Drive 45 minute past the town of San Ignacio, before setting out on a 45 minute nature hike through the surrounding rainforest. The hike includes three stream crossings and passes through the 6,700 acre Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve. Actun Tunichil Muknal "Cave of the Stone Sepulcher" is the most impressive cave in the Maya Lowlands. Located in the heart of the Belizean rainforest, this cave was a sacred place to the prehistoric Maya of Belize, who first began to use the entrance during the early classic period (300-600AD). The cave system consists of a series of chambers, ending in a 300 by 50 meter cathedral where sacrificial ceremonies once took place. Here you will be exposed to the individuals sacrificed to the gods of the underworld. A good level of physical fitness is required along with the ability to swim. This evening after dinner we’ll take a guided night walk looking for nocturnal creatures such as kinkajous, bats, owls, northern potoos, tyras and coatimundis. Don’t forget your headlamp! Overnight at Caves Branch Jungle Lodge.
Note: Alternative cave activities will be arranged today for families with children under 8 years old.