When we decided to visit Belize, the excursion the world said we should do was the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave (ATM cave, for short). Caves Branch Jungle Lodge offers a guided trip out to the ATM Cave, so we made plans to embrace this must-do. But as we got closer to the trip, we also got more and more tired from work and life beating us over the head every day. About two weeks before we left, we realized that what we wanted most was a trip that made us relax, not necessarily one chock-full of balls-out adventure. Though those two definitely aren’t mutually exclusive, we consulted one of the activities guides at Caves Branch and decided that we’d go cave tubing in Belize, instead.
We heard only positive reviews of the excursion from other guests and staff members, so we were thrilled to find a way to still get up close and personal with the Mayan underworld without feeling like we’d just run a very dark obstacle course. And just so you know, cave tubing in Belize is a fantastic decision.
Boyfriend Perspective: This tour was awesome, even though we didn’t go to ATM, this was much more in line with the spirit of this trip while still providing a lot of similar elements. The tubing was leisurely, the cave was spectacular, and the picnic lunch was delicious. Not to mention the awesome family we got to spend time with here and the rest of our stay at Caves Branch Lodge.
The history of Footprint Cave
The Maya revered caves as entrances into the underworld, or Xibalba (shi-BAL-bah). They saw the universe as being a giant tree. The roots were the stalactites growing beneath the earth in these deep, mysterious caves. The trunk was the surface of the earth as they knew it. And the leaves, where the deities lived, were everything above and beyond what people could see. So, it makes sense that offerings and reverence would be paid at the roots: in caves. After all, where do the leaves of trees get their nutrients?
While the ATM cave may reign as one of the most famous entrances to Xibalba in what’s left of the ancient Maya world, Footprint Cave has its own magic to share.
Named Actun Chek in Maya, Footprint Cave was a site of significance in the 1st millennium AD, as the Maya Empire flourished and then began to decline. Though altars and modifications indicate this as a a place to make sacrifices to fertility gods, Footprint Cave gets its current name from the set of Mayan footprints found calcified into the rock far back in the cave. Bad news: modern visitors can’t access those footprints. Good news: what you will see will educate and impress you every bit as much.
The cave tubing tour at Footprint Cave
Two groups of tour-takers hopped into a beat-up old school bus, full of breakfast and excitement. We sailed down a bumpy road lined with orange groves – then turned and stopped at a gated entrance to one of the groves. The driver registered with the guard, and another guard sprayed down the bus tires with chlorine to prevent contamination to the oranges. Then, we entered the grove. Situated between two huge hills (or tiny mountains, we’re not sure), the groves were a very picturesque way to start the morning. We dropped off one set of tour-takers for their black hole drop tour, and then set off for our own drop-off point.
Once there, we “hiked” through the grove for several minutes with tubes and helmets in hand until we heard the sound of running water. It was finally time for our cave tubing tour!
Our guides urged us down to the water’s edge and helped us get into our tubes in the gentle current. Then, off we went, scooting slowly down the river. We all ended up spinning around backwards and paddling that way, so as to work up force more easily stroking from front to back as opposed to the other way around.
Finally, after navigating around several tree trunks in the water, there we were! The cave! We found that this lovely river had a very gentle current and very shallow water. This meant we had the chance to stand up in front of the cave for a quick photo op. Up to this point, it had been river tubing. Now, finally: time to cave tube!
Back in our tubes for a moment, we scooted inside the low entrance, and floated on into our Xibalba experience.
Boyfriend Perspective: Ahhhh. Tubing on a lazy river, this is my kind of vacation. Now, where did my drink go?
Exploring the underworld at Footprint Cave
Because the rainy season had just begun, the river running through the cave still had low levels in places. So, we found ourselves regularly hopping out of our tubes and hoofing it across gravelly ground, all the while checking out the amazing rock formations surrounding us.
Boyfriend Perspective: Our guides from Caves Branch were so knowledgable about the cave and the Maya history associated with it. They showed off the cave structure and i’s inhabitants as we explored with our head lamps. I mean, it takes a brave person to pinch a scorpion spider and pick it up…
We’ve visited Luray Caverns in Virginia, known for their rock organ and beautiful formations, but Footprint Cave lacks the sanitized feeling you can find in more well-trafficked attractions. Caves Branch owns the cave privately, so only the government and employees of Caves Branch can access it. This gives Footprint Cave a level of authenticity and ruggedness that we had never previously experienced, and that you won’t typically find while hiking or cave tubing in Belize or anywhere else.
Boyfriend Perspective: Like Meagan said, exploring caves in the States, particularly those that have become tourist locations, feel sterile by comparison. Experiencing this cave, and those like it in Belize, feels like the equivalent to seeing animals in their natural habitat rather than a zoo. It just feels so much more alive and genuine.
We stopped along the way to learn to spot the signs of running water’s influence on the cave’s formation, and also to investigate the traces and impact Mayans left on the gave in the middle of the first millennium. Footprint Cave became known to Mayans at that time as a place to worship and sacrifice to fertility gods (see this more explicitly on Caves Branch’s Lost World tour!). So, this means they left behind blades, evidence of many ceremonial and purely functional fires, and even altars.
Notable sights while cave tubing in Belize at Footprint Cave
Wildlife! After an initial float down the river, you disembark your tubes and search the ceiling of the cave for holes made by generations fruit bats – and, if you shine your headlamp just right, you’ll interrupt a leather-winged furry’s nap long enough to get a speedy shot. Other species of bats call the cave home, as well, and can be spotted roosting in various places along the way. Your guides will be sure you also see our least favorite of the critters in this cave, the scorpion spider. As two people who are not fans of anything with more than 4 legs, this was a trial.
Boyfriend Perspective: When we were getting the initial information about the cave and it’s inhabitants, I was only half listening while looking around the entrance. My ears perked up when they said we would see a six foot spider!!! I confirmed that they said “six foot spider” and they mentioned they even wrestled it from time to time. Ha. Ha. Joke’s on me because I believed them and missed they said six footED spider. Yep, I’m gullible. Laugh it up, chuckles.
Ancient Maya relics. Obsidian blades, pottery shards, altars, manos and metates, and evidence of fire pits abound on this cave tubing tour. Not to give too much away, but you’ll even get a shadow puppet show to demonstrate how some of the formations would have looked by firelight. Our guides let us touch some of the artifacts, which was truly cool. And it’s not damaging, since small pottery fragments aren’t considered valuable from a cultural or monetary perspective. Plus, these guides work for the owners of the cave (so they get to say what’s okay!).
Rock formations. The critters and Maya artifacts are stunning, but the rock formations in this cave will leave your jaw on the floor. Curtains, stalactites, stalagmites, bacon, and crystalline formations abound and, illuminated by headlamps as you pass by, many of them glitter beautifully. Some are even mildly phosphorescent, as our guides demonstrated by having us turn out our headlamps to see how much light one of the stones retained. One of the benefits of cave tubing in Belize (or anywhere else) is that you get to float by and admire these formations, without worrying about falling over!
What to expect when cave tubing in Belize
- Fun
- You will get very wet
- Experiential learning
- A lot of laughs.
- Bugs.
- Amazing guides.
- Bats
- More fun!
- The uncontrollable desire to do it again.
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Exploring a Belize jungle resort: our stay at Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch Jungle Lodge
Looks like fun – but I’ll give the creepie crawlies a miss!
Ha, that’s fair. We’re suburbanites to the extreme, and are no big fans of bugs, but honestly, the things we saw most often were mosquitos 🙂 this place is definitely worth a try!
Belize seems like a very charming destination and it obviously has so much to offer, Luke and Meagan! Cave tubing sounds fun and I will definitely give it a try when being there!