Monday, May 19, 2014

Southern Belize Caves For The Adventure Seeker

http://www.belizeambassador.com/southern-belize-caves-adventure-seeker/
Southern Belize Caves For The Adventure Seeker
Belize country is not only for just relaxed touring and picturesque Belize beach vacations; it is also a perfect holiday destination for adventure lovers. Their several caves offer a great hiking journey that will repay you with magnificent sights and wildlife in the end. Listed here are Belize's most popular caves.

Hokeb Ha Cave

Among the most extraordinary natural sites in Toledo is the Hoken Ha Cave in Blue Creek. The cave is a 20-minute trek from the village. Hike a well-defined path along het creek, until a clearing appears. Enter the research station in the clearing finding the wide trail on the other side. In a number of minutes, a 10-foot waterfall and the main cave entrance emerges.

Long vines dangle from the sheer rock wall above the cave mouth. The huge cave entrance is carved from the summit of a hill exactly where the Blue Creek gurgles up from underground. The creek goes out the entrance of the cave, plunging over limestone boulders. Archeologists have identified many Late Classic ceramics and an altar inside the cave, leading them to guess that the Hokeb Ha Cave was primarily used for ceremonial purposes.

Tiger Cave

A 1 1/2-hour trip from San Miguel, Tiger Cave acquired its name from the villages after a dog went after a jaguar cub inside the cave several years ago. The hike to the cave calls for a guide. The trail mostly travels through second growth forest. You will pass adjacent corn milpas and jungle streams. Ask your guide to pinpoint a jippi jappa plant, which grows wild in the forest. The freshly-picked white heart of the young plant is delectable.

The dark entrance of the cave squeezes through thin elevated corridors leading to a wide interior camber. Large open holes in the ceiling of the cave produce shafts of sunlight into the dark interior. Eventually, rain pouring via the gaps in the cave ceiling has formed smooth indentations on the limestone floor of the cave. No streams or creeks go through the entrance chamber. Deeper into the cave, you will need to cross water.

Laguna Cave

Laguna Cave is roughly an hour hike from Laguna Village. Leaving behind the village, you must cross a tiny stream. The first stretch of the trail is found over hilly grounds and through secondary forest. Cacao orchards appear along the road. Guides point out the jippi jappa tree and the jackass bitters. The jippi jappa tree is utilized for both food and crafts, while jackass bitters is a therapeutic plant used to get rid of belly aches and malaria.

After hiking through tall forest for about half an hour, the gaping limestone passageway of the cave appears. A 12-foot-high ladders results in the interior. Once inside, the ground slopes downward among stalagmites and stalactites. No streams or rivers flow through the cave. The ceiling of the cave has open holes where the forest canopy is clearly visible. A 20-minute hike takes you to the end of the cave where there is one more entrance.

There are local guides available in the area to assist you make it through the hikes and treks. Speak with your Belize hotel concierge for Belize vacation packages that involve exploring these caves.

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