On this tour, you’ll get to see two very different Maya sites. The first, Xuanantinuch, is the ruins of a compact but impressive Maya city. Here visitors can stroll around multiple plazas and temples. At the nearby Barton Creek Cave, you’ll see a cave that served as an entrance to Xibalba, the Maya underworld.

Xunantunich served as a regional capital, from around 700 to 850 AD. El Castillo is the tallest structure in Xunantunich. It’s 131-feet (40 m) tall, and offers one of the best panoramas in all of Belize if you’re willing to do a little climbing. It also has some of the most impressive Maya reliefs you can see in Belize, with elaborate hieroglyphs and depictions of Maya gods.

After your visit to this Maya city, your tour will continue to one of Belize’s most interesting burial grounds. Archeologists have discovered the skeletons of at least 28 individuals and believe this cave may have been the site of ritual sacrifice. Barton Creek Cave is located in Belize’s Amish territory, which will make for an interesting drive to your destination.

You’ll get to tour the cave from the comfort of a canoe – no wading or swimming required. Barton Creek flows through the length of the 5-mile (8-km) cave complex. As you paddle through the subterranean mausoleum, you’ll see Maya ceramics and skeletons that have fused with the walls of the cave.

Hiking shoes, comfortable clothes, camera, bottled water, and money for personal expenses.

Transportation, guided tour, entrance fee, lunch, and a beverage. (Minimum 3 participants to operate)