The Barton Creek Cave tour was a different type of experience for me. I had never been in a canoe before, and I do not know how to swim to save my life. Long story short, I was deadly afraid of the canoe turning over. Despite my fears, this turned out to be quite a remarkable and memorable experience.
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Getting To Barton Creek in Belize
I got the opportunity to do this tour with the biggest tour operator in the Cayo District of Belize, Mayawalk Tours. It takes about 45 minutes to drive from San Ignacio to the Barton Creek Cave Site. You will be driving through the village of Barton Creek to get to the cave site. This village holds a Mennonite community, in Belize. If you’re lucky, you might get to see some of the villagers in their main mode of transportation, the horse and carriage.
After receiving the equipment that you will need for the tour (headlights, and life vests), you will enter the canoe that the guide will have waiting for you. The canoes can hold three people max. Typically, the guide is the one who will be holding the paddles and guiding the canoe through the cave system. However, a person from my group had asked if she could try paddling the canoe and the guide gladly allowed her to take control of the canoe. She did an excellent job with the close observation and instruction of the guide.
The Cave Experience
You will only spend about 1 hour to 1.5 hours in the cave itself. The guide expertly explained the history of the cave and showed us the different formations that were inside. The water was very beautiful when we would shine our lights on it. Some of the formations would even sparkle due to the lights from our headlights. I was amazed by the beauty of the cave.
Like I mentioned earlier, I was very afraid of flipping over. I sometimes held on tightly to the sides of the canoe and I feared moving too much, so I tried to stay very still. Looking back at it now, I wish I was able to eradicate the fear to help me to enjoy the experience more. Sadly, I do not know how to swim, as yet, and although I had on a life jacket, I preferred to not have to get soaking wet in a tour that typically allows you to remain dry. The guide helped me to relax, and did an excellent job of answering all the questions that we had. I would 100% go on this tour again if the opportunity presents itself.
I hope the pictures help to show the beauty this cave possesses. Do you have any adventures that you did while having to overcome your fear? Tell me about it in the comments below, or send me a message. I would love to hear about your experiences.
If you would like to book this tour, you can use my discount code TLTMAYA5 to receive a 5% discount at Mayawalk Tours. Here is their website, where you can make the booking www.mayawalk.com.
Click here to see the list of activities that I recommend that you do when in Belize.
THE BEST ADVICE IS LOCAL ADVICE
