{"id":26673,"date":"2017-03-08T06:00:42","date_gmt":"2017-03-08T14:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=26673"},"modified":"2020-01-18T08:41:51","modified_gmt":"2020-01-18T16:41:51","slug":"adventures-in-belize-from-caracol-to-caye-caulker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/adventures-in-belize-from-caracol-to-caye-caulker\/","title":{"rendered":"Adventures in Belize: From Caracol to Caye Caulker"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A visit to Belize takes you from jungle adventure and Mayan ruins to pristine white sand beaches along the bright Caribbean blue sea where explorers of all ages can play and learn. Nature in all its tropical glory is largely unspoiled on the mainland and smaller outer islands, such as Caye (pronounced ‘k\u0113’) Caulker which is a prime location for diving and snorkeling along the Belize Barrier Reef system, the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere.<\/p>\n
Tucked between the Caribbean Sea and the rainforest on the eastern coast of Central America, Belize is the home of a small and diverse nation. Formerly known as British Honduras, Belize was the United Kingdom’s last colony on the North American mainland and still maintains strong ties with Britain. Thus, the official language of Belize is English, which helps to make your trip even more stress-free.<\/p>\n
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Coming from California, I took a red-eye flight and arrived a day before my sister, which gave me a day to relax before heading out to the rainforest area of Western Belize where we were to stay three nights in San Ignacio. At the top of our list was a visit to the ancient Mayan ruins of Caracol, followed by ziplining through the jungle canopy and cave exploration aka spelunking<\/em>. All things considered – even the three-hour\u00a0each way, bone-rattling drive on a washed-out dirt road – Caracol was still the highlight of the trip.<\/p>\n Tip<\/strong>: Tourism is a major source of income for the people of Belize and all hotels are able to book tours for you. With their knowledge of local guides, I recommend making tour arrangements through your hotel. We stayed at the modest Midas Belize<\/a>, made our reservation for a Caracol tour the night before, and felt like we totally lucked out in getting Selwyn, a Yucatan Mayan raised in the jungle and calls himself a naturalist; we can not disagree, he was extremely knowledgeable about plant life, history of the Mayans, and Belize as a developing nation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Caracol<\/strong> is huge. In fact, it is the largest Mayan site in Belize, and one of the largest in the Mayan world. The core area alone is 15 square miles and once supported a population of more than 120,000 people.\u00a0The ruins are still being excavated and much of the area remains uncleared. Unlike Chichen Itza and Tulum, the better known Mayan ruins of the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula where climbing is banned, climbing is permitted at Caracol.<\/p>\n Caracol\u2019s central core consists of three plaza groups surrounding a central acropolis and two ball courts, along with a number of smaller structures. \u00a0The complex covers 30-square miles of thick, high-canopy jungle, and includes five plazas, an astronomic observatory and over 35,000 buildings which have been identified.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Caracol Archaeological Project of archaeological excavations and restorations started in 1985 and is ongoing; students from UNLV are currently living on site.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The main pyramid at Caracol is called Caana or \u201cSky Palace.\u201d At 136 feet high it is the tallest Mayan building in Belize and the tallest man-made structure in the country. Caana contains four palaces and three temples.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n More than 100 tombs have also been found, as well as a rich array of hieroglyphic inscriptions.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Detail of carvings signifying jaguar teeth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nBook a Jungle Tour With a Local Guide<\/h2>\n
The Mayan Ruins of Caracol<\/h2>\n