Mayan Adventure: Mexico, Belize & Guatemala
22 days, Cancún to Caye Caulker
Itinerary
Day 1Cancún
Arrive at any time.
As travellers arrive throughout the day, there are no planned activities until the welcome meeting in the evening.
Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
Your opportunity to meet your CEO and fellow travellers, and learn more about your tour. Opt to join the group for a local meal afterwards. Don't forget to see the notice in the lobby (or ask reception) for the official time and place to meet up with the group.
Day 2Cancún/Mérida
Take a guided tour of Chichén Itzá and orientation walk around Mérida.
Depart Cancún and head to the famous Mayan ruins of Chichén Itzá for a guided tour. Spend time exploring this famous site, known for its huge stepped pyramids and elaborate stone carvings.
Continue on to Mérida, the capital of the Yucatán State, and take a short orientation walk. Also known as la ciudad blanca (the white city), Mérida offers the ideal opportunity to learn about Mexico’s fascinating mix of cultural influences.
Private Vehicle
First-class buses in Mexico have toilets on board and very strong air-conditioning. Bring a sweater.
Chichen Itzá Guided Tour
Join up with a local expert and learn about the history of Chichén Itzá and the beliefs and rituals that defined this ancient Mayan civilization. This dramatic site includes a 30m (98 ft) high temple, known as the Pyramid of Kukulcan, famous for its balustrade of 91 stairs up each of the four sides, a ball court with a grandstand, and towering walls. Visit the highlights of the site including the famous Castillo, the ball court, the cenote, and the Nunnery.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Orientation With CEO
Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.
Day 3Mérida
Opt to visit the ruins of Uxmal or swim in cenotes in the Yucatán. Hit the beach or soak in the history this city has to offer.
The area surrounding Mérida has tons to offer. Choose to visit nearby cenotes (water sink holes) in the town of Cuzamá. Inside, swim in the massive crystal-clear sinkholes. Transportation to the cenotes is half the fun, taking small wooden horse-drawn carts along old rail tracks.
Opt to visit ruins in Uxmal, ride the PUUC Route or go bird-watching. There's something for everyone.
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in Mérida, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like visiting the Uxmal ruins, the anthropological museum, and swimming in a nearby cenote. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Day 3 HideShow
Uxmal Ruins Visit
70-110USD per personFounded in 700 AD, magical Uxmal was once home to as many as 25,000 Mayans. Located 62km (38 mi) south of Merida, in Yucatán’s Puuc ("hill" or "chain of low mountains") region, this UNESCO World Heritage Centre represents the pinnacle of late Maya art and architecture. Wander the site, see the Pyramid of the Magician, and visit nearby Kabah, one of three neighbouring sites.
Cenote Visit
60-70USD per personSwim in crystal-blue mineral underground swimming holes that are formed as sinkholes when porous limestone bedrock collapses. Come prepared with your swimsuit so you can dive in and enjoy. The clarity of the water and depth of cenotes makes swimming a unique experience.
Day Trip to Progreso Beach
4USD per personRoughly an hour drive from Meridá, Progreso is a perfect spot for relaxing on the beach or strolling along the boardwalk. Stop along the way at the Dzibichaltun archaeological site.
Anthropology Museum Visit
55MXN per personInstalled on two floors of a refurbished mansion, this museum is considered to be one of the most important collections of Pre-Columbian Mayan culture in the Yucatán Peninsula. Learn everything there is to know about Mayan society, from war to writing, art to architecture, calendars, customs and offerings to the dead.
Day 4Mérida/Palenque
Travel to Palenque and spend two nights in a jungle lodge.
After a long day of travel, arrive to Palenque. Enjoy a 2-night stay inside the national park in a jungle lodge. The lodge is quite close to the town, the ruins and the museum and offers a restaurant and bar on the grounds.
First-class Bus
First-class buses in Mexico have very strong air-conditioning. Bring a sweater.
Day 5Palenque
Enjoy a guided tour of the Mayan ruins of Palenque. After, go for a swim in the pristine turquoise waters of Roberto Barrios waterfall.
Palenque Ruins Guided Tour
Experience the elegant jungle site of Palenque on a guided tour. See the highlights -- the Temple of the Cross Group, Temple of Inscriptions and the Grand Palace. Howler monkeys sound in the distance as the fog rolls in and out of this mystical site, one of the most important centres for trade and culture during the end of the Classic Maya period.
Roberto Barrios Waterfalls
Visit the Zapatista community of Roberto Barrios and swim in stunning turquoise cascade waterfalls. Then, join an agroecological experience at the Pej'Pem Center you will support local entrepreneurship and the sustainable transformation of communities in Chiapas.
Optional Activities - Day 5 HideShow
Jungle Trail Hike
25USD per personOnly two percent of the ruins in the Mayan capital of Palenque are out in the open. Follow a local guide into the jungle along a trail, visit ruins that are now overgrown with moss and vines. Learn about the wildlife and different medicinal trees and plants that grow in and around the Usumancinta River of this mountainous forest area of Chiapas.
BBQ Lunch
30USD per personFill up on a delicious lunch of BBQ fish, meat, sausage, nopal cactus, guacamole and authentic hand made corn tortillas. This meal includes sodas, beer and tequila - after all, you're in Mexico!
Day 6Palenque/San Cristóbal de Las Casas
Travel to San Cristóbal de Las Casas located in a high mountain valley at 2110m (6921 ft), via Villahermosa. Enjoy an orientation walk of the city, known for its 16th-century architecture.
Orientation With CEO
Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Day 7San Cristóbal de Las Casas
Opt to visit nearby indigenous Mayan villages to see their unique day-to-day life or journey to beautiful Sumidero Canyon for a relaxing boat ride.
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in San Cristobal de Las Casas, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like visiting Sumidero canyon, Lagunas de Montebello National Park, and nearby indigenous villages. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Day 7 HideShow
Lagunas de Montebello Visit
30USD per personVisit Lagunas de Montebello National Park and the group of beautiful lakes near the Guatemalan border. Each is a different colour of green and blue.
Indigenous Villages Tour
30USD per personVisit the communities of San Juan Chamula and Zinancantán with a local guide and learn about this unique way of life. Visit the main plaza and places of worship to better understand the life of the local Tzotzil people. Buy carpets, textiles and hand-made "Zapatista" dolls made to honour former rebel leader, Subcomandante Marcos. Please be respectful when taking photographs here, it's not always welcomed by the residents.
Sumidero Canyon
40USD per personDrive an hour before boarding a boat for a 2-hr journey through the deep Sumidero Canyon. Keep your eyes peeled for local wildlife, birds, monkeys and maybe even a river crocodile. Marvel at the tall waterfalls, hidden caves, and unusual rock formations along the Grijalva River. After, stop in a village to visit markets and enjoy lunch.
Day 8San Cristóbal de Las Casas/Panajachel
Journey from San Cristóbal de las Casas, Mexico to Panajachel, Guatemala. Opt to explore the town on arrival.
The first stop in Guatemala is on beautiful Lake Atitlán. Stay in Panajachel, a lakeshore town surrounded by spectacular volcanoes and small villages. There are plenty of opportunities to visit the villages on the lake by boat, departing in the mornings and returning in late afternoon.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Border Crossing (Mexico - Guatemala)
Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.
Day 9Panajachel
Take a boat tour around Lake Atitlán to local indigenous villages including a lunch at a G Adventures-supported Mayan community project.
Your G for Good Moment: Lake Atitlán Boat Ride and Community Visit
Get ready for spectacular views of the surrounding volcanoes and everyday life in a highland village. The people of this area are friendly and excited to greet travellers. Stop off in San Juan la Laguna, a G Adventures-supported village, for an included local Mayan lunch. Participate in a Mayan tree planting ceremony, providing insight into Mayan culture and beliefs.
Test your communication and bargaining skills in the colourful local markets, of which there are many. There are also a number of community Mayan weaving cooperatives that you may wish to visit. The proceeds from the sales return directly to the community and are a significant contribution to the local economy.
Free Time
Make the most of your free time in this area.
Meals included:
LunchDay 10Panajachel/Antigua Guatemala
Arrive in Antigua and head out for an orientation walk. Opt for a final night out in town.
There is so much to do in this charming colonial city, optional activities for the area include a city tour, salsa dancing classes, a Guatemalan cooking class, or relaxing with a massage. Further afield you can rent bikes and ride through the hills, visit a macadamia nut farm or check out some nearby villages.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
This ride is full of hills and windy roads. If you are prone to motion sickness, plan ahead with medication.
Orientation With CEO
Enjoy a brief walk with your CEO. He/she will give you some tips on finding things like supermarkets, main squares, and ATMs. For more specific or in-depth information, an official guided tour is recommended.
Free Time
Opt to check out more of the city with a little free time.
Optional Activities - Day 10 HideShow
Finca Valhalla Visit
5-10USD per personTake a tour of the macadamia nut plantation at Finca Valhalla led by the workers. Learn about this sustainable crop for the experts and discover the health benefits of the nut. Pamper yourself with a free facial and purchase some of the treats made from the macadamia nut like oils, nuts, and chocolate. This tour is offered for free in the hopes that you’ll show your gratitude by stopping by and picking up some tasty treats from the gift shop or café.
Elizabeth Bell Walking Tour
25USD per personMeet your guide at the fountain in the Central Plaza and take a leisurely walk along the cobblestone streets of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tour focuses on the Antigua's history, culture and restoration efforts (a bylaw, for example, stipulates buildings must only be painted certain colours in order to maintain the Spanish colonial character of the exteriors). Visit the City Hall Palace, Palace of the Captain's General, the main cathedral and many of Antigua's other attractions. Learn about jade and the valuable role it played in Maya culture. Shop for jewelry, pottery, textiles and wooden carvings.
ChocoMuseo Tour and Workshop
24USD per personEnjoy a chocolate workshop and museum tour to learn about the process "from bean to bar" and the history of this tasty crop. In this 1.5-hour workshop, make your own bar to take home and enjoy tastings of the varieties of chocolate drinks made on site. Who knew history could be so sweet?
Salsa Lesson
10USD per personKick up your heels and learn this typical Latin dance. Dancers of all skill levels are welcome. Get lost in the rhythm of the music and let your body take you to a new place -- one-two-three, one-two-three, hip roll, arm up, partner under, shimmy, shake, salsa! Vamos a bailar! (Let's dance!)
Massage
30-60USD per personRelax and enjoy a Mayan massage. You’re on vacation!
Day 11Antigua
Enjoy a free day exploring this charming colonial city.
Try your hand at making some Guatemalan cuisine. Pre-book the Antigua Cooking Class on the checkout page to include this optional activity on your tour or ask your GCO or travel agent for assistance.
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in Antigua, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like hiking a volcano, visiting a macadamia nut plantation, and taking a salsa lesson. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Day 11 HideShow
Antigua Cooking Class
55USD per personLearn the tips and tricks to Guatemalan cuisine while joining a local cooking class. Try whipping up local staples before digging in to the fruits of your labour. Hope you're hungry!
Day 12Antigua Guatemala
Spend a full day enjoying all Antigua has to offer. Opt for a city tour, take salsa dancing classes or relax with a massage.
This colonial town has much to offer— opt to visit the museums or cafés, attend a chocolate workshop, visit a local coffee plantation or macadamia nut farm or explore the nearby towns by bike.
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in Antigua, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like hiking a volcano, visiting a macadamia nut plantation, and taking a salsa lesson. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Day 12 HideShow
ChocoMuseo Tour and Workshop
24USD per personEnjoy a chocolate workshop and museum tour to learn about the process "from bean to bar" and the history of this tasty crop. In this 1.5-hour workshop, make your own bar to take home and enjoy tastings of the varieties of chocolate drinks made on site. Who knew history could be so sweet?
Finca Valhalla Visit
5-10USD per personTake a tour of the macadamia nut plantation at Finca Valhalla led by the workers. Learn about this sustainable crop for the experts and discover the health benefits of the nut. Pamper yourself with a free facial and purchase some of the treats made from the macadamia nut like oils, nuts, and chocolate. This tour is offered for free in the hopes that you’ll show your gratitude by stopping by and picking up some tasty treats from the gift shop or café.
Salsa Lesson
10USD per personKick up your heels and learn this typical Latin dance. Dancers of all skill levels are welcome. Get lost in the rhythm of the music and let your body take you to a new place -- one-two-three, one-two-three, hip roll, arm up, partner under, shimmy, shake, salsa! Vamos a bailar! (Let's dance!)
Massage
30-60USD per personRelax and enjoy a Mayan massage. You’re on vacation!
Day 13Antigua Guatemala/Rio Dulce
Travel to Rio Dulce and plan the next day's activities. Take a dip in the pool.
In the morning travel to Rio Dulce, a charming town named after the river on which it's located. Arrive in the late afternoon and start exploring.
Take a stroll through the market located in the city centre or enjoy a swim in the hotel pool.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle during this long travel day.
Free Time
Enjoy free time to get familiar with the town.
Day 14Rio Dulce
Enjoy a free day to explore. Opt to go for a swim in a natural hot waterfall, take a sunrise kayak trip to check out the local monkeys, hike to the Shaman Tower for some yoga, or visit the coastal town of Livingston.
Take a stroll in the market located in the city centre or visit Castillo de San Felipe which was a fort used to defend the town from pirates. You also have the option to rent a canoe and peacefully navigate the river. Visit the natural hot waterfall that makes this town famous.
Free Time
Make the most of this area with a full day to explore.
Optional Activities - Day 14 HideShow
Natural Hot Waterfall Visit
35USD per personFinca el Paraiso contains a unique volcanic vein that heats spring water and dumps it into a colder river below. Refresh and relax as you bathe in these therapeutic thermal waters and swim in the river below. Arrive by boat or overland.
Sunrise Monkey Kayak
20USD per personSet your alarm very early and set off on a sweet soulful paddle along the Rio Dulce. Kayak to the base of the Boquerón Canyon with its sheer cliff face, covered in a green mass of moss, vines, and trees. Enjoy a striking sunrise, sit back, and listen to the jungle as it wakes up – howler monkeys, birds and the slap of the paddle on the water provide the soundtrack to this memorable morning.
Hike and Yoga in Shaman Tower
32USD per personGo for a hike through some of the many hectares that Hacienda Tijax Reserve has to offer. Stop for a swim and walk amidst the rubber plantations. Arrive at the Shaman Tower where you will do some basic yoga and take in the 360-degree view.
Scenic Boat Ride to Livingston
30USD per personTake a boat down the Rio Dulce toward the Caribbean Sea passing through El Golfete and El Canyon before arriving to Livingston. Float past mangroves and lily pads and the Boquerón Canyon, where a sheer limestone cliff rises 122m (400 ft) out of the river, covered in vines, trees and moss. Arrive at the small fishing village of Livingston known for its unique Afro-Caribbean Garifuna population, with their unique art, music and delicious coconut seafood soup, “tapado”.
Day 15Rio Dulce/Flores
Travel to Flores, located on Lake Petén Itzá, an excellent home base for exploring nearby Tikal.
With flexibility on start time today, the group may enjoy some extra time in Rio Dulce or extra time upon arrival in Flores. There may be options for stops along the route.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Day 16Flores
Enjoy a guided tour of the nearby Mayan ruins of Tikal. In the afternoon, opt to relax on the lake or hang out at the cafés in town.
Private Vehicle
Enjoy the ride out to Tikal and return the same way in the afternoon (1-1.5 hrs one way).
Tikal Ruins Guided Tour
Put on your walking shoes and prepare for a tiring but memorable day walking through history at the impressive site of Tikal. The Mayan site is set in the heart of the jungle, in Tikal National Park, now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Along with our bilingual guide, see some of the temples, plazas, carved stone monuments and public squares, more than 3,000 buildings in all, dating from as far back as 600 BC. Climb to the top of Temple IV, catch your breath, take photos, and then sit and contemplate the magnificence of the site and the tropical rainforest beyond. Look for monkeys, anteaters, armadillos, and deer, as well as macaws and eagles, snakes, and spiders.
Free Time
Explore the area anyway you like.
Optional Activities - Day 16 HideShow
Swimming
Grab your bathing suit and go for a refreshing swim.
Lake Petén Itzá Boat Tour
10-20USD per personEnjoy a calm boat ride around Lake Petén Itzá. Stop for a swim and climb to the lookout that sits above the small archaeological site of Tayasal.
Day 17Flores/San Ignacio
Cross the border to Belize. Opt to visit the sacred Mayan cave Actun Tunichil Muknal, explore the Mountain Pine Ridge area or see the lesser-known Mayan ruins of Xunantunich.
Cross the border into Belize. The relaxed atmosphere of San Ignacio allows for options including horseback riding, canoeing, caving, or exploring the Mountain Pine Ridge area.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Border Crossing (Guatemala - Belize)
Ready for a little more ink in your passport? Grab your bags and get ready to check another country off your bucket list.
Private Vehicle
Settle in and scan the scenery from the convenience of a private vehicle.
Free Time
Head out to start exploring this fun town. There's a full free day tomorrow for anything you can't get to this afternoon.
Optional Activities - Day 17 HideShow
Cave Tubing
95USD per personStrap on a headlamp, sit on an inner tube and get set to enter the underworld. Float on an underground river past stalactites hanging above and through shafts of filtered light. Discover firsthand why the Maya selected these sites to make offerings to their gods.
Caracol Ruins Tour
125USD per personSet within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, prepare to be wowed by Caracol. It’s the largest known Maya site in Belize and was once home to an estimated 180,000 people. The site was discovered in the 1920's by a logger looking for mahogany. One of its pyramids, Canaa or “Sky Place”, built in 800 AD and standing 43m (143 ft), continues to be the tallest man-made structure in the country. Bring your walking shoes, water and a sunhat because there’s lots to see here. Tombs, temples, altars, carved stelae and other stone monuments – it’s well worth the effort and easy to be impressed.
Xunantunich Visit
65USD per personHike to the top of this impressive 9th-century Maya centre, set high on a natural limestone ridge, and admire the view of the Mopan River, Cayo District and neighbouring Guatemalan countryside. The tallest temple, El Castillo, is partially excavated and explored and there’s a unique stucco frieze on the east side of the structure. Discover why Xunantunich is Belize’s most visited site with intricately carved stellae, 25 temples, and well-preserved palaces.
Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave Visit
140USD per personThe Actun Tunichil Muknal cave has only been open to the public since 1998. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to see up to 1400 artifacts, including pottery, tools and vessels used by the Maya for a thousand years. Hike 45 minutes to the cave entrance, wade/swim through deep pools, past calcite formations, to explore this damp, dark place of ritual and sacrifice. With a helmet and headlamp, see the skeleton of the “Crystal Maiden,” a young girl whose bones have calcified over the past 1,100 years, making them appear to sparkle.
Day 18San Ignacio
Enjoy a free day to explore. Opt to check out nearby caves, some more Mayan sites or a local conservation project.
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in San Ignacio, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like cave exploring, visiting Mayan ruins, and horseback riding. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Day 18 HideShow
Barton Creek Cave Canoeing
120USD per personStrap on a headlamp, step in the canoe and paddle along an ancient Mayan waterway inside the Barton Creek Cave. Bring your camera to take memorable photos of cathedral rock chambers, stalactites and stalagmites. Upon return, opt to swim at Big Rock Falls.
Cave Tubing
95USD per personStrap on a headlamp, sit on an inner tube and get set to enter the underworld. Float on an underground river past stalactites hanging above and through shafts of filtered light. Discover firsthand why the Maya selected these sites to make offerings to their gods.
Horseback Riding
80USD per personChoose from one of the 45 horses at Hannah's Stables and ride over farm trails and forested paths, all the way along the river to the Mayan site of Xunantunich. Enjoy a short guided tour of the site before taking a different trail back to the stables. Watch for native birds, including toucans and parrots, listen for howler monkeys, admire orchids and fruit trees and breathe in the fresh air of the Belize countryside.
Caracol Ruins Tour
125USD per personSet within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, prepare to be wowed by Caracol. It’s the largest known Maya site in Belize and was once home to an estimated 180,000 people. The site was discovered in the 1920's by a logger looking for mahogany. One of its pyramids, Canaa or “Sky Place”, built in 800 AD and standing 43m (143 ft), continues to be the tallest man-made structure in the country. Bring your walking shoes, water and a sunhat because there’s lots to see here. Tombs, temples, altars, carved stelae and other stone monuments – it’s well worth the effort and easy to be impressed.
Crystal Cave Visit
110USD per personDrive to Blue Hole National Park and hike for one hour through lush rainforest and down steep, slippery slopes, then descend 4.5m (15 ft) by ropes to start exploring Crystal Cave (also known as Mountain Cow Cave). Crab walk and crawl through the cave and head into the Mayan Xibabla or underworld. Slide down mud ramps, along rock faces, and be awed by the stalactites and stalagmites, ancient fire pits, wall carvings, pottery and the haunting skeletal remains of humans sacrificed by the Maya to appease their gods. Afterwards, take a short drive to the Blue Hole River, relax and refresh in the cool water.
Xunantunich Visit
65USD per personHike to the top of this impressive 9th-century Maya centre, set high on a natural limestone ridge, and admire the view of the Mopan River, Cayo District and neighbouring Guatemalan countryside. The tallest temple, El Castillo, is partially excavated and explored and there’s a unique stucco frieze on the east side of the structure. Discover why Xunantunich is Belize’s most visited site with intricately carved stellae, 25 temples, and well-preserved palaces.
Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave Visit
140USD per personThe Actun Tunichil Muknal cave has only been open to the public since 1998. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to see up to 1400 artifacts, including pottery, tools and vessels used by the Maya for a thousand years. Hike 45 minutes to the cave entrance, wade/swim through deep pools, past calcite formations, to explore this damp, dark place of ritual and sacrifice. With a helmet and headlamp, see the skeleton of the “Crystal Maiden,” a young girl whose bones have calcified over the past 1,100 years, making them appear to sparkle.
Day 19San Ignacio/Caye Caulker
Travel to Belize City to catch a ferry to Caye Caulker. Later, explore Caye Caulker with a G Adventures-supported Bike with Purpose tour. Spend a few days enjoying this island paradise.
Caye Caulker is a relaxed and easy going island with friendly and welcoming local residents. There are dozens of activities around the island and surrounding coral reefs. Try your hand at fishing and barbecue your catch on the beach.
Local Bus
Climb aboard, grab a seat, and enjoy the ride.
Taxi
Jump in the back and tell the driver to step on it, just like they do in the movies.
Your G for Good Moment: Belize Bike with Purpose Tour
Take a leisurely bike tour around Caye Caulker with a guide from the G Adventures for Good supported Bike with Purpose project. See the island through the eyes of a local on this two-hour tour, and live the island's motto of 'Go Slow'. Feel the island breeze in you hair while knowing you're supporting a program that helps youth from Caye Caulker build skills for tourism jobs upon graduation from high school.
Days 20–21Caye Caulker
Spend time enjoying this island paradise. Opt to go on a sailing trip to snorkel with stingrays, nurse sharks and green turtles at Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Choose to visit the famous Blue Hole on a diving trip or a fly-over.
If the boats aren't your thing, just relax, Belizean-style.
Your Discover Moment
There's plenty to see and do in Caye Caulker, and we wanted to make sure that you had some time to take it all in. Feel free to relax or try optional activities like snorkelling, sea kayaking, and sailing. Your CEO has more ideas if you need them. Just ask!
Optional Activities - Days 20–21 HideShow
Blue Hole National Monument Dive
200-250USD per personChannel your inner Jacques Cousteau and dive the Great Blue Hole, ranked by the Discovery Channel as their top choice for “most amazing place on earth”. This giant limestone sinkhole, 300m (1000 ft) in diameter and 124m (407 ft) deep, was formed more than a million years ago and is now part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Geared to open water and advanced divers, see Midnight Parrotfish and Caribbean reef sharks and interesting rock formations, including stalactites which formed before the area was submerged by the sea.
Guided Kayak Trip
15-20USD per personFollow a guide on a sea kayak tour around the southern portion of Caye Caulker. Paddle around the mangroves and try to spot some of the unique wildlife in the area.
Blue Hole National Park Flight
180-250USD per personCharge up your camera batteries and take flight over the crystal clear waters off Belize. Take off from Caye Caulker airstrip in a small plane and observe the incredible Blue Hole national monument from above. Made famous by underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau, this limestone sinkhole is 300m (1000 ft) in diameter and was formed more than a million years ago.
Hol Chan Snorkel Tour
70-80USD per personSlather on the sunscreen and set out on a snorkel adventure of a lifetime. Stop at the Coral Gardens, shark and ray alley, and the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Snorkel three different spots along the Belize reef in this protected channel. See hundreds of varieties of tropical fish in this natural aquarium including angelfish, nurse sharks, stingrays and green moray eels. Be sure to check out the Coral Gardens to see a rainbow of colours – red, purple, pink and green – and depending on the season, float past manatees while you marvel at nature’s underwater artistry. End the day with a cruise back to Caye Caulker just before sunset with a complimentary glass of rum punch in your hand.
Sunset Sailing Boat Tour
60USD per personSet sail just before sunset. Relax with reggae music and rum punch, snack on shrimp ceviche and snap a few photos as you sail around the island as the sun sets to the west of Caye Caulker.
Fishing
250-450USD per personCast a line and see what you can reel in. Fish for snapper, barracuda, horse-eye jack and more. Bring your catch to any local restaurant and have them gut and grill it just for you. Buy the rest of dinner and some drinks and enjoy! It doesn’t get any fresher than this.
Day 22Caye Caulker
Depart at any time. If flying out of Belize City today, please ensure your flight does not leave earlier than 11:30am to account for travel time to the Belize City airport.
This trip finishes on Caye Caulker, which is located 1 hr by water taxi from Belize city (an additional 30 min by taxi to the airport). There are frequent ferry departures between 7:30am and 5pm. You can purchase your return ferry ticket easily once you get to Caye Caulker.