If you are an extreme cave explorer, Crystal Cave, also known as Mountain Cow Cave, is an adventure you just can't miss during your trip to Belize! This tour is not for the faint of heart and all participants must be able-bodied and accompanied by a certified guide. This site is located in the Blue Hole National Park which is located 12 miles southeast of Belmopan on the right side of the Hummingbird Highway.
Caves played a very important role in ancient culture as the Mayas considered caves to be supernatural realm where their deities and ancestors resided. Caves were the portal between the tangible human world and the invisible world of the gods, a place called Xibalba. It was here that the ancient Mayan Shamans performed their most sacred rituals and ceremonies and this was the underground domain of their gods.
A guided exploration into this very spectacular cave system begins with a rigorous 50-minute hike on uneven jungle rainforest terrain. Then prepare for a steep downward walk that takes you miles down to huge caverns full of dazzling crystalline rock formations, you'll follow the same footpaths the Maya Shamans and priests once traveled to reach these ceremonial chambers. The guided tour will have participants crawling through cracks and crevices beholding spectacular cave formations, learning about its history and geology, as well as viewing ancient Mayan pottery, beads, obsidian knives, and even human skeletal remains that have been calcified in the limestone floor dating back 2,000 years. After a thrilling experience, you have the option of finishing off with a refreshing swim in the cool waters of the inland Blue Hole.