The Belize ATM Cave is an Absolute Must-See Attraction

Of all the beautiful places in South America to visit, there is one spot that trumps them all. This would be the Belize ATM Cave, a natural wonder that attracts thousands of travelers and adventurers each year. To truly know what this cave holds in store for you, you must take a tour to see the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave. You need to actually live the experience for yourself to get a true understanding of what thousands of people are raving about. For seasoned travelers, this place is an absolute must-see.

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To begin you need to get with a tour operator (preferably one based in Belize) that will be able to provide you with all the correct information so that your caving tour will go without any hitches. This operator will also make sure your guide is properly licensed with the Belize Tourism Board and has been credentialed to lead ATM cave trips.

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The Belize ATM Cave is one of the most famous subterranean adventures in the world. It has been widely featured on numerous cable TV shows, documentaries and talk shows. Most people know of the cave from its featured article in National Geographic. The affordable price also adds to its appeal and makes it a perfect excursion that the entire family can enjoy.

The actual tour of the Belize ATM Cave requires quite a bit of climbing, hiking (45 minutes to be exact) and wading through water. In other words you are going to get wet and dirty, but this experience will put you so close to nature. It's like you have a front row seat in the adventure of a lifetime. You will be in a constant state of awe when taking in the breathtaking beauty and rich history of this cave. Knowledgeable tour guides will provide you with facts and anecdotes about the cave as they lead you through chambers and across rivers.

This is one tour that will remain in your memory for years. People that experience the Belize ATM Cave say it's truly a life changing experience. A person will have a renewed and refreshed sense of vitality and spirit after the magical adventure this cave offers. Many have said that the experience changed the way they look at their own lives. This is one of the many reasons this destination is so popular. When visiting and doing the tour, you are not only enriching your life, you are also enriching your soul.

The Belize ATM Cave is an Absolute Must-See Attraction

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Belize Actun Chapat Cave - Get Ready For Excitement, Mystery, and Fun

What could be more exciting then exploring a cave? The Belize Actun Chapat Cave to be exact. Its Mayan name is Centipede Cave. It doesn't have a known ending. So each time you go, there is the prospect of uncovering something new. Isn't that what adventure is all about? How thrilling to search out places that a different culture of people used in every day life those many, many years ago. The Mayan people used the caves to be closer to their gods. These were places of intense rituals for rain, bountiful crops and future prophecies.

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Archeologists are still working, studying and learning about these vast caverns. The Belize Actun Chapat Cave is approximately 19 miles south of San Ignacio near the Maya Mountains. There are many details that can be shared about this wonderful place, but on the other hand, there is so much that is unknown. There are many areas that have not been explored, and are just waiting to be discovered. Most of the caves are over run with thick jungle growth. But once there you can see where the Mayans carved sculptures and formations.

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They also constructed terraces and paths all through the many enormous chambers. It will make you wonder what the chambers were used for. The Belize Actun Chapat Cave has captured the attention of archeologists since 1982. That isn't very much time to explore something that has artifacts dating from 300 B.C. and 1000 A.D. There have been over 200 caves that have been cataloged, but only 10 that have been actually examined by the archeologists.

That would leave 190 caves that are just waiting for someone's torchlight to touch the walls and for all the secrets to be uncovered and shared with the rest of the world. Who wouldn't want to be a part of something that overwhelmingly exciting? As for Actun Chapat, it's the construction of terraces and altars that delight today's adventure traveler, as do its giant chambers, each of which was given a specific sacred purpose by the ancient Maya. Like most caves in Belize, there was looting and that's why preserving what is left is so important.

Belize Actun Chapat Cave - Get Ready For Excitement, Mystery, and Fun

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Cave Tubing In Belize

Our cave tubing excursion in Belize started with an hour long bus ride from the ship. We had a woman narrating along way telling us lots of stories.

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Our first stop was at a restaurant where we could rent lockers to store the stuff we wanted to keep dry and/or safe. They supplied us with headlamps. They were cheap headlamps, and I missed the better quality headlamp I had back home with a halogen bulb.

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We were loaded back on the bus for another short ride to take us to the river.
When we got off the bus, we were given inner-tubes, and life-vests. A short walk later and we were crossing the river using a rope to steady ourselves. This also where the cave tubing trip would end.

We hiked through the Belize jungle for about half an hour. We passed through a small cave where we saw tiny fruit bats hanging from the ceiling. I also tripped over rock, and gashed my hand on a thorn covered tree.

When we reached the river, people took pictures. The water was a beautiful emerald green. We climbed on to our inner-tubes, and began to float down the river. It was only a short distance to where we entered the limestone cave.

The water was very slow moving, so we used our arms to move us along. But over all the float trip was very casual. At points, I hooked my feet over the edge of my wife's tube, and towed her along with me so she could relax.

After a while, we exited the cave into the bright sunlight. We were surrounded by jungle again. The people from the cave tubing trip had gotten spread out now. The water was moving a little faster now, and we floated more casually without paddling as much. Soon we arrived at the spot in the river where we crossed using the rope. I exited the river, but my wife got stuck in a whirlpool. One of the worked helped get her out.

We boarded the bus, and were taken back to the restaurant. We got our clothes and stuff from the lockers, and changed into dry clothes. They gave us lunch which consisted of fried banana, rice and beans, roasted chicken, potato salad and a fruit drink. I didn't like the fried banana, but the rest of the food was fantastic! We relaxed here for about an hour, before board the bus back to the ship.

I whole heartedly recommend trying cave tubing if you get down to Belize.

Cave Tubing In Belize

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