On this trip you will explore the rainforest and temples of Belize. You will stay 4 nights at Pooks Hill, a private nature reserve located in the rainforest. Each day you will explore different temples.

The Mayan site of Xunantunich is surrounded by more than twenty-five temples and palaces. At Barton Creek, you will canoe through a remote underground water cave system that was once used for Maya ceremonies. Caracol can truly be described in superlatives: Largest archeological site in Belize - One of the largest in the Maya world - Tallest man-made structure in Belize - Most structures, largest area, largest population and most hieroglyphics. Many hieroglyphic texts have been found on the stelae, alters, ball-court-markers, capstones and wall facades.

Day 1: Cayo District

On your arrival in Belize you will be met by a guide and transferred into the rainforest of the Cayo area. You will be staying for 4 nights at Pooks Hill Lodge.

Pook's Hill is a nature lodge in the Cayo District, the Maya heartland of Belize. It is located within a 300 acre private nature reserve of primary rainforest set in the foothills of the Maya Mountains and borders on the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve, a 6,800 acre rainforest sanctuary which is home to colorful toucans, butterflies, hummingbirds, howler monkeys and jaguars. The lodge surrounds a small Maya plaza with rolling lawns, leading to a river and jungle. Each cabana has a private bathroom, 24 hr electricity and a fan. Enjoy a cool drink in the open bar and delicious Caribbean-style cuisine in the lantern-lit dining room.

Day 2: Xunantunich & San Ignacio
This morning we will explore the Cayo area & transfer to the impressive Mayan ruins of Xunantunich where we will have a private guided tour of the site. Perched on a hill overlooking the Mopan River, the Maya Site of Xunantunich is located approximately eight miles west of San Ignacio Town at San Jose Succotz Village in the Cayo District.

Xunantunich was a major ceremonial center during the Classic Period. The site is composed of six major plazas and surrounded by more than twenty-five temples and palaces. The most prominent structure, located at the south end of the site, is the pyramid "El Castillo" (The Castle) which rises 130 feet high above the plaza. "El Castillo" was the tallest man-made structure in all of Belize until the discovery of "Canaa" at Caracol. The most notable feature on "El Castillo" is the reconstructed frieze on the east side of the lower temple.

After our tour we’ll transfer into the traditional town of San Ignacio where lunch is provided and there is time to explore before transferring back to the hotel. Known locally as "Cayo," San Ignacio is teeming with Guatemala-bound travelers, archaeologists, Peace Corps workers, and thrill seekers. "Cayo" is a unique blend of America's Old West and tropical backwater with frontier-like wooden shops on narrow streets. Burns Avenue is "Main Street" and a good place to begin a tour of the town. Most days it's a busy thoroughfare with lots of people walking in the streets. Burns Avenue and the adjacent streets are packed with shops, hotels and places to eat where hospitable townspeople mingle in restaurants, bars and wooden shops with colonial era architecture of days gone by. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 3: Cave Adventure
Enjoy an adventurous cave/river trip to see ancient Mayan ritual sites where artifacts remain. Choose between Barton Creek where you canoe through the cave, or Actun Tunichmal, for a more strenuous & adventurous jungle & cave trip.  If you select Barton Creek, you will glide through a remote underground water cave system in a canoe equipped with a powerful spotlights. It is believed that the Maya once used this cave for ritual ceremonies. While canoeing through the cave you'll see large and colorful formations, skeletal remains and other cultural artifacts left behind by the Maya centuries ago. From the cave's entrance it's about a mile through the cave to the stopping point. Actun Tunichmal is one of the most impressive caves in the Mayan lowlands. The cave was a sacred place to the prehistoric Maya of Belize. They traveled deep inside the cave to conduct their ceremonies.
 
In the afternoon we'll visit the Belize Zoo. It is settled upon 29 acres of tropical savanna and exhibits over 125 animals all native to Belize. The zoo keeps animals were either born at the zoo, orphaned, rehabilitated animals, or sent to The Belize Zoo as gifts from other zoological institutions. A visit to the zoo is a good way to get an introduction to the animals of Belize, and to understand why it is important to protect the habitats that sustain them. Breakfast and lunch included

Day 4: Caracol & Mountain Pine Ridge
After breakfast, we'll travel through the scenic Mountain Pine Ridge National Park on your way to the famous Mayan Site at Caracol. After driving through miles of tropical jungle, you suddenly find yourself in a forest of tall, thin pine trees growing out of sandy dirt grasses and wildflowers. The Mountain Pine Ridge ecosystem is found nowhere else in Central America. Here you will find cool air, many birds, and large numbers of butterflies. The area has many sections of whitewater rivers, waterfalls, and cave systems.

At Caracol enjoy a private guided tour
of this impressive site. Discovered in 1938 by loggers, excavations did not begin until 1950, with most of the work having taken place since 1985. Caracol can truly be described in superlatives: Largest archeological site in Belize - One of the largest in the Maya world - Tallest man-made structure in Belize (Caana) - Most structures, largest area, largest population and most hieroglyphics.

Caracol was linked together by more than 20 miles of roadways that radiated outward from its epicenter like the spokes of a wheel. It is estimated that 200,000 or more Maya lived in the area when this important City-State reached its peak around 700 A.D. Many hieroglyphic texts have been found on  stelae, alters, ball-court-markers, capstones and wall facades.

On the way back to the hotel we will stop to swim in the Rio Frio Caves and Pools. Rio On Pools are a continuous series of pools formed by large granite boulders. Many of the pools are connected by small waterfalls. The smooth boulders make natural water slides and a great place for a swim or a hike. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 5: Transfer out
Transfer to Belize International Airport in plenty of time for your flight out.

And may we suggest... the Beachy Beach as an great add on.

Belize Rainforest: Short and Sweet
Trip length	5 days/4 nights
Departs	Daily (except Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year)
Group size	2	4
Per person cost 2008 January 7-April 30	$1570.00	$1192.00
Per person cost 2008 May 1-December 18	$1471.00	$1094.00
Single Supplement	on request
Prices based on two people sharing a double room accommodation at Pooks Hill Lodge. Other lodging is available on request. International and domestic airfare not included. Prices increase for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year. Pricing and itinerary are subject to change until booking is confirmed.