Fun things to do in Cayo District

This cave is one of the highlights of the Blue Hole National Park. You can venture a good 1/4 mile into the cave on a clearly marked path. A small admission fee is charged at the entrance, and don't forget to rent a flashlight as well.

The park is maintained by the Belize Audubon Society. It contains over 250 species of birds and other animals. Unfortunately one of those animals is the mosquito, so be prepared with insect repellent.

Two trails lead up to the cave, the "high" and the "low". Neither is a very long hike. The high requires some climbing, but gives a much better view of the surrounding area. Take the high trail if it's been raining - the low trail is prone to flooding.

When we arrived at the steps leading to the cave, a park employee was sweeping them. It's nice to see the admission fee was going right back into the park :-)

You can also camp in the Blue Hole National Park, but we just spent a morning here so I can't report on the campgrounds.

At the second entrance to the park (the first one leading to St. Herman's Cave) you find a stairway that will take you to the actual "blue hole".

It's a pool, about 30 feet in diameter (9 meters). Most of the pool is very shallow, except for the collapsed sinkhole which causes the blue color. The hole is estimated to be 100 feet deep but the locals will swear it's bottomless, leading to caves that eventually empty out into the ocean 20 miles east.

The water was perfect for a refreshing swim :-)

St. Herman's Cave is just a 10 minute walk from the visitor center at Blue Hole National park.

But be SURE to wear mosquito repellent, as the walk is in the jungle, and there were lots of mosquitos!

Also, be sure and take a strong flashlight if you want to go very far in to the cave. We went a ways in to the cave, but turned back when our flashlight stopped working very well!

Last, but not least, be sure to wear good walking shoes with good traction to keep you on the trail inside the cave! =)

Rio on Pools was SOOO wonderful and refreshing! It is a place you MUST stop on your way back from Caracol to the main road. The road is every so dusty and bumpy and takes about 3 hours, but if you stop at Rio On Pools, it will give you a nice break about halfway along that 3-hour trip! There is a little walk from the road to the pools, but it is worth it!

Check out the enormous green iguanas along the Belize River. There is a small village next to the bridge to Xunantunich where a pair like to hang out and get free hand outs from the locals and tourist. They are vegetarian and are completely harmless. They let you get fairly close to photograhp but will run for the river and jump in if you get to close.

The Blue Hole National Park, protected under the National Parks System Act of 1981, was established in December 1986.

Adjacent to a parking area, steps lead to the pool that gives the park its name (not to be confused with the other Blue Hole on Lighthouse Reef. There were no changing facilities when I was there - I had to change in the bathroom. The water was COLD. Too cold for Bob - he didn't want to swim.

The websites say that it is about 25 feet deep, but I could walk around in most of it only up to mid calf. Of course at the time it was the middle of a drought.

The website says:
If you have the time, catching a bus heading to Dangriga can be an inexpensive way to get there. If you go by bus, be sure and check bus schedules for return times.

Caracol was a bit difficult to get to, due to the bumpy, non-paved road, but it was definitely worth the trip! It is the largest Mayan ruin... and was first occupied in 1200 B.C.

The entrance fee is $10 and it is opened 7 days a week. There is a small museum at the entrance.

I especially enjoyed the fact there there were lots of little rooms here and there to explore... lots of steps and things to climb. If you like exploring, you will love Caracol!

When we came to the inland blue hole I could see little fish swiming around in it so I stuck my waterproof camera in the water and snapped a picture, I got these great images of the fish swiming around in the cenote.