Legends

Spelunking in Belize

Exploring Belize’s Underworld

Shadows flicker on the cave walls as we squeeze into narrow crevices, pass by 100,000- year-old stalactites, wade through chilled waist-high water and slide down steep limestone rock faces. “Watch your step,” our guide Emilio shouts as he points over to the remnants of pottery put in place here by the Mayans centuries ago. Camera flashes abound. After a near vertical ladder climb, we come to what is a most humbling spot in this large chamber.

Belize, tucked neatly between Mexico and Guatemala, has long been a destination of choice for beach-bums but with an interior landscape (much of it protected) that is as diverse as its fauna, adrenaline junkies are now going wild in this tiny Central American country. And one of Belize’s top draws is its underworld. The limestone environment that makes up much of the country is riddled with caves of various shapes and sizes, making Belize home to one of the most extensive cave systems in the world - most of which has only begun to be explored. “Basically Belize is one big piece of Swiss cheese,” says Emilio Awe, owner of Pacz Tours, one of only two archaeologically trained tour companies that are licensed to take groups into Belize’s premier cave system -  Actun Tunichil Muknal.

Actun Tunichil Muknal – a registered archaeological site located in Belize’s Cayo district means “Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre,” and was featured in the 1993 National Geographic Explorer film Journey Through the Underworld. This particular cave system was re-discovered in 1986 by archaeologist Thomas Miller and what he found when he ventured into the dark abyss was astonishingly well-preserved Mayan pottery and skeleton remains. To date, a total of fourteen individual skeletons have been identified along with some 150 ceramic vessels – most of which have had their bases broken by long departed Mayans in order to release the powerful energy or spirit of the vessel. What’s really remarkable about this cave tour is that most of these Mayan artefacts are still in place for visitors to enjoy. In fact, tourists are allowed to get so close to them that guides are very strict about where people can walk. There are no pathways, fences, glass, or other partitions separating us from the artefacts.

“A big cat came through here last night,” Francisco, another excellent guide tells the group as he points down at the trail to what is likely the paw marks from a passing by jaguar. Just getting to Actun Tunichil Muknal is an adventure in itself. The 45-minute tramp to the entrance includes a walk through the dense jungle on the edge of the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve with three river crossings thrown in for good measure. The jungle is ripe with an abundance of plant life and every wild thing native to the region roams its forest. Because of Belize’s impressive network of protected areas and relatively low population density, the widespread deforestation that occurs in other parts of Central America is not nearly as big of a problem. Access into the actual caves beautiful entrance entails a short, refreshing swim through a small blue pool after which hard hats and headlamps are needed to negotiate the dark chambers. 

Caves are strongly tied to the history of Belize, having been fundamental to the religion of the ancient Maya. To them, not only were caves a source of fresh water and a cool storage area for grains, they were the entrances to Xibalba – “place of beginnings and fright.” The underworld was an area where souls had hopes of defeating death and becoming ancestors. This meant that various rituals, ceremonies and human sacrifices were performed in caves such as Actun Tunichil Muknal. Evidence of such activity litters this cave in the form of thousand year old pots, shards, implements, bones and burial sites. Although looting has occurred in some areas of the cave, fear of repercussions from the spirits and a hidden entrance to the main chamber has for the most part kept the looters at bay, sparing it from the pillaging that has plagued many other Mayan cave sites. 

Underground rivers flow through a number of Belize’s underground caverns allowing some of them to be explored by kayak, canoe or tubing. As for Actun Tunichil Muknal, wading, crawling and scrambling are what’s required to get your way to a rickety ladder leading up to a small limestone platform located in the vast stalactite-riddled chamber. Illuminated by our headlamps lies the sparkling calcified skeletal remains of a 20-year-old Mayan girl. “A sacrifice to the gods,” Emilio enlightens us on the motive behind the Crystal Maiden’s demise. Thankfully, our Belizean cave tour would not have nearly such a tragic ending.

If you go

Pacz Tours are the best around for a guided tour of Actun Tunichil Muknal. Emilio Awe is the person to contact (501-804-2667; pacztours@btl.net). The full-day tour costs $80US and includes food, guides, lights, and helmets. 

Toronto-based Off Beat Roads (416-928-0628; offbeatroads.com) organizes bicycle tours through Belize and neighbouring Guatemala, which includes a tour of Actun Tunichil Muknal.

The best time to visit Belize and its caves is during the dry season which is between November and April.