Best Hikes In Belize 2024: Ultimate Hiking Trails
Looking for the best hikes in Belize?
If there’s one country you must add to your best hiking trails and tours bucket list, it’s Belize.
I traveled through Belize and spent days getting to know the locals and finding the most amazing places to explore. And I have found that there are some absolutely fantastic hikes in this country.
It’s one of Central America’s most popular hiking destinations because of its caves, rainforests, sanctuaries, nature reserves, and scenic zipline.
With all the choices available, I will cover everything you need to know about the best hikes in Belize to guide you on your next action-packed adventure.
Best Belize Hiking Tours
What does it look like to join a hiking tour in Belize?
In most cases, your option is a guided tour. I highly recommend doing a guided tour, especially if you’re looking to do other adventurous activities like tubing.
A local guide knows tons of information about the areas that you won’t find anywhere else. These guides know the terrain and are skilled at giving adventurous hikers a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
These tours include walking on jungle paths and exploring the natural beauty. The most popular hikes incorporate other activities such as spelunking and zip lining!
Here are the top hiking tours taking you on the best hikes in Belize you need to add to your bucket list.
Actun Tunichil Muknal
Location: San Ignacio Belize
Book a tour: Actun Tunichil Muknal
Actun Tunichil Muknal is one of the most sacred caves in the world. And fully deserves the top spot on the list of best hikes in Belize.
It’s a place where the Maya civilization worshiped their gods and performed human sacrifices. Plus, Actun Tunichil Muknal is one of the top caves that have the most ancient artifacts.
Expect to be spelunking half a mile through the cave. It takes at least a few hours to pass through the tight spaces in the dark.
Using your headlamp, you’ll find crystallized human remains and artifacts from the Mayan civilization.
To reach the cave, you will hike for 45 minutes, and you need to swim to the narrow and flooded passageways to enter. This once-in-lifetime experience hike must be taken with a licensed guide.
This tour lasts a full day and includes all the safety gear you need, as well as a Belizian lunch.
Xunantunich and Cave Tubing Tour
Location: San Ignacio Belize
Book a tour: Xunantunich and Cave Tubing Tour
Xunantunich is one of the easily accessible ruins, as you can reach it within a two-hour drive from the airport.
The main temple, El Castillo, is a must-climb. It’s the second-tallest building in Belize, with a height of 130 feet.
After exploring the ruins and taking lunch, you’re off to cave tubing through crystal caves. It takes 30 minutes to get to the starting point.
On this tour, you’ll be spelunking in the networks of limestone caves in Nohoch Cheʼen Caves Branch, with dense tropical rainforests surrounding the area.
You get to actually climb the sacred Mayan pyramids and then enjoy a cave tubing adventure with a knowledgeable guide.
Cave Tubing and Jungle Zip Lining
Location: San Ignacio Belize
Book a tour: Cave Tubing and Jungle Zip Lining
If you want a combination of tubing and zip-lining, this tour is for you. The activity begins with hiking in a forest until you reach the Caves Branch River.
The tubing comes in when you enter the flooded cave system. Inside the cave, you can see the natural formation of crystals and stalactites.
The Jaguar Paw jungle zip offers views of the trees and river in a birds-eye view. It takes up to 60 minutes to complete all stations.
There is a mix of short and long trails measuring up to 700 feet.
The area is an hour’s drive from the George Price Highway. It’s centered on geology and cultural artifacts.
Private Altun Ha And Cave Tubing
Location: Belize City
Book a tour: Private Altun Ha And Cave Tubing
Caves Branch River and the Altun Ha are a perfect combination if you want to go tubing and learn about the Mayan civilization on one of the best hikes in Belize
You’ll be able to explore the 175,000-year-old underground caves that have remained untouched.
The advantage of this private tour is that it allows you to get in and out of place more quickly. So you’ll have more time to spend exploring the location.
All entrance fees, equipment, hotel pick-up and drop-off, and free lunch are included.
Caracol Day Trip & Mountain Pine Ridge
Location: San Ignacio Belize
Book a tour: Caracol Day Trip & Mountain Pine Ridge
Caracol is another Maya site that served as the old civilization’s major player in geopolitics.
It’s located in Cayo District’s Chiquibul Forest Reserve of the Maya Mountains. The 25-acre area has a vast agricultural system.
You can find the highest temple, Canaã, in the country in this area. Canaã is the main temple with a height of 243 feet.
The Mountain Pine Ridge is a perfect combination for the Caracol day trip hike and tour, and the sub-tropical landscape has unique wildlife and exotic animals.
You can find many species of birds, such as acorn woodpeckers, crossbill pine siskins, stygian owls, and rufous-capped warblers.
Plus, you may see hawks and eagles in the area.
Full-day Horseback Riding, Chocolate Making, and Maya Site Combo Tour
Location: San Ignacio Belize
Book a tour: Full-day Horseback Riding, Chocolate Making, and Maya Site Combo Tour
Western Belize offers a full-day combo tour in the Cayo District. It’s a private tour where you can enjoy horseback riding through lush jungles and explore an ancient Mayan city on foot.
The adventure begins with the ride where your guide brings you to the forests and riverside. Then, you’ll explore and hike around Xunantunich for the Mayan archeological site.
The whole-day tour offers a Belizean lunch.
After lunch, you’ll learn how to make chocolate from raw cacao beans. Then, you’ll get the chance to enjoy the delicious, organic chocolate.
This tour combines the best things the western Cayo District has to offer to experience both adventure and Belizean culture.
Blue Hole National Park and Belmopan City Tour
Location: Belize City
Book a Tour: Blue Hole National Park and Belmopan City Tour
Hike through the lush tropical rainforest and cool off by taking a swim in a beautiful natural swimming hole.
The Blue Hole National Park is a diver-favorite venue because of its deep blue pool within a cavern. It’s connected by a river where you can find tubers and swimmers enjoying the pool.
This hike is one of the best hikes in Belize. It is absolutely beautiful and the swimming hole is not something you want to miss.
A guided tour of the most interesting highlights of Belmopan, the capital city, follows your trek through lush jungles with the best views.
Top Belize Hiking Trails
Belize offers stunning hiking trails for all experience levels. I have listed the following trails for you so that you can easily find the best hikes in Belize.
Travel Tip: Before hiking, visit the Chaa Creek Natural History Museum to learn about the country’s flora and fauna.
Victoria Peak Climb
Victoria Peak Climb is 3,688 feet high, making it Belize’s second-highest point.
Its ecology is diverse, where you can find all the five big cat species of the country, broad-leafed trees, bird species, and jaguars.
How to reach the trail: Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary serves as the official entrance. You must hike in the dense and long terrain of 28 km and you must have a licensed guide.
Difficulty: The total trip is 40 km, which lasts a minimum of four nights and five days.
The hike begins easy up to the 12th km, but it gets harder as you go along. The last 40-minute climb has a 45-degree inclination.
What to bring: Bring a hammock, breathable clothing, insect repellant, water, and snacks.
Cockscomb Basin Forest Reserve
Cockscomb has more than 300 species, including the following:
- Scarlet macaws
- King vultures
- Keel-billed toucans
During the day, you can see pumas, ocelots, and margays. At night, you have the chance to spot a jaguar.
How to reach the trail: You can reach the forest reserve in 20 minutes by driving down the southern Belize highway if you’re coming from Hopkins. It takes 35 minutes from Dangriga.
Difficulty: It’s an easy-to-moderate trail. You can hike both night and day, as well as in dry and wet seasons, without much difficulty.
Because it’s an easy trail, you can take the day and night hike on the same day.
What to bring: Bring along bug repellent, sunscreen, a water bottle, and rain gear (for the rainy season).
Mayflower Bocawina National Park
Mayflower Bocawina national park has three falls including Antelope Falls, Bocawina Falls, and Three Sisters Falls.
It also has three Maya ceremonial sites such as Mayflower, T’au Witz, and Maintzunum.
How to reach the trail: From the north, you must travel five miles to reach the Southern Highway to access the road on the right that leads you to the national park.
From the south, you can access it after passing the Silk Grass village and turning left to the gravel road.
Difficulty: It’s a challenging trail for beginners. Ropes are available to help you climb as you ascend the mountain.
Maya Mountains Black Hole Drop
The adventure begins at the Actun Loch Tunich cave. After hiking towards the cave, your guide will connect you to a safety harness.
Lower yourself by rappelling until you reach the bottom of the cavern.
How to reach the trail: The Actun Loch Tunich cave is located in Belize’s western Cayo District. San Ignacio is the nearest town.
Difficulty: It’s difficult for people who have a fear of heights as their total descent is about 500 feet.
What to bring: As with most trails, bring insect repellent, sunscreen, and a water bottle.
Panti Medicinal Trail
The trail showcases the medicinal plants and herbs discovered in the area. It’s located at the Elijio Panti National Park, where you can find indigenous trees.
Hiking is one of the recreational activities you can try, but cave tubing, river tubing, camping, and bird watching are also open to visitors.
How to reach the trail: You can access the trail through the national park, which is a two-hour drive from the airport.
Difficulty: It’s an easy trail, so you can opt for self-guided hikes.
Guanacaste National Park
The Guanacaste National Park is named after a tree called Guanacaste. The park has two types of forests despite its small size of 50 acres.
Belize Audubon Society manages it, so expect a bird sanctuary.
How to reach the trail: The nearest location is Belmopan, which is 2 miles from the park. From Belmopan, you must take the turnoff to Roaring Creek.
Difficulty: It’s an easy trail and perfect for a quiet walk. You can opt for a self-guided hike, so you can enjoy bird watching better.
Just remember to bring bug repellent, sunscreen, and water.
Monkey River Loop
If you’re looking for a less crowded trail, Monkey River Loop is a great option.
You’ll also love this hike if you’re a nature lover because you can spot howler monkeys and manatees in the Monkey River.
How to reach the trail: A tour service is the best option and you can also take a 15-mile boat ride before hiking to the village.
Difficulty: It’s easy to trek at Monkey River Loop and you can complete the 1.1-kilometer trek in less than two hours.
Catena Transcet
Many visitors frequent this area because it’s a perfect venue for hiking and birding. The route type of the trail is out and back.
How to reach the trail: It’s located near Quam Bank in Stann Creek.
Difficulty: You must spare five hours to complete the Catena Transcet. It’s one of the most challenging trails in Belize.
Crystal Cave Hike
If you want to explore the Mayan realm of the underworld, Xibalba, Crystal Cave Hike is the best place to go.
You can find the remains of the sacrificial victims during the old Mayan civilization.
How to reach the trail: This hike is located near Quam Bank in Stann Creek.
Difficulty: You must rappel 15 feet after a 50-minute hike. It’s a physically demanding tour, but it’s worth the effort.
Ben’s Bluff Trail
This trail is the perfect venue for nature trips. If you love wildflowers, it’s a go-to location for a trek.
How to reach the trail: You can find the trail in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary & Jaguar Preserve.
Difficulty: It’s an intermediate-level four-kilometer trek, but you can take it slow to enjoy the scenery.
Tiger Fern Trail
The Tiger Fern Trail has a mountain view, tropical forests, and double waterfalls. It has fewer visitors, yet it offers a breathtaking view.
How to reach the trail: It’s located in Cockscomb, which is 2.5 hours away from Belize City.
Difficulty: It’s a rigorous hike. It’s not a walk in a park as it’s a mix of ascending and descending terrain.
Five Blues Lake National Park
If you’re looking for a trail with a bit of mystery, visit the Five Blues Lake National Park.
Scientists can’t explain the phenomenon that has happened here in recent years. The lake had drained but has since filled back with water.
The national park gets its name because the water has five shades of blue.
How to reach the trail: It’s accessible via Hummingbird Highway.
Difficulty: It has a mix of easy and strenuous trails, so you can choose based on your experience levels.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you want to go on an adventure but still have some questions? Here are some common questions about the best hikes in Belize.
Is there good hiking in Belize?
Belize has many national parks and nature reserves that offer hiking and trekking activities.
The trails offer breathtaking views, especially when you reach the summit. You can choose the trails based on your physical strength.
Where is the most beautiful place to hike?
Belize is one of the most beautiful places to hike in Central America. San Ignacio and the surrounding area have many of the best hikes in Belize.
It offers a wide range of trails and activities that you can enjoy.
Is it safe to hike in Belize?
Yes, it is absolutely safe to hike in Belize. Take trails with a low difficulty level if you are a beginner and are looking to go on a self-guided trek.
However, for adventurous hikers looking to explore dense jungles, exotic animals in forest reserves, the best waterfalls, or crystal caves, I strongly recommend a guided tour.
Not only do professional, local guides know how to keep you safe, but they also give you a once-in-a-lifetime experience you can’t find anywhere else.
Final Thoughts
Don’t miss visiting Belize when you visit Central America. Whether you’re an amateur or professional hiker, the country has so many adventurous hikes and activities to offer.
You’ll fall in love with the animals and plants from this unique nature trip.
The best hikes in Belize can be a self-guided tour for easy trails.
However, I strongly suggest the guided tours, so you’ll feel safe on strenuous trails requiring you to rappel or spend a couple of days to complete them.