Xunantunich and Barton Creek Cave Tour
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.
- Duration:
- 4 hrs
- Available Days:
- Every day
- Schedule:
- 8:00 AM
- Hotel Transport Included
- Mobile Ticket Included
- Offered in English, Spanish
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.
Attractions Visited
Barton Creek Cave is one of the most fascinating wet caves in Belize. A tour of Barton Creek Cave involves gently paddling a two-man canoe across the cave’s still water, guided only by headlamps that light up the intricate stalactites and stalagmites that make up the limestone walls. It is one of the few wet caves in Belize where exploring doesn’t require swimming or tubing. Please note that the cave ceiling is quite low in places, and all visitors should be comfortable in dark.
Read more:Barton Creek Cave
Home to the second largest Mayan pyramid in Belize, Xunantunich is one of the most impressive Mayan sites in Belize. The site is composed of three major ceremonial plazas surrounded by numerous temples, palaces, and house mounds. Xunantunich is located 8 miles (13 km) southwest of San Ignacio on the Western Highway.
Read more:Xunantunich
What to Bring
An adventurous mindset, Insect repellent, Sunscreen, Sun glasses, Comfortable clothes and closed toe shoes. If your adventure includes any water experience, please bring a swimsuit, towel and change of clothes.
What's included
Transportation, guided tour, entrance fee, and bottled Water (Minimum 3 participants to operate)
Transportation
Many of our tours and activities offer transportation pick up & drop off options from several locations and destinations. Options vary by tour, see “BOOKING REQUEST” for full details.
Similar things to do
Overnight Destinations: Cayo District + Ambergris Caye Guaranteed Departure – Daily with 2 Minimum Level of difficulty: This is an ACTIVE itinerary so tour participants should have good level of fitness with NO physical limitations.
This is an all-day, seven-hour tour that takes you to one of the most famous Maya sites in Belize. The Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave is a fascinating cave that preserves the remains of Maya culture. It’s best known for the skeleton of a sacrificial victim – a young woman whose remains have lain in the cave for over 1,000 years. Over time, the bones have formed a layer of crystallized minerals, which has led to her nickname, “the Crystal Maiden.”
This is a unique experience, with spectacular views that you will not get anywhere else in Belize!
@ Calico Jack’s : This tour is offers 1,135 feet of cable and takes 45 minutes from start to finish. It entails 4 runs and 7 platforms. You hone your skills as you explore the jungle canopy overhead and end this tour with the exciting jungle lift run.
@ Calico Jack’s : Here you will find Maya artifacts just the way they were left by the Mayas hundreds of years ago. The 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. Allow us to unveil the secrets of “Xibalba” the Mayan underworld to you.
@ Calico Jack’s : This 1-1.5 hour tour is for zip line enthusiasts. It combines the Explorer and Intermedio in over 2,900 feet of zip line comprised of 9 runs and 15 platforms that take you over and through the jungle.
@ Calico Jack’s CJV : This 2-hour tour combines the Ultimo Explorer zip line tour with a cable walk over a canyon, a climb down a rope ladder and subsequent rappel of approximately 50 feet. Return to the starting platform via a 500 foot run from our jungle lift with the option of returning superman style.
