Arrive at the Belize International Airport (BZE), and be met with an IE representative, where we will transfer you to the Belize Biltmore Plaza. Check into your your first night's accommodation and acclimatize to your new environment. Meals are on your own, and can be purchased at the hotel. You will meet other travellers in the lobby the next morning. 

Meet an Island Expeditions representative at 8:30 am in the Biltmore hotel lobby. Make a quick stop at a localshop for last minute snacks and provisions before heading to our motor boat charter for a 10:00AM departure. We travel by boat 56 miles out to sea, passing through mangrove ranges and white sand cayes before arriving at Belize's furthest island group. Expect the boat ride to take 2-3 hours. Upon arriving at Half Moon Caye, your guide team will orient you to the island and settle you into your accommodations. You will enjoy a late lunch and then an intro session of walk-in snorkeling at one of our local reefs. 

Over the next few days, you will have the opportunity to discover our local walk-off snorkel sites. In between snorkels we host information sessions on the history of Belize, its unique marine ecosystem and the local culture. We will also travel to the famous snorkel site "The Aquarium" and world renowned "Great BlueHole". А huge collapsed sinkhole that was discovered and made famous by ocean explorer, Jacques Cousteau. This perfectly circular formation is jeweled with an array of hard and soft coral and a wide variety of colorful reef fish. This is a great place to practice more advanced snorkeling techniques or observe others doing so from the surface. All guided sessions are optional and laying in a hammock is considered an "official" activity. Evenings at our basecamps are filled with happy hour gatherings, delicious dinners, beach games, star gazing, cold beverages, cultural presentations, and incredible Caribbean sunsets.

The choice is yours for your last morning at Lighthouse Reef Atoll. Snorkel your favorite patch reef, walk the island trails, swing in a hammock, or beach comb along the island shores. After lunch, our boat charter picks everyone up for the return trip to the mainland. This return journey takes you back through Turneffe Atoll across the barrier reef, and arrives in Belize City mid-late afternoon.  From here, we follow a meandering road to Crystal Paradise Resort - a picturesque setting perched on a hill above the Macal River. You have time to settle in before enjoying dinner at the resort restaurant.

After an early breakfast, travel deep into the most remote rainforest location in Belize, to the ancient Mayan city of Caracol. Today's drive takes us through breathtaking scenery through the Mountain Pine Ridge, over a series of creeks and rivers, and descending into the lush Chiquibul Rainforest Reserve. The ancient Mayan city of Caracol dates back to the classic period and is believed to be one of Belize's largest Mayan settlements of that era. The city walls contain over 35,000 known structures, including five plazas, four palaces, three temples, 24 stelae, two ball courts, reservoirs, causeways, and an astronomical observatory. Upon our return from Caracol, we stop at Rio Frio Caves and the Rio On natural pools. Here, you can swim in the serene pools on the edge of the Mountain Pine Ridge.

Today’s extraordinary adventure takes us deep underground and into the Mayan underworld known as Xibalba, a mythical realm inhabited by spirits, powerful gods and sacred rituals. We hike, wade, swim, and climb into the sacrificial chambers to witness first-hand artifacts deep in the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) caves system. We find evidence of ceremonial offerings, and sacrifice. As we climb the underground river system to the high chamber, it ends at the top with the “Crystal Maiden”, skeletal remains that have been calcified into the flowstone.

Birdlife and wildlife abound, and early mornings are the most active. Wake to a coffee, grab your binoculars and spend a quiet hour watching wildlife. Your morning transfer time will be set based on your next tour rendezvous or international flight time.