#55 best destination in the world

 

Great Blue Hole

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  • Giant submarine sinkhole off the coast
  • Formed during several episodes of quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower
  • Formation took place 153,000 years ago
  • As the ocean began to rise, the cave was flooded
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site

 

Actun Tunichil Muknal

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  • Cave notable as a Maya archaeological site that includes skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware
  • Best known is “The Crystal Maiden,” a skeleton of a 18 year old girl who was probably a sacrifice victim
  • The formations in the cave were decorated to create decorative shadow images in the cave
  • Animals in the cave include a large population of bats, large freshwater crabs, crayfish, catfish, and predatory spiders

 

Xunantunich

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  • Ancient Maya archaeological site
  • Served as a Maya civic ceremonial center
  • Farmers typically lived in small villages divided into kin-based residential groups
  • The villages were self-sufficient and may be the reason why the city lasted as long as it did

 

Hol Chan Marine Reserve

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  • Coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests cover 4,448 acres that make up the marine reserve

Outback Trails

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  • Horseback riding on jungle trails, for all skill levels

 

Bunches of Fun Banana Farm Tours

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  • Belize’s original banana farm tour
  • Be sure to make a reservation

 

Shark Ray Alley

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  • Snorkeling and dive spot hotspot for largely harmless nurse sharks and smaller rays
  • Local fishermen used to come to the spot to clean their catches, filling the waters with fish parts that were perfect for the bottom feeding nurse sharks and rays
  • Soon the animals recognized that they could come to the spot for a reliable meal and returned in droves
  • The water is only 8 feet deep, with a number of reefs to see

 

Lubaantun

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  • Pre-Columbian ruined city of the Maya civilization
  • Lubaantun has a large collection of miniature ceramic objects found on site, these detailed constructs are thought to have been charmstones or ritual-accompanying tools
  • Structures are mostly built of large stone blocks laid with no mortar
  • The city flourished from the AD 730s to the 890s, and seems to have been completely abandoned soon after
  • The pyramids presumably some had structures of perishable materials in ancient times at the top of the structure
  • The centre of the site is on a large artificially raised platform between two small rivers, it has often been noted that the situation is well-suited to military defense

 

Altun Ha

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  • Ruins of an ancient Mayan city in Belize
  • The site covers an area of about 3 square miles
  • Stones from the ruins of the ancient structures were reused for residential construction of the agricultural village of Rockstone Pond in modern times, but the ancient site did not come to the attention of archeologists until 1963

 

St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park

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  • Contains two cave systems, various natural trails, and the cool jungle pool from which the park gets its name

 

 

Costs

all flights $858

food $12/day x 9 days = $108

hotel $144/day x 7 days = $1,008

tickets (all attractions) $311

TOTAL for whole itinerary $2,285