Explore the ATM Caves on a Day Trip from Placencia, Stann Creek District

Summary: What a great tour! My son and I were grateful that Kylen (sp?) picked us up at our hotel and drove us 2 hours in a private car to meet the tour bus near the park where the cave was located. He was very informative about Belize and the ride was very interesting and scenic. The ATM cave was really interesting and fun, we enjoyed climbing and swimming through the cave. Our cave guide Briten (again sp?) was really enthusiastic and informative and made the adventure much easier, as he knew the caves and Mayan history inside and out. My son enjoys climbing for sport, so our guide added some additional challenges for his enjoyment. Seeing the artifacts and skeletons was a real educational lesson in Mayan history and culture. Part of the cave is done in only socks, a bit rough on the feet. This is not a tour for anyone who is claustrophobic. Overall it was a really enjoyable tour and I can't give our guides a higher recommendation!

Summary: Officially, cameras are not allowed. Kinda a bummer but saves it from the crazies on TikTok-instagram. Amazing experience. Relatively easy walk from parking are to cave entrance. Moderate activity while in the cave. Amazing, awesome, ya gotta experience this.

Summary: Unique opportunity to have an adventurous guided cave tour with Mayan ceremonial ceramics and human remains. You will get wet several times, so bring dry clothes to change when finished. Lots of unstable footing, and tight spaces. We saw small fish and bats.

Summary: Loved it! Francisco was amazing! A wealth of knowledge & kept it fun. This kind of tour you would never get in the U.S.

Summary: An incredible experience. Everyone said it was their favorite tour so far. Fascinating and unlike anything else. We did this on Halloween....descending into the Mayan underworld. Xilbaba, "Place of Fear", it was fantastic. So amazing to see and experience a place that is a living history museum/sacred site. Do hesitate to do this. We want to go back!

Summary: This was such an amazing tour. Francisco was absolutely incredible as was Hakeem. You could just tell how truly passionate Francisco was about the Mayan culture. We were all blown away by his extensive knowledge and great sense of humor. It was an amazing day. Thanks again!

Summary: Pickup was at 6:30. We had a decent drive (about 2 hours), before we met with our tour guide, Francisco. Francisco very clearly wanted everyone in the group to have a great time. He had so much to say the entire time. We learned about different bugs and plants that could be found in the region. He made a point to explain how archaeologists came up with population approximations for the amount of Mayan people in the area, and what the area might have looked like during the peak of their civilization. There was no such thing as a stupid or small question, and Francisco was very up front when the answers he provided were limited and explained why he couldn't give definitive answers. He joked with us and made a point to make everyone feel like he was happy we were there with him. He also took care to ensure we had plenty of time to see everything the cave had to offer us, and that we weren't crowded by other tourists. The homemade food he gave us for lunch was seriously some of the best locally made food I had. The caves themselves are amazing because of their historical and cultural significance, but our tour guide is really what made it memorable for us. As for the cave system and the small hike to it, I was pleasantly surprised to find the walk flat, easy, and not very buggy. I was glad to be warned about the river crossings, especially once I saw how high the water can get. There were spots on the hike and in the caves where swimming was pretty much the best option for getting from point A to point B, The only thing I wish I had for this trip was a bag of towels and spare clothes, as there isn't anywhere nearby to get these things after you've done all that swimming. The wet clothes made for a long, cold ride back, but that was my only complaint about this amazing tour. We got dropped off to our hotel around 6 that night, so plan for this being an all day trek.

Summary: We were prohibited taking photos today on our jaunt to the Mayan underworld at Actun Tunichil Muknal, or the “Cave of the Stone Sepulchre”. About a 2 1/2 hour van ride into the interior of Belize, almost to the Guatemalan border. The Mayans took sacrificial humans into the cave to ask the gods to help them win wars, get rain, help their crops, defeat trump and Fascists, whatever. You hike 45 minutes, crossing a river three times (once requiring swimming while hanging onto a rope strung across the river); then swim across a pool 50 feet across to enter the cave; then hike in running water from an underground stream (at times up to your chest) 550 meters, scrambling on and over rock, including climbing a rock wall (no kidding) 30 feet high with water running down it in only your stocking feet (because you are entering sacred territory). A tad slippery. Don’t look down. At times you had to scrunch down (again in water) through a rock tunnel 5-10 feet long, no wider than the width of your chest to your back. This is all in absolute pitch black, lit only by lights on your hard hat. Amazing stalagmites and stalactites throughout the cave. After about 400 meters, you start seeing broken clay jars that are 1100+ years old. Some are almost intact, but with pieces broken off. The Mayans took food and drink into the cave and, when finished using the pots, broke them or disfigured them because (once used) they were no longer “virginal”. A few meters further are the first skeletal remains of the sacrifice victims. You see skulls with evidence of having the skull stove in at the sacrifice. You see remains of infants, children, men and women. 16 skeletal remains have been found in the cave, with a full skeleton of a 16-20 year old female at the end. Then you retrace your steps, down the 30 foot rock wall this time, back through the tunnels, back across the pools and hiking back across rivers another 45 minutes. About four hours in the cave. Absolutely mind boggling and very physically exhausting.

Summary: What can I say about the Truly Wild crew. They were professional, super helpful, patient and great fun to hang out with. We did ATM Caves, Xunantunich, Cave Tubing, and Snorkeling. And at every activity site, we had nothing but top notch service and support. Its hard to select one favorite activity as they were all so well done and managed. I think the ATM was definitely one of the high points for me and the family. Jason and his team is truly wild - wildly amazing and just good people. We will definitely be back!

Summary: ATM cave was absolutely stunning! We also did the cave tubing and Mayan ruins and had a blast. Our guides were so fun to talk to. We learned so much about Belize culture and history.