Barton Creek & The Lost Mayan Caves

Your adventure begins once you board your private helicopter at the Cisco Base Heliport in Belize City; you will then head south, flying over the Northern Lagoon. Then its out to the green pastures of the beautiful forest of Belize. On your scenic helicopter journey to Barton Creek, your flight takes you over the winding Sibun River with its many twist and turns. You will then fly over Caves Branch, where you will be able to see the beauty of the river as it flows through the cave system. This area encompasses 58,000 acres that are situated beneath a 100 ft rainforest canopy and is bordered by the turquoise waters of caves Branch River. Ahead of Caves Branch lays the deep forest of the Mountain Pine Ridge. You will get a birds eyes view of Belizes pristine jungles, rivers, caves, limestone arches and mountains. Upon arrival at Mikes Place at Barton Creek you will go through a short briefing by your tour guide. You will then glide through a remote underground water cave system in a canoe equipped with a powerful spotlight. It is believed that the Maya once used this cave for ritual ceremonies. While canoeing through the cave see large and colorful formations, skeletal remains and other cultural artifacts left behind by the Maya centuries ago. Your guide will row you deep inside Barton Creek Cave (about 1 or 2 miles depending on water levels). From the cave's entrance it's about a mile through the cave to the stopping point. Sit back, relax and direct your 1 million candle lamp at the amazing formations inside the huge cave believed by the Maya to be the Underworld, "Xibalba" (pronounced SheeBALba), the Kingdom of their Gods. Float under stalactites, see ancient skeletons and pottery and prepare to be awestruck by cathedral-like caverns. Marvel at the 5 million year old crystalline structures over 50 feet in length as your knowledgeable guide explains the Maya's beliefs about the underworld. After this one of a kind adventure you will be taken via back to the Barton Creek Heliport where you will board the helicopter once more and venture into your next adventure. As you depart from the heliport, sit back and allow yourself to take in the picture perfect view of the mainland as you soar over lagoons, rivers and caves. On your scenic helicopter journey to Bak-a-Bush's Lost World Heliport your flight takes you over the green pastures of the beautiful forest of Belize. Be prepared for a thrill of a life time as you trek your way up a hillside trail through the Belizean jungle, seeking Dragons Mouth, the ceremonial entry into the Mayan Underworld. Be ready to experience what you have only seen in the movies; this adventure tour is not for the faint-of-heart. You will get dirty and wet as you travel through different levels of the Mayan Underworld, by-way-of via-ferrata, zip-lines, swinging suspension bridges and an exciting rappel down a cliff face. After a short orientation and safety briefing, you are transformed into the ultimate explorer; you will be geared-up with helmet, light, gloves and harness. You then begin your hike into the dense jungle, as you seek the Dragons Mouth and enter Xibalba, (Maya word for hell). Your highly-trained guides (and headlamps) lead you through a maze of multi-chambered caves filled with magnificent formations, geological wonders and Mayan ceremonial history. Your imagination runs wild as your light hits rocks and you try to decode images that unfold before your very eyes. Feel a sense of awe as you crawl through small openings that reveal hollowed ceremonial chambers, hiding Mayan artifacts used in their ancient rituals centuries ago. Connect your safety line as you explore the upper layers of your subterranean abyss before rappelling 20ft down a rock face, upon landing you re-enter the cave and continue your quest. You will learn about this amazing hidden world and its formation from your knowledgeable guides as you climb over rock, trek through underground waterholes (waterholes during rainy season) and navigate narrow passages. A 300ft. Traverse (zip-line) takes you over the jungle floor and from the exit of one cave, into the mouth of yet another ceremonial cave, filled with protruding stalactites and stalagmites, accessible only by this jungle/cave zip-line. Test your skills as you navigate your way through a network of pillars on swinging rope bridges, before propelling out of the mouth of the cave on an inclined traverse, down to a jungle trail for a short hike. Exhilarated, amazed and almost lost for words, you head back to Big Hill Station having worked up an appetite for the delicious jungle barbecue that waits you. Purchase your photos and pick-up a souvenir before heading back with memories to last you a lifetime. After this once in a lifetime experience, you will be taken back through the jungle to Bak-a-Bush's Lost World Heliport where you will board the helicopter once more and venture into your next adventure. Upon leaving from the heliport on your final flight, you will get a birds eyes view of Belizes pristine jungles, rivers, caves, limestone arches and mountains as you fly back at the end of the day.