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 The
ruins of Lamanai lie scattered along the lagoon of the New River
within a tropical rainforest in central Belize. The archaeological
reserve is spread over 950 acres, however, the central area of the
site covers approximately half a square mile. Mayan "Lama'an'ain",
translates into "submerged crocodile" and was one of
the longest continuously occupied Mayan cities-from about 500 BC
to 1675 AD due in part to its situation on a major trade route,
the New River. The first major excavation was by David M. Pendergast,
of the Royal Ontario Museum. During a series of field seasons beginning
in 1974, his team mapped 718 structures stretching out along the
shore of the lagoon. Much of Lamanai's importance is reflected in
the large, imposing Late Pre-Classic temple-pyramids, which were usually
built over top of Early Classic constructions. For example, buried
deep inside a 600 AD masked temple lies a well preserved Late Pre-Classic
temple dating back to 100 BC. In addition to the many Mayan structures
in the park, Lamanai is also known for the remains of two 16th century
Catholic churches and a 19th century sugar mill, including a huge
flywheel and boiler. Due to the long occupation of the site by varied
peoples, the artifacts of Lamanai include those of stone, clay,
wood, bone, shell, jade, gold, copper, glass, and iron. Also of
interest, there are at least four troops of howler monkeys living
there and the marshlands around the lagoon support many species
of water birds, mammals, and reptiles.
Altun Ha Belize Zoo Caracol Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
& Jaguar Preserve Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary Xunantunich Ruins Snorkeling Copyright © 2005 Belize Conference Planners, Limited. All rights reserved. |
A feature attraction of Diving in Belize, especially for divers with an appreciation of geographical phenomena, is the opportunity to explore the famed Blue Hole. Part of the Lighthouse Reef System, it lies approximately 60 miles off the mainland out of Belize City. It is one of the most astounding dive sites to be found anywhere on earth. Right in the center of Lighthouse Reef is a large, almost perfectly circular hole approximately one quarter of a mile (.4 km) across. Inside this hole the water is 480 feet (145 m) deep and it is the depth of water which gives the deep blue color that causes such structures throughout the world to be known as "blue holes." Like a giant pupil in a sea of turquoise, the Blue Hole is a perfectly circular limestone sinkhole more than 300 feet across and 412 feet deep. The array of bizarre stalactites and limestone formations which mould its walls seem to become more intricate and intense the deeper one dives. Jacques Costeau, world famous oceanographer, swam in the Blue Hole many years ago.
Translated,
Altun Ha means "stone water," which comes from the ancient
Mayan reservoir, or aguada, that Belizeans call "rock stone
pond." Altun Ha was an important Classic Period site situated
to take advantage of the trading that occurred between the waters
of the Caribbean and the deep interior of the Mayan Civilization.
Altun Ha is one of the most excavated sites in Belize. The complex
of Altun Ha is located 31 miles (50 kms) north of Belize City. The
entire city covered three square miles (5 km2) and the population
is estimated to have been 8,000 to 10,000 people at its peak. Within
the central portion of the site there are more than 275 structures.
Though quite small in size, this Mayan site has become famous mainly
for a large jade head, representing the sun god Kinich Ahau, that
was discovered in the main temple. This head is the largest Mayan
jade artifact discovered to date, weighing 10 lbs. It is now the
national symbol of Belize and seen on the corner of every Belizean
banknote.
The
Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center was started in 1983, as
a last ditch effort to provide a home for a collection of wild animals
which had been used in making documentary films about tropical forests.
Shortly after the backyard "zoo" began, it was quickly
realized that its Belizean visitors were unfamiliar with the different
species of wildlife which shared their country. This very aspect
fomented the commitment to develop the little zoo into a dynamic
wildlife education center. Today, The Belize Zoo is settled upon
29 acres of tropical savanna and exhibits over 125 animals all native
to Belize. The zoo keeps animals which were either orphaned, born
at the zoo, rehabilitated animals, or sent to The Belize Zoo as
gifts from other zoological institutions.
Caracol is the largest Maya archaeological site in Belize, Central America. In AD 650, the urban area of Caracol had a radius of approximately 10 kilometers around the site's epicenter. It covered an area much larger than present day Belize City (the largest metropolitan area in the country of Belize) and supported more than twice the modern city's population. Urban Caracol maintained a population of over 140,000 people through the creation of an immense agricultural field system and through elaborate city planning. Caracol is noted not only for its size during the Maya Classic era (A.D. 250-950), but also for its prowess in war; this includes an AD 562 defeat of Tikal (Guatemala) and a subsequent conquest of Naranjo (Guatemala) in AD 631. 
This
unique sanctuary in southern Belize covers an area of about 150
square miles of tropical forest, and is the world's only Jaguar
Preserve. Declared a Forest Preserve in 1984 and finally a Jaguar
Preserve in 1986, the park is the culmination of many years of work
and perseverance by individuals and national and international organizations.
The park area is rich in beauty, wildlife and even Maya culture;
a well concealed minor Maya ceremonial site known as Chucil Baluum
is typical of the Classic Period. The Cockscomb Mountain Range towers
over the basin to the north. While jaguars are here, the chances
of seeing one is about seventeen thousand to one. Having said that,
people do occasionally catch glimpses of these stealthy carnivores,
but much more likely, especially in the rainy season, is finding
the pug marks along the muddier stretches of the trails. Jaguars
are in fact found in all of Belize's reserves. The terrain is dense
tropical rainforest with well maintained trails, jungle canopy to
120'. Wildlife to see includes jaguar, jaguarundi, peccary, howler
monkey, gibnut, agouti, snakes, coatamundi, over 300 bird species.
Located
33 miles (53 kms) northwest of Belize City and just 2 miles off
the Northern Highway, the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary consists
of a large network of inland lagoons, swamps, and waterways. The
sanctuary provides both the abundant food sources and the safe resting
areas necessary to support a large and diverse population of birds.
There are literally hundreds of species within the sanctuary, including snail kites, tiger herons, snowy egrets, ospreys, black collared
hawks, and of course the reserve's most famous resident, the massive
jabiru stork. The best time for viewing resident and migrant birds
is December until June, during Belize's dry-season. Those visiting
in the later months of the dry season (Feb.- Jun.) are treated to
a concentration of wildlife, which congregate in the park's shrinking
lagoons, as freshwater resources across the country dry up.
The
easiest-to-reach and most-restored ruin in Belize lies just eight
miles from the Guatemala border. Perched high on a hill overlooking
the Mopan River, this complex was a major ceremonial center during
the classic period of the Maya. Beautiful stucco reliefs are on
display and excavation projects continue. From the top of the nearly
150 foot "Castillo" one can see for miles to the ocean
and into neighboring Guatemala. Simply drive or take a bus west
of San Ignacio to the ferry at Benque Viejo. The ferry is free and
runs about every 10 minutes. It is about a half-mile up a dirt road
to the ruins. Once there we recommend hiring a guide.