Calling all thrill-seekers! Belize offers some of the best adrenaline-pumping adventures for those seeking an unforgettable experience in a tropical country. Here are six electrifying activities you can enjoy in your pursuit of fun-filled adventures.
ATM Cave
Hamanasi Guests standing on the outside of the ATM Cave. Photo: Demian Solano
Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave, also known as the Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre, is a mysterious cave in the Cayo District of Belize. It was discovered by the Maya between 300 and 600 AD, but its deepest parts are an enigma and remain unexplored. If you’re a fan of artifacts, archaeology and geology, this adventure may be the one for you!
This site holds immense significance to Maya archeology. Visitors can only enter the cave if accompanied by a licensed tour guide, limited to groups of eight. This adventure starts with a hike deep into the jungle fording a shallow river and admiring the flora and fauna. Upon arrival you will swim a short distance across a pool of water into the cave.
As you enter the dark main cave system, your helmet with a headlamp will become your best friend. You’ll be required to climb up and over hip height rocks and use your body strength to pull yourself up. All this bustle will be done with socks to preserve the authenticity and integrity of the cave and its artifacts.
The cave exploration becomes most impressive when you enter the main chambers that contain skeletal remains, ceramics and stoneware. One of the most famous finds is “The Crystal Maiden”, which is rumored to be the skeleton of a 17-year-old boy. You can witness the transformation of bones which have calcified into a sparkling, crystallized appearance. It is believed that the ceramics found were used in ceremonial rituals, because they bear “kill holes”. Over 1400 human artifacts have been discovered, all of them dating from 250 to 909 AD. The combination of pottery, tools, weapons, vessels for water, shaped formations into silhouettes of faces and animals, and altars tell a tale of the advanced Maya culture.
The Crystal Maiden. Photo: Demian Solano
Entering the ATM Cave feels like a passage to a new world. The adventure will have you hiking, swimming, traversing dark enclosed places, climbing boulders and communing with sacrificial bones. You will certainly need to have a decent level of physical fitness to embark on this experience. This is surely a stimulating adventure waiting for you!
Jungle Horseback Riding
Horseback riding deep in the jungle. Photo: Emily Kaszton
Horses are known for their muscles, stamina and endurance, making them powerhouse animals. Riding a horse provides a combination of benefits that include hand-eye coordination, burning calories that help to tone the body and legs, improve reflexes, mental stimulation, and simply makes you feel good! The speed and power of each gallop is exhilarating and creates a rush of adrenaline. With Hamanasi you can experience this while horse riding through the tropical lowland jungle. Guides will accommodate you no matter how seasoned of a rider you are.
Hamanasi guide Antonio is ready to assist! Photo: Dana Krauskopf
Just over 15 minutes from Hamanasi your horse will await you at Outback Trails. These are well–kept and skilled horses, eager to carry you through the broadleaf rainforest. Like the horses, the guides are also skilled and create a safe, informative, and comfortable environment. You get to navigate through the dense jungle and test the speeds of your horse (based on experience). A horse can gallop up to 25 mph – thrilling to say the least! You’ll make your way to a serene river deep in the jungle.
If you’re looking for a mood enhancing, sporty adventure, riding a horse through the beautiful rainforest of Belize is the choice for you. Jungle horseback riding gives you a thrill that you can’t explain unless you experience it.
Night Dive at the Barrier Reef
Diver exploring colorful reefs at night. Photo: Alex Ruiz
The thought of suiting up and plunging into pitch black waters might sound a little scary. However, entering an underwater world at night can be the most exhilarating and rewarding experience of a lifetime. It is said that more than 80% of marine life in the Caribbean Sea is nocturnal. Some marine life hide during the daytime, like octopus, squids, and bioluminescent organisms, but become active at night. The revelation of this new world can almost feel surreal when diving amongst corals, fishes, crabs, sharks, shrimps, sting rays, and much more. Guides like pointing out sleeping parrotfish, which envelop themselves in a mucous membrane to confuse predators. It’s an awesome phenomenon to see!
Creatures big and small appear on night dives. Photos: Alex Ruiz and Herb Viggh
In order to do this dive you must have a PADI Open Water Certification or equivalent and be an experienced diver. This trip is weather dependent. The Night Dive departs just before sunset. You’ll be provided with a flashlight to see below the water. Don’t forget your camera or GoPro! As the sun sets you’ll kit up and plunge into the dark water with your flashlight. You’ll want to capture every moment of this epic adventure at the Barrier Reef!
Jungle Ziplining
Zipping through the rainforest. Photo: David Krauskopf
Spectacular! Incredible! A rush like no other! These are just some of the words guests have used to describe Belize Jungle Ziplining. Deep in the rainforest near Mayflower National Park you’ll start by kitting up followed by a short hike crossing a long suspension bridge to your first zipline platform. Here you’ll be briefed on safety measures. After getting comfortable with equipment and doing a test run on a short zipline affectionately called the “chicken run”, the real adventure begins!
Crossing the wooden suspension bridge. Photo: James Zarvos
You’ll do 8 more zips on a 2.5 miles course crafted especially for adrenaline seekers. Bocawina is known for the longest zipline in Belize, at nearly a half mile (over 2,300 feet)! Each run guarantees breath-taking views of the lush jungle canopy and possibly views of wild animals and colorful birds. The adventure grants you the opportunity to soar across the sky like a bird. The sense of freedom is exhilarating.
Waterfall Rappelling
Rappelling in Antelope Falls. Photo: Elena Ollick
After zipping through the pristine Belizean Jungle, why not pump your adrenaline more with a Waterfall Rappelling Adventure? You can venture on a guided 60-minute strenuous hike to the top of Antelope Falls. There you will have a spectacular view to the Caribbean Sea, weather permitting. Then you will put on your rappelling gear and receive a safety and instruction briefing.
Getting wet! Photo: The Blonde Abroad
If you are brave, you will take that first step over the edge of the waterfall – backwards! As you rappel 500 feet down a freshwater waterfall, it’s safe to say that you and the waterfall become one. There are two stages to the rappel, the first being the wettest and most slippery, but also the most fun. The second stage is slightly easier where you can take in the scenery and perfect your technique. There are three guides to ensure you have a safe, fun descent. All will be beaming and high-fiving once you complete this extreme adventure!
The Blue Hole
An aerial view of the Great Blue Hole. Photo: Emily Kaszton
Offshore Belize lies one of the Caribbean’s 4 atolls, Lighthouse Reef Atoll. In scubadiving circles, it is renowned for awesome diving, but most famously for the Great Blue Hole. Jacques Cousteau, the French ocean explorer and marine biologist, declared the Great Blue Hole one of the top five scuba diving sites in the world. The Discovery Channel also named the Belize Blue Hole as one of the top 10 most amazing places on Earth. This spectacular location always lives up to expectations!
The Blue Hole is a collapsed cave that is a near perfect 1,000 ft diameter circle that plunges 412 feet deep. At 130 ft appear the world’s largest underwater stalactites ever found. This is a must-dive for any serious explorer, but it isn’t a beginner’s dive. Divers with Open Water Certification and experience are allowed, but are required to stay at a level of 60 feet. You will need Advanced Open Water Certification or higher before being allowed to do a dive at the maximum depth of 130 ft. You’ll likely see sharks that love to patrol the deep cavern. While It’s a very challenging dive, it is so invigorating.
Divers experienced an up close and personal view of a shark. Photo: juaquinpu
The best part is that this adventure includes two other amazing dive sites. Half Moon Caye Wall boasts immense coral buttresses and swim-throughs. The Aquarium is a shallower dive bursting with a profusion of corals, sponges and marine life. An added bonus is seeing the rare red footed booby colony located on Half Moon Caye during your lunch break.
So experience high-energy diving at the Great Blue Hole, a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll want to check this off your bucket list!
Adventure seekers preparing for a Blue Hole Dive. Photo: Emily Kaszton
With Hamanasi Resort explore the best adrenaline-filled extreme adventures that Belize offers. Let our concierge team help you to decide whether to explore the Reef, the Rainforest, or a combination of both. What are you waiting for? The adventure awaits!
