Not to be outdone, the mainland near Placencia includes the enormous Cockscomb Basin Nature Reserve, home to some of Central America's last remaining jaguars, boat safaris along the well - named Monkey River, and explorations of ancient
Maya sacred caves and enormous cities that still dominate the landscape.
Not exact matches
Belize was the heartland of the ancient
Maya civilization and is now home to more than 600 sites, including
sacred caves and enormous pyramids that are still the largest manmade structures in the country.
Caving and
cave tubing are popular activities here, allowing visitors to explore the ancient underworld where the
Maya performed many
sacred rituals.
Other popular attractions include
sacred caves like Actun Tunichil Muknal, once used by the
Maya to perform human sacrifices in an attempt to please their capricious gods.
Located in the heart of the Belizean rainforest, this
cave was a
sacred place to the prehistoric
Maya of Belize, who first began to use the entrance during the early classic period (300 - 600 A.D.).
Lu - zo After visiting the
caves of Lanquin, a site
sacred to the Mayans they believed was inhabited by the Chacs, the gods of rain, nawal - ws of the four directions and the four colors of the
Maya worldview: red, black, white and yellow.
According to Director of Archeology Jaime Awe, Actun Tunichil Muknal was a
sacred place to the
Maya who utilized the
cave during the classic period AD 250 - 909.
Only 200 meters above sea level begin an incredible adventure in the National Park of the Candelaria
Caves National Park, one of the ways of Xibalba, here lies a mystical
cave system are a
sacred pilgrimage site for the descendants of the
Maya, thought to be the entrance to the ham - pa where souls rest.
Other unique experiences for honeymooners to enjoy on the mainland include
cave tubing (floating on an inner tube through a series of
caves), exploring vast ancient
Maya cities like Xunantunich and Cahal Pech, and visiting the site ranked by the Discovery Channel as the number one
sacred cave in the world, Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM)
Cave.
Jaime Awe, Director of Archeology asserts that Actun Tunichil Muknal was a
sacred place to the
Maya who utilized the
cave during the classic period AD 250 - 909.
According to Archaelogists, Actun Tunichil Muknal was a
sacred place to the
Maya who utilized the
cave during the classic period AD 250 - 909.
Chabil Mar offers tours to all of the top destinations in and around Placencia, including diving and snorkeling with whale sharks, boat trips on the Monkey River, hiking through the Cockscomb Basin Nature Reserve, and trips to the top ancient
Maya cities and
sacred caves.
According to Jaime Awe, Director of Archaeology in Belize, the Actun Tunichil Muknal
Cave was a
sacred place to the
Maya who utilized the
cave during the classic period AD 250 - 909.
As you wade, walk and swim through the dark underground river using only the light from your headlamp, one can begin to imagine why the
Maya used
caves as
sacred places.
Today, visitors can climb aboard an inner tube to ride down the placid
Caves Branch River, entering miles of passageways that still feature artifacts and
sacred objects left behind by
Maya priests.
The ancient
Maya that once dominated Belize believed that
caves were
sacred nexuses to the world of the gods.
Another unique attraction in Belize is the country's plethora of ancient
Maya sites, including
sacred caves, soaring pyramids, and elaborate temples.
Known locally as Xibalba, Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM Cave) is one of the most popular and impressive
caves in the Cayo District that was used as a
sacred place by the
Maya of Belize.
The ATM
Cave was used as a
sacred place during the Classic period (AD 250 - 909) by the ancient
Maya who believed that the Gods who provided rain and agricultural fertility resided in this
cave.
The limestone
caves, many containing beautiful stalactites and stalagmites, were
sacred to the ancient
Maya and pottery and even skeletons can be seen in the
caves.
Once the heartland of the ancient
Maya empire, Belize has more
Maya sites than anywhere else, including soaring pyramids and mysterious
sacred caves.
The geology of Belize has created thousands of
caves, many of which were used as
sacred ceremonial sites by the ancient
Maya that once ruled the country in the long centuries before the arrival of Europeans.
Because the ideal rivers for
cave tubing are located deep in the jungle, many participants enjoy combining
cave tubing with other complementary activities including zip lining through the canopy or spelunking one of the many
sacred caves in the country, including ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal)
Cave that still hosts the complete skeletons of young children sacrificed to
Maya gods more than 1,000 years ago.
The
Maya also used the
caves in Belize to perform some of their most
sacred rites, including offering up human sacrifices.
Caves were used extensively by the ancient Maya to conduct their sacred rituals and ceremonies and today a plethora of impressive caves can be discovered throughout Be
Caves were used extensively by the ancient
Maya to conduct their
sacred rituals and ceremonies and today a plethora of impressive
caves can be discovered throughout Be
caves can be discovered throughout Belize.
The
Maya believed
caves were the Underworld, and as such, they were regarded as the most
sacred places.