TRAVEL
BELIZE
AN ADVENTURER’S PARADISE | BY JARONE ASHKENASHI
On the eastern coast of Central America, Belize offers a mix of a dense jungle along with beautiful sandy beaches. Home to Mayan ruins, the Belize Barrier Reef (the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere) and an abundance of adrenaline-packed activities, the warm client and friendly atmosphere, has made it a go-to spot for adventure travel. From the scenic beauty, amazing wildlife, incredible land and sea adventures, the enormous variety of cultures, traditions and cuisine, Belize truly is a burgeoning tourist destination.
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lying into Belize City, the first stop on the trip was San Ignacio. The host for the trip, the Belize Tourism Board, accompanied along the nearly two-hour drive inland towards San Ignacio. Stopping along the way for a quick bite, we chatted with locals at Amigos Restaurant Where Friends Meet, who welcomed us like family while sipping their cold bottles of Belikin. The journey took us through dense, lush scenery with greenery as far as the eye could see and an abundance of speed bumps. Ramon, the driver, shared that these bumps not only mark the delineation between towns, but they also act as pedestrian crossings and offer the opportunity to stop for fresh fruits, vegetables and spices, along with tacos, salbutes, empanadas, rice and beans, burritos, bar-be-que (roasted meat), meat pies and conch fritters. SAN IGNACIO RESORT HOTEL (credit: San Ignacio Resort Hotel)
We arrived in San Ignacio, just past downtown and the open market, and then drove up the steep hill to the truly majestic San Ignacio Resort Hotel. Upon arrival, Elito a butler who has been at the resort for four years, greeted with a huge smile and a refreshing fresh glass of ginger, mint and lime. The passion for his craft immediately came through as he began sharing the history of the hotel (the queen visited in 1994, along with Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2022) along with pointing out Bradford, the iguana, on the large palm when sharing more about the wildlife and surrounding fauna. After settling in the room, the Green Iguana Conservation Project is one of the several on-site activities which can be booked through the resort. Here is where the guide shared the role that Green Iguanas play in the ecosystem as well as presenting an interactive experience from feeding the iguanas as well as having the two-month-old iguanas being placed on shoulders and heads for a special photo opportunity. ATM CAVE PHOTO (credit: Belize Tourism Board) The next morning presented a special cave adventure with the sage of caving in the area, tour guide Renan Castellanos. While Renan was short in stature, his presence and knowledge of the history of the country and the cave itself (more on that shortly) made him appear as a giant. It was quickly evident the reverence the younger tour guides had for Renan, as when we arrived at the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Caves, they all showed him the respect and reverence the 54-year-old guide deserves, following his 24 years of guiding at the ATM Caves. This tour started with a 45-minute walk crossing three river channels, where Renan explained about the history of the region and the plants
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and animals that lived in the surrounding area. Upon entrance to the front of the cave, Renan shared about the cultural significance of caves in Mayan culture and that at the turning-point of our journey in the cave, that we’d see historical artifacts and learn more about ceremonies of the past. Walking, wading through the cave was truly spectacular. Armed with only a headlamp and flashlight, the surrounding formations and colors just were a marvel. Before entering the preserved area of the cave, our shoes were removed and we walked along the guided path to see ancient Mayan ceramics and stoneware, along with even human remains. The eye-opening experience was just truly unbelievable. We passed by several artifacts, learned about the bloodletting rituals and saw two skulls and the full skeletal remains of a seeming teenager. CAHAL PECH (credit: Belize Tourism Board) After a near full-day experience with Renan at the ATM caves, Elito greeted us upon return and shared that there are some Mayan ruins just near the resort that are must-see. The 20-miunte walk to the Cahal Pech Archeological Site was the first time on the journey where walking through the town, you saw the warm, welcoming and friendly nature of locals. The sprawling site was a palatial, hilltop home for an elite Maya family and presented an opportunity to visually walk the path of ancient Mayans and see the grand 25-meter temple along with a total of 34 total structures. Upon returning to the resort and laying in the hammock by the pool, the chef at Running W Restaurant prepared a lovely meal with a special fried jacks desert. The night called us in early as there was an early wake up for the next day’s adventure.