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Departs From: San Ignacio Town
Discover Actun Tunichil Muknal: Belize’s Ultimate ATM Cave Tour with us! Step inside a living museum and experience what National Geographic ranks as the most sacred cave in the world. ... moreThe Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave tour isn't just a day trip it’s a bucket-list Belize adventure that combines jungle hiking, river swimming, and awe-inspiring Mayan history.
Why Travelers Choose the ATM Cave Adventure:
A Time Capsule of Mayan History: Hike and swim into dramatic underground chambers to see ancient ceremonial pottery, left exactly as it was placed by Maya priests centuries ago.
The Famous "Crystal Maiden": Witness the breathtaking, sparkling skeletal remains preserved naturally by cave limestone.
Exclusive, Small-Group Access: To protect this sacred site, entry is strictly limited. You’ll explore with an elite, licensed guide in an intimate, small-group setting.
Is this adventure for you? If you have a moderate fitness level, love a thrilling challenge, and want to experience history where it actually happened, this is the #1 tour you cannot miss in Belize.
Spaces are strictly limited to protect the cave. Book your ATM Cave Tour today and claim your spot on Belize's most legendary adventure!
Departs From: San Ignacio Town
Welcome to the gateway of the Mayan Underworld. Actun Tunichil Muknal (cave of the stone sepulchre) is commonly referred to as ATM Cave. Located near San Ignacio, Cayo District, it ... moreis one of the most impressive Maya ceremonial caves containing rare bloodletting altars used in sacrifices by Maya royalty, and where calcified skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware have been found. The best known as “The Crystal Maiden”, the intact skeleton of a teenage girl, whose bones have been calcified over the years to a sparkling crystallized appearance
The hike to the cave entrance through the lush Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve requires visitors to swim to the mouth of the cave and then wade through ankle to chest high water and once inside the magnificent cave, the exploration begins. The tour requires climbing and swimming as well as crawling through small spaces. The cave is extensively decorated with cave formations in the upper passages, a labyrinth of dry chambers which lead to the cathedral-like main hall, a towering chamber 350 meters in length and 50 meters wide, and filled with artifacts and sacrificial remains. Visitors remove shoes and explore the cave in socks only, to protect the artifacts on the cave floor. After this, another climb takes you to the stone sepulchre (after which the cave is named) where the Crystal Maiden lies. Photography is now disallowed inside the cave unless special permits are obtained.
This is an extraordinary Belize adventure and a rare opportunity to see ancient Maya ceremonial sites and altars as they were and virtually untouched for centuries. A visit to this site is truly profound and unforgettable. After this memorable adventure, we hike back to our vehicles and sit to enjoy a local lunch before heading back to San Ignacio.
Departs From: San Ignacio Town
Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave is a cave in Belize, near San Ignacio, Cayo District, notable as a Maya archaeological site that includes skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware. There are several ... moreareas with skeletal remains in the main chamber. The best known as "The Crystal Maiden", is the skeleton of an adolescent (an 18-year-old girl), possibly a sacrifice victim, whose bones have been calcified to a sparkling, crystallized appearance. Recent studies, however, claim that the remains are male and not female.
The ceramics at the site are significant partly because they are marked with "kill holes", which indicate that they were used for ceremonial purposes. Many of the Maya artifacts and remains are completely calcified to the cave floor. One artifact, named the "Monkey Pot", is one of just four of its type found in Central America. The Maya also modified cave formations here, in some instances to create altars for the offerings, in others to create silhouettes of faces and animals or to project a shadow image into the cave. The cave is extensively decorated with cave formations in the upper passages. ( Pick ups in San Ignacio and Santa Elena and Town limits are free of charge, However Pick ups out of town are additional charges )
( Each person doing Atm tour will need to sign a waver form pryer to the tour )
Animal life in the cave includes a large population of bats, large freshwater crabs, crayfish, catfish, and other tropical fish. Large invertebrates like Amblypygi and various predatory spiders also inhabit the cave. Agouti and otters may also use the cave. These and many other species are quite common in river caves of this size in Belize.
Departs From: San Ignacio Town
Getting There: Your adventure begins at 8:00 AM with a 45-minute drive on the George Price Highway with another 30 minutes off-road to the parking lot. ... more
From the parking lot, we have a 45 minutes jungle hike toward the cave entrance, crossing a knee-deep river 3 times along the way- enjoy the scenery.
At the cave entrance:
Upon reaching the mouth of the ATM cave, your guide briefs you on the cave’s historical facts while you gear up with helmets and headlamps. The hike inside the cave entails a very short swim of about 30 feet across at the very entrance of the cave. For non-swimmers, there is a bypass around the corner of the cave’s entrance through which you are assisted by the guide. For the rest of the cave length, it’s mostly wading through the water no deeper than chest height (at average height) at most. Admire the myriad cave formations along the way until reaching the hidden dry chamber where amazement awaits you.
In the main chamber:
To get to the main chamber, you'll climb over some rocks providing a staircase to the chamber. Once in the chamber, you’ll be asked by your guide to take off your shoes and walk with only your socks on your feet. Here your guide explains the Maya rituals while you awe at the magnificence of this ancient tomb and its grandeur.
You’ll be amazed by all the Mayan artifacts and remains freely scattered throughout the cave as your guide explains how they got there and what lead to this shocking massacre in such a remote location. Walking farther into the cave, we’ll reach a higher but smaller chamber accessible only through the use of a man-made ladder. This is where the prized, intact, crystalized skeletal remains of the Crystal Maiden lay. Take your time, to sink in the reality of what lies before you.
Departure:
After being saturated to capacity with astonishment, we make our way back out of the chambers and the cave. (the way back out always seems so much shorter than the way in). We then hike back onto the parking lot, where the guide will provide you with your lunch as you discuss the reality of what you’ve just witnessed inside. You may choose to change into your dry clothes before or after lunch (your choice). After lunch, we board our vehicle and head back to San Ignacio arriving around 3:30- 4:00 PM.
Departs From: San Ignacio Town
Discovered in 1989, this cave is a full five kilometers deep. Taking a journey into the Mayan underworld at Actun Tunichil Muknal, or the “Cave of the Stone Sepulchre”, ... morewill be one of the most enlightening, and unique experiences of your life. You will venture into the heart of the Cave with a licensed, experienced tour guide. This cave is not only geologically beautiful with its crystalline stalactites and stalagmites but also historically as it is a natural museum of ancient Mayan artifacts and a sacred offering place for the “Crystal Maiden”. Time spent inside the cave is 2 ½ to 3 hrs. Get an in-depth look at Belize’s Mayan culture.
Inside the dry zone where the artifacts and bones are located, all persons need to remove all shoes and walk-in socks to reduce damage. To see the Crystal Maiden you need to ascend a 13 ft ladder to reach the area known as the sepulcher.
Departs From: San Ignacio Town
ATM CAVE TOUR
Taking a journey into the Mayan underworld at Actun Tunichil Muknal, or the “Cave of the Stone Sepulchre”, will be one of the most enlightening, epic, and unique experiences ... moreof your life. Leave the world of the living behind as you venture into the heart of the ATM Cave with your licensed guide. Recently deemed the #1 Sacred Cave destination in the world by National Geographic, the ATM cave is not only beautiful geologically, with its crystalline stalactites and stalagmites, but also historically, as is a natural museum of ancient Mayan artifacts, as well as a sacred burial place. This is the final resting place of the “Crystal Maiden”, an ancient Mayan ceremonial victim, as well as the remains of 13 other sacrificed men, women, and children. MayaWalk guides have led government officials, National Geographic teams, the Discovery Channel, The British High Commission, and US Embassy officials into the ATM Cave.
This sacrificial site is accessed by approximately an hour's drive from our office in San Ignacio. Here we enter the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve and park our vehicles at the ranger post. From this point on we are on foot, hiking through the jungle for approximately 45 minutes to the entrance of the cave. The hike includes three stream crossings. To access the cave, we swim across a small spring-fed pool with the assistance of a rope and wade into knee-high water into the dark underworld of the cave that allows us access to the extensive underground maze of tunnels, passageways, and chambers, climaxing in the ceremonial chamber housing stoneware, ceramics and the famed crystallized skeleton of the “Crystal Maiden”. We spend approximately 3 hours in the cave under the instruction of our experienced guides.
Leave your cameras behind and experience the power of ancient spirits with your mind, body, and soul. This is not only a physical adventure but a journey into the spiritual realm. We enter back into the jungle world and hike to our vehicles, where we relax and enjoy a homemade picnic lunch, with water and soft drinks, before driving back to San Ignacio.
Departs From: San Ignacio Town
ATM Cave was first explored in 1989 and National Geographic produced a documentary about ATM Cave in 1992 called Journey Through the Underworld.
... more
Actun Tunichil Muknal is one of the most impressive Maya ceremonial caves containing bloodletting altars used in sacrifices and over 1400 artifacts as well as human skeletal remains.
Departs From: San Ignacio Town
ACTUN TUNICHIL MUKNAL CAVE THE STONE SEPULCHRE (Mother of all caves). Ranks # 1 in the "top 10 sacred caves" list by National Geographic. This cave is located in the Tapir Mountains ... moreReserve. Discovered in 1989 and soon gained archeological importance as one of the 10 sacrificial caves in Belize, and now, in the World.
In the cave, opportunities arise to see skeletal remains of 14 individuals, including and most famous CRYSTAL MAIDEN. Most skeletal remains sparkle as they have been covered in calcite crystals from being in that constant cave environment for over a thousand years. ATM cave was known for performing rituals to appease the rain god of Xibalba, the underworld.
Getting to ATM involves a 45-minute moderate jungle trail hike. While entering the cave, there is a river flowing out, so swimming for short distances and getting wet is part of this tour.
Departs From: San Ignacio Town
Experience more than a cave! Imagine a world alive and imbued with sacred power divided into three domains: the starry arch of heaven; the stony middle world of the earth made to flower ... moreand bear fruits; and, the dark waters of the underworld below, Xibalba.
A short swim through the crystal blue waters will lead you into this amazing realm. Then working your way through a breakdown leads you into the main water passage, where you get to view amazing geological formations like sparkling stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstones. This hidden chamber promises to reveal ancient secrets and geological processes that have helped to shape the Mayan Underworld known as Xibalba. Xibalba was the fearful world beneath the face of the earth, the parallel unseen world into which kings and shamans could enter an ecstatic trance and please their gods for their benefit.
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