Caracol Maya Ruins Tour Including Rio On Pools, Rio Frio Cave and a Picnic Lunch
Description
Adventure through Belize on this tour of the Maya Ruins in the ancient city of Caracol. This guided tour explores jungle archaeological sites including pyramid temples, plazas and monuments. Journey to the Mountain Pine Ridge with stops at Rio On Pools and Rio Frio Cave for a refreshing swim in the crystal waters. Enjoy a homemade Belizean style picnic lunch with soft drinks and rum punch. This tour includes guide, entrance fees, lunch with drinks and round-trip transportation.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We embark on a 1.5-hour drive from our office up rough dirt roads and through small Maya Villages and scenic countryside.
Rio Frio cave is a must see cave while in Belize especially if you are looking for a reduced mobility cave to explore This amazing cave has the largest cave entrance in Belize and was once a sacred burial site for the ancient Maya.
Revel at the engineering and architectural sophistication of the Maya people as you climb up the temple pyramid structure of Caana (Sky Temple), the highest man-made building in Belize still to this day. Once at the top, nearly 135 feet above the plazas, you will get impressive panoramic views of Belize and neighboring Guatemala. Caracol is a major and dominant site in Maya history. It is a fantastic site to visit, and it is an expansive city covering nearly 80 square miles and rivaling the ancient metropolis of Tikal in size, power and riches. The histories of the inhabitants of Caracol are documented by scribes of the past in hieroglyphics and carvings on the monuments, stelas, and altars that are found throughout the site.Your guide will illuminate the rich and complicated past of this glorious civilization with a fully guided tour of the excavated portions of the Caracol site. You might get lucky and see a family of howler monkeys in the trees over the ancient Maya ball-courts.
After touring the ruins, refresh yourself with drinks and a picnic lunch. We then continue back through the Pine Ridge area where we take a break at the Rio On Pools, a series of natural swimming holes, to cool down and relax in the clear water.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick ups from all locations in Belize can be arranged. There may be an additional charge so please contact us if pick up is needed. . Departure Point for most tours: Downtown San Ignacio Address: MayaWalk Tours Main Office 19 Burns Avenue San Ignacio Town Cayo District Belize, Central America Directions: MayaWalk Tours Main Office located between Tandoor Restaurant and Belize Bank Return point: Returns to original departure point
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Difficulty: Easy to moderate
- What to bring: Hiking sandals or trainers, towel, small backpack, liter of water, bug spray, snacks, swim wear with shorts, camera
- There is no minimum age. All are welcomed
- Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there is not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund
- Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
Reviews(285)
Great experience. Our guide Eddy was well informed and answered any questions. The lunch was delicious as well.
I'd made a reservation for this tour months in advance to coincide with a trip to Guatemala. I flew from Guatemala City to Belize City, hired a van to drive 2 hours to San Ignacio, checked into my hotel, and stopped by the MayaWalks' office just before it closed that same evening -- only to learn that my Caracol tour, scheduled for the following morning, had just been cancelled since I was its only customer. I explained that I had traveled to Belize specifically for this tour and was returning to the USA the day after the tour. MayaWalks offered , for a slightly higher price, its Tikal tour or, if I really wanted to go to Caracol, I could pay and additional $150 (for a "second customer"). I responded that I'd already been to Tikal and that it would have been far easier and cheaper for me to travel directly to Flores while I was in Guatemala . IStill interested in Caracol, I asked if they could lower the $150 "surcharge" by eliminating all of the Caracol Ruins' "extras" (lunch, visits to the caves, etc.) since I was ONLY interested in the ruins themselves. The response was no. Left with little choice, I accepted the Tikal Tour offer although it took extra effort to convince them to waive the "extra cost." Again, I understand that it was off-season -- but I think MayaWalks could have been far more accommodating for a customer who'd traveled far, paid for transportation to and from San Ignacio, booked a hotel for 2 nights, and ended up returning to Guatemala to visit a site he'd already seen. Very disappointing (to say the least).
Our trip to Caracol and Rio On Pools was wonderful. Our guide has extensive knowledge of the native birds and animals. He also ensured that we had ample opportunities for pictures and gladly offered to take our photos. One of the highlights of our trip was our chance to witness a family of Howler Monkeys up close at Caracol. Rio On Pools was also fun, especially after spending all morning in the heat. We enjoyed the natural swimming pools, which provided a perfect spot to cool off and unwind. The delicious lunch provided after exploring Caracol was also a delightful addition to our overall experience.
Did 4 Mayan ruins on trip, Caracol was the only one I did as a tour. Very glad I did so. It is a very long drive, so let someone else do it. Loved Rio cave to start. Isreal was my guide and very knowledge about this site and his culture. They allow solo bookings (others require at least 2 people just to book) - as a solo you are dependant on others also doing the tour. Definitely recommend MayaWalk tours!
An impressive site. The enormous number of visible structures not yet uncovered was almost as intriguing as those that were.
Today, we had an incredible experience visiting the Caracol Mayan Ruins with MayaWalk Tours. Since no other tourists had booked it that day, we ended up with a private tour. This allowed us to explore the entire site on our own, creating a truly magical experience. We’ve visited other Mayan sites in Guatemala and Honduras during this trip, but Caracol was equally beautiful. Adding visits to Rio Frio Cave and Rio On Pools made the trip even more memorable. Everything was well-organized, and our guide, Isael (Issy), was incredibly knowledgeable and professional. The picnic lunch was also top-notch.
Had a great experience on this tour. Very knowledgeable and friendly guide. The rest of the team staff is very professional and friendly as well. Highly recommend this company and this tour. The site is beautiful with a fascinating history.
We visited Caracol Archaeological site, which was just spectacular. I have been to many here in Belize, and this one was right at the top. Plus, our guide, Iseal, was extremely knowledgeable with his Mayan background, Caracol history, and overall Belize devotion. The extra stops at Rio Frio cave and the river swimming spots topped off the experience.
We went during the slow season and were fortunate to get a private tour. Our guide, Alex, was absolutely amazing and shared sooo much knowledge with us. He was a great teacher, drawing diagrams on the ground with sticks, teaching us the number system, cracking open nuts on the ground to show us the seeds, lighting nature’s incense from a tree - it was very hands on and interactive. He knew all the answers to our questions and was also very personable, making the tour incredibly educational and fun. He was also very understanding about my fear of heights and even held my bag for me so I could concentrate more when walking down. The stop at the cave on our way there was enlightening and he took really nice pics of us. Also, the stop at the Rio On pools was very refreshing too. Our driver, Alex, was very nice as well and drove very responsibly and kept us safe. They also made a special stop for us when they spotted a Tapir on the side of the road. We also saw howling monkeys at the ruins. Lunch was also very tasty and super chill. Alex and the Mayawalk staff made the experience incredible.
Eddy our guide was so incredibly knowledgeable. Not just on the site but all of Belize culture. It’s fascinating. You can tell when you are out there that Mayawalk tours is a big step up from all the other tour companies. Better bus, lunch, guides, everything. This is a must do experience
