8 Day Belize And Hopkins Adventure

 After breakfast, we will head out on a horseback adventure where we will cover jungle trails and open farmland by the Mopan River. En route, we will visit the Xunantunich Archaeological Site of the Mayans, the largest ceremonial centre in the Belize River Valley. Constructed on a natural limestone ridge, we can appreciate spectacular views of the surrounding countryside. This is one of the most important archaeological sites in Belize, with three ceremonial plazas enclosed by pyramids, palaces and small houses. Its name in ancient Mayan means “The stone woman”. We will then head back to the hotel for the evening.

Today we can enjoy a unique cultural experience where we will learn all about the Mayan history of chocolate, see cacao trees, and taste luscious raw cacao beans. We can take part in the roasting process and grind nature’s fruits with traditional stone tools.  We can enjoy the distinctive flavour of the delicious, healthy dark chocolate drink enjoyed by only the most elite of the Mayas back in ancient times. We will then head for our traditional cooking class to make your own authentic Maya meal, sit in the relaxing Maya thatch house, and enjoy a traditional Maya lunch. After lunch, your hosts will allow us a hands-on chocolate making experience, which is an educational journey through the preparation of the cacao bean to make cocoa paste. We can then enjoy a free afternoon. 

After breakfast, we will head out to the Hopkins area on the Caribbean coast.  Along the way, we will stop off at St. Hermans Cave. This cave has a wide entrance with a sheer cliff wall draped in vines. The cave itself is at the base of another sinkhole with an underground stream that connects it to the inland Blue Hole sinkhole. Here we can follow the Mayan Shamans trail as they walked into Xibalba to enter the underworld.  We can feel the presence of these ancient Gods as we explore the stunning crystal chambers, reminiscent of another world. We will cross the cave with its spectacular speleothems and Mayan artefacts. These unique sights, sounds, smells capture Maya history in all its essence. This cave is important culturally and archaeologically, offering a peek into the classic period of the Mayan civilisation. As we finish our tour of this impressive cave, we can exit by floating peacefully back to the cave entrance on an inner tube.

Today, we will head out after breakfast on a boat ride down the southern coast and then inland along the Monkey River. Here we can appreciate the jungle's spectacular nature, including many bird species such as Toucan, Heron, Tanager, amongst others! Iguanas dive into the water, howler monkeys’ race through the trees and crocodiles sunbathe on the riverbanks. We will hike through the jungle, where your guide will point out local medicinal plants. Along the way, we can see unusual insects, snakes, monkeys, and if luck is on our side, maybe a tapir or jaguar. After this expedition, we will head back to the hotel for a free afternoon.

Today, we will head out after breakfast on a boat ride down the southern coast and then inland along the Monkey River. Here we can appreciate the jungle's spectacular nature, including many bird species such as Toucan, Heron, Tanager, amongst others! Iguanas dive into the water, howler monkeys’ race through the trees and crocodiles sunbathe on the riverbanks. We will hike through the jungle, where your guide will point out local medicinal plants. Along the way, we can see unusual insects, snakes, monkeys, and if luck is on our side, maybe a tapir or jaguar. After this expedition, we will head back to the hotel for a free afternoon.

The next 2 days are free days to enjoy the beaches for some of the many water sports on offer or relax on the idyllic, pristine Caribbean beaches.   

Today is the final day of the tour and we will head to Dangriga airstrip for the flight to Belize International Airport in time to catch your flight back home or on to your next exciting destination!