While many travelers flee to the cayes when they touch down in Belize, the mainland itself — both above and below ground — offers incredible adventure opportunities. On a recent visit, the award-winning, full-service San Ignacio Resort Hotel in the Cayo District of western Belize revealed a landscape full of exotic flora and fauna. The resort is home to the Green Iguana Conservation Project, a continuous effort that aims to look after the endangered green iguana species in Belize.
The boutique property also runs a number of day trips throughout this unique area of Central America, including one to Barton Creek Cave where, after canoeing through a giant crack in a mountain, visitors are greeted by magnificent natural formations. Ambient light gives way to headlamps inside this magical world of the ancient Maya, whose traces — in the form of pottery shards and human remains — can still be found throughout the cave.