The Caves of Belize
The tropics of Central America are known the world over for their lush jungle environs, incredible ancient ruins, and plentiful opportunities to pursue all manner of adventure sports and relaxing seaside activities, from diving and snorkeling to jungle treks and simple sunning on the beach. What many who seek out the ancient Aztec and Maya cities or plop down at once of the many world-class resorts overlook is what many might call the opportunity of a lifetime :the ability to ride the underground rivers of Belize.
An Historical Journey
Underground cave tubing is a thrilling and unusual way to glimpse some of Belize's rich history and the remnants of its Pre-Columbian civilizations. You can enter the long, winding stretches of its subterranean caves via one of many cenotes, or above-ground sinkholes, which connect the caves with the surface and act as portals into the earth, and into the past. If you've traveled down the tourist trails of Central America and think you've seen and done it all, unless you've also floated down the underground rivers, there's still much left to explore in this tropical wonderland.
Charting your own course is an option, though for many first-timers, the abundance of cave-tubing shops that offer guides and equipment will be a welcome convenience. You'll float down tepid subterranean rivers that were once used by the ancient Maya as a source of drinking water and for irrigation (a practice they invented); as a result, you'll be served up a bevy of fascinating historical sights and artifacts as you relax in the gentle grip of the underground river, carrying you along the route.
A Vacation Underground
Anyone adventurous enough to go it alone will be heartened by the abundance of information online which will help you plan your own trip down these enchanted ancient waterways. Advice from fellow travelers, coupled with online review sites, will make it easy to search out a reputable and reliable cave-tubing company to trust your experience to. Among the most popular routes with backpackers in Central America is in the Cayo District, known as the Caves Branch route. Thousands of years old, the route begins conveniently close to Hummingbird Highway, which according to archeologists was used by the Maya as a transportation route up to 2,000 years in the past.
Searching online reviews first means you'll be able to verify the safety and honesty of the company you rent your tubes from. For the most part, the tubes issued to tourists meet standards of durability and quality testing; your equipment will also include a standard life vest (just in case) and a caver's light, which is worn on the forehead. This headlamp will illuminate the dark spaces between cenotes where you are truly traveling in underground caverns, dozens of feet or more below the surface. Along the Caves Branch trail, you'll pass by the natural "sculptures" of Celestial Bird and Vision Serpent, created by centuries of dripping water carrying sediment and minerals down from the cave's ceiling.
An Unforgettable Journey
The more adventurous traveler will be delighted to learn that some cave tubing routes feature faster water, and will thrill to their tube's bobbing and swirling in the current. If you're planning a trip to the Southern Hemisphere, be sure to squeeze a cave tubing journey into your itinerary. Where else can you combine ancient artifacts, amazing wildlife, a slow crawl down an underground river, and some of the world's most beautiful caverns all in one experience?
The tropics of Central America are known the world over for their lush jungle environs, incredible ancient ruins, and plentiful opportunities to pursue all manner of adventure sports and relaxing seaside activities, from diving and snorkeling to jungle treks and simple sunning on the beach. What many who seek out the ancient Aztec and Maya cities or plop down at once of the many world-class resorts overlook is what many might call the opportunity of a lifetime :the ability to ride the underground rivers of Belize.
An Historical Journey
Underground cave tubing is a thrilling and unusual way to glimpse some of Belize's rich history and the remnants of its Pre-Columbian civilizations. You can enter the long, winding stretches of its subterranean caves via one of many cenotes, or above-ground sinkholes, which connect the caves with the surface and act as portals into the earth, and into the past. If you've traveled down the tourist trails of Central America and think you've seen and done it all, unless you've also floated down the underground rivers, there's still much left to explore in this tropical wonderland.
Charting your own course is an option, though for many first-timers, the abundance of cave-tubing shops that offer guides and equipment will be a welcome convenience. You'll float down tepid subterranean rivers that were once used by the ancient Maya as a source of drinking water and for irrigation (a practice they invented); as a result, you'll be served up a bevy of fascinating historical sights and artifacts as you relax in the gentle grip of the underground river, carrying you along the route.
A Vacation Underground
Anyone adventurous enough to go it alone will be heartened by the abundance of information online which will help you plan your own trip down these enchanted ancient waterways. Advice from fellow travelers, coupled with online review sites, will make it easy to search out a reputable and reliable cave-tubing company to trust your experience to. Among the most popular routes with backpackers in Central America is in the Cayo District, known as the Caves Branch route. Thousands of years old, the route begins conveniently close to Hummingbird Highway, which according to archeologists was used by the Maya as a transportation route up to 2,000 years in the past.
Searching online reviews first means you'll be able to verify the safety and honesty of the company you rent your tubes from. For the most part, the tubes issued to tourists meet standards of durability and quality testing; your equipment will also include a standard life vest (just in case) and a caver's light, which is worn on the forehead. This headlamp will illuminate the dark spaces between cenotes where you are truly traveling in underground caverns, dozens of feet or more below the surface. Along the Caves Branch trail, you'll pass by the natural "sculptures" of Celestial Bird and Vision Serpent, created by centuries of dripping water carrying sediment and minerals down from the cave's ceiling.
An Unforgettable Journey
The more adventurous traveler will be delighted to learn that some cave tubing routes feature faster water, and will thrill to their tube's bobbing and swirling in the current. If you're planning a trip to the Southern Hemisphere, be sure to squeeze a cave tubing journey into your itinerary. Where else can you combine ancient artifacts, amazing wildlife, a slow crawl down an underground river, and some of the world's most beautiful caverns all in one experience?
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The original article appeared here: Belize Adventure Tours. Read more on Jungle Tours.
