail across a boardwalk meandering through the vegetation and up towering wildlife platforms in the canopy overwhelming the savanna. In addition, The Belize Zoo has become the first nature destination in Belize that is fully accessible to visitors with physical disabilities.

Location: Mile 29 Western Hwy, Belmopan, Belize

Website: https://www.belizezoo.org/

Tel: 501 613-4966

Hour: 8:00 AM - 17:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.6/5

Located in Belmopan, Green Iguana Conservation Project is a conservation program undertaken by the San Ignacio Hotel Resort to protect endangered iguanas in Belize. In this country, the green iguana is prized as a special treat during specific religious months (Easter) and this has led to it becoming endangered. As a result, the government and private sector have invested in making sure this unique species is protected via educational awareness and conservation efforts.

The Green Iguana Conservation has been one of Belmopan’s most popular attractions for many years. The tour is offered daily from 8 AM - 4 PM. It starts at the San Ignacio Hotel Resort lobby and it slowly makes its way through the "jungle" to the iguana hatchery. At the hatchery, visitors are able to mingle with the iguanas and learn about the incubation, hatching, rearing and releasing process. In addition, visitors can contribute to the Green Iguana Conservation efforts by participating in the Adopt-an-Iguana Program and the Iguana Kids Club, both of which raise funds to sustain the project and fund scholarships.

Location: 18 Buena Vista Street, Belmopan, Belize

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iguanaconservationproject/

Tel: 501 824-2034

Hour: 8:00 AM - 17:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.6/5

Jaguar Paw is centrally located in the Western part of Belize and sits alongside the Cave’s Branch River. It offers travellers numerous adventures that are amazing and thrilling yet historic in feel. In fact, Jaguar Paw was the first Tour Location in Belize to offer Cave Tubing through awesome caves that are located directly on the premises. Belize Zip Line also includes a short trail to higher stations and hiking under towering cohune trees. Some lines are longer than others- leading up to 700 feet across the jungle.

On your scenic journey to Bak-a-Bush’s Big Hill Station, your tour guide will give a brief history of Belize, its people, and its culture. After a 10-minute nature walk to the main platform, your guides will fit you in a harness and secure you to the main cable. In Jaguar Paw, you can float through underground river caves sparkling with mica-studded stalactites and stalagmites, and filled with 1000-year-old pottery shards, statues of fertility gods, and Mayan footprints.

Jaguar Paw cave tubing and jungle zipline can be combined with the following tours to create a full day of exciting adventure: Xunantunich Mayan Ruins, Cahal Pech Mayan Ruins, Belize Zoo, and Jungle Horseback Riding. This tour package is family-friendly and can be done by most age groups. Your guide will point out interesting aspects of the local flora&fauna – a perfect time to take out your cameras! If you’re adventurous, you’ll want to dive or splash into the water from a rock at the starting point.

Location: Frank's Eddy Village, Belmopan, Belize
Website: https://jaguarpawbelize.com/
Tel: 501 633-1213
Hour: Open all day
Google Rating: 4.5/5

Blue Hole National Park is a national park located just off the Hummingbird Highway in the Cayo District of Belize, near Belmopan, the capital city. It is over 500 acres in area and contains two cave systems, various nature trails, and the cool jungle pool from which the park gets its name. Originally called Blue Hole National Park, the name was changed to St. Herman’s Blue Hole to avoid confusion with the one found in the sea, which is called Blue Hole National Monument.

The Blue Hole National Park is managed by the Belize Audubon Society. November through February are generally the best months to visit since that’s Belize’s dry season, but the country is also ideal during the ultra-hot months of May and June since the water comes from underground and remains cool at all times. The park is open daily from 8 am to 4 pm and costs $4 USD ($8 BZD) for foreigners to enter. Reaching Blue Hole National Park involves walking down a short but steep section of stairs, which has a landing where visitors can leave their clothes and other items.

You may have seen images of Belize’s famous blue hole: a perfectly round, sapphire sinkhole embedded in the country’s beautiful barrier reef. There’s plenty of adventure to be found in the caves and on the trails, especially for wildlife lovers, but there’s nothing like heading to the blue hole on a characteristically hot Belizean day for a dip in the cool water. The hole is a large enough pool to accommodate plenty of swimmers, though it rarely feels crowded.

Location: St.Margaret, Belmopan, Belize

Website: https://www.belizeadventure.ca/activities/st-hermans-blue-hole-national-park/

Tel: 501 615-3156

Hour: 8:00 AM - 17:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.5/5

Guanacaste National Park is a 50-acre protected area located roughly in the centre of Belize. It was created in 1973 as a Crown Reserve and was designated a National Park in 1990. A section of tropical secondary-growth woods is protected within this national park. The entire family can enjoy Belize's stunning, internationally-known biodiversity at Guanacaste National Park, just minutes from a bustling city.

Due to Guanacaste National Park's modest size, visitors can approach the diverse species and beautiful foliage a remarkably short distance from the entrance gates. The unique Black Orchid, one of Belize's national symbols, is among the smallest and most revered trees in comparison to the enormous Guanacaste (Tubroos) tree that gives the park its name. If you're lucky, you might witness a Jaguarundi, Kinkajou, Paca, Nine-banded Armadillo, and White-tailed Deer, as well as a variety of bat species.

There is no shortage of reptilian life, including four-foot-long iguanas that bask in the canopy vegetation. The north-central region of the park also allegedly contains a chultun or Maya underground storage chamber. The Guanacaste National Park has a gift shop, an observation platform made of exquisite wood that overlooks the river, and a cool swimming area for swimmers of all ages and abilities to further your enjoyment.

Location: Western Hwy, Belmopan, Belize

Website: https://belizing.com/Guanacaste-National-Park/

Tel: 501 223-5004

Hour: 8:00 AM - 16:30 PM

Google Rating: 4.4/5

96 Orchid Gardens was built in 1928 to breed orchids in Belmopan. With 1,000 dazzling species of orchids and 2,000 hybrids, explore four stunning areas based on spectacular colour spectrums representing the four seasons in an artistic blend of selected plants. In 96 Orchid Gardens, the tropical Montane Orchidetum simulates the experience of ascending through a tropical montane forest and showcases a diversity of orchids and other plants from the rich low to high-elevation montane forest.

In addition, The Yuen Peng McNeice Bromeliad Collection has been enhanced to emulate a mid-elevation Neotropical forest environment at 650m to 1,000m elevation. Orchids from the Neotropics are also featured, such as Cattleya, Epidendrum and Oncidium species and hybrids. Researchers will be able to study rare orchids that are naturally found only at higher elevations, such as Cymbidiums, Dendrochilums, Cyrtochilums and Phragmipedium.

This will greatly benefit taxonomic and floristic research, as researchers will be able to grow rare species, before identifying and documenting them at a later stage when they flower. If you are an orchid lover and you are in Belmopan, take the time to stop by and enjoy the many varieties of orchids at 96 Orchid Garden. They are for sale and you will find the pricing is quite reasonable. The owner even has some Black Orchids - this is Belize's national flower, thus is not for sale but is available for viewing.

Location: 6 University Blvd. Belmopan, Belize

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/96OrchidGarden/

Hour: 8:00 AM - 17:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.4/5