Day Trip To Crystal Cave and Blue Hole National Park
- 8 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
See some of Belize's top natural attractions on this day tour from San Ignacio to Blue Hole National Park and Crystal Cave. You'll experience the underworld of the ancient Maya as you go spelunking in the crystalline caverns, learning about this ceremonial site where the Maya people practiced sacrificial and sacred rituals. After venturing into the cave chambers, you'll have the chance to cool down in the waters of the Blue Hole, an inland jungle cenote (not to be confused with the country's offshore Great Blue Hole). Lunch is included.
Inclusions
What's included
- National Park fees
- Use of helmet and headlamps
- All taxes, fees, and handling charges
- Guide
- Lunch with a drink
What's not
- water bottle and snacks
Itinerary
Leave San Ignacio in the morning to start your day tour with the drive toward Belmopan and the scenic Hummingbird Highway, crossing the green mountains while passing by orange orchards, pineapple plantations, and rainforest-draped valleys along the way. Your destination is Blue Hole National Park, a protected and accessible area managed by the Belize Audubon Society. It's also home to Crystal Cave, known locally as Mountain Cow Cave, an otherworldly natural wonder located deep in the jungle in the heart of the park.
After a 50-minute hike through the tropical forest with your guide, you'll reach the entry point where you'll rappel 15 feet (4.5 meters) into the vast entrance of the cave. Traverse its large chambers, sliding down mud ramps and scrambling along rocks. This is a challenging descent into Xibalba, what the Maya believed was the realms of the underworld. Your guide shows you the shimmering formations in the cave, along with artifacts and skeletal remains of sacrificial victims from ancient Maya ceremonies. This tour is physically demanding but well worth the effort to walk in the footsteps of Maya ritual leaders and see the evidence of their sacred rites with your own eyes. After your cave exploration, refuel with a hearty homemade lunch and soft drinks, and take a swim in the cool waters of the Blue Hole, a deep sinkhole filled with rain and spring water, known as a cenote. Your tour then ends with return to San Ignacio.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 520
- 40
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 20 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Directions: MayaWalk Tours Main Office located between Tandoor Restaurant and Belize Bank Return point: Returns to original departure point
- Pickup
- Pickup is offered, or you can meet at the starting point.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Group size
- Up to 100 travellers
- Operated by
- MayaWalk Tours
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
- Minimum age is 12 years
- Difficulty: Challenging
- What to bring: Hiking sandals or sneakers, change of clothes, small backpack, 1 liter of water, bug spray, snacks, and swimwear with shorts
How it compares in San Ignacio
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 71 day trips we list in San Ignacio.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 19 of 71.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About San Ignacio
San Ignacio is a market town in western Belize, set in the Cayo hills beside the Macal River, close to Maya ruins, caves and the Guatemalan border.
San Ignacio stands on a ridge above the Macal River, the main town of the Cayo District in western Belize, with its twin town of Santa Elena across the water. A Saturday market fills the centre with produce and crafts, and the main street has cafés, guesthouses and shops that serve the visitors who base themselves here to explore the forest and the ruins around it.
Top-ranked sights in San Ignacio: Actun Tunichil Muknal, Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, San Jose Succotz.
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