Top Placencia Nature and Wildlife

Snorkel at one of the very best spots on Belize’s barrier reef, Laughing Bird Caye. At this national park that's part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, swim in a unique environment known as a faro, with an angular atoll surrounding a lagoon. A guide shows you the best coral gardens teeming with reef fish and other marine life, while a Belizean-style picnic lunch keeps you energized for a full day of underwater exploration.

Head out into the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the world's highest concentration of big cats, with this river tubing experience. You'll start with an educational hike to learn about the local plants and animals, followed by a river tubing experience that will take you to a waterfall area that's great for swimming!

Take a break from beach combing and water sports to explore the ancient ruins and mysterious caves of the Cayo district on this full-day combo tour from Placencia. Visit the remnants of a once-mighty Mayan city at Xunantunich — where you can see all the way to Guatemala from the top of a pyramid — and then float through an underground network of caverns on a cave tubing adventure.

This tour offers an unparalleled opportunity to see the wild beauty of Belize at its very finest. Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is recognized internationally as the world’s first jaguar preserve. It is also known for its spectacular waterfalls, mountain views, nature trails, and rich diversity of neo-tropical birds and the occasional encounter of land animals such as Gibnutt, coatimundi, and various wild life.

A half hour fun boat ride through the mangroves takes you to Monkey River village where you head upriver into pristine rain forest. You can expect to see crocodiles in the water, huge iguanas on tree branches sunning themselves, turtles, and many species of birds. Upriver your licensed guide will lead you into the rain forest in search of howler monkeys and to show and explain the flora and fauna of the rain forest and perhaps show you rain forest medicines. Buy a Belizean lunch at the restaurant in Monkey River

A must-visit, even when on the shortest stays in our beautiful country. Xunantunich is a national treasure that fills its visitors with a sense of time travel. If that isn’t appealing enough, how about saddling up a horse and riding into the shadow of this Mayan temple. You're hit with how green and lush everything is. Some visitors might get to see a group of women doing laundry in the river while their children swim nearby, this is where you will board the hand-cranked ferry that has carried many thousands to and from the calm beauty of this Maya Temple. Here, you’ll dismount your horse and the journey to Xunantunich begins on the other bank of the river.. The temples are nestled in between lush rainforest whose trees may bloom vibrant red, yellow, orange, or pink in season. Bring along a hat, sunscreen, insect repellent, along with an open heart to experience simplicity and visiting another world for a few hours.

ATM is the crown jewel of all of Belize’s archaeological treasure. This is one of the most unforgettable and adventurous underground tours you can make in Belize. The guided trip into ATM takes you deep into the underworld that the ancient Maya knew as Xibalba. We’ll start with a 2 hours drive to the village of Teakettle. From there, we’ll turn off into the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve and pass through mahogany groves and orchards. The tour requires climbing and swimming as well as crawling through small spaces. The cave is extensively decorated with cave formations in the upper passages, dry chambers which lead to the cathedral-like main hall, a towering chamber 350 meters in length and 50 meters wide and filled with artifacts and sacrificial remains. Visitors remove shoes and explore the cave in socks only, to protect the artifacts on the cave floor. After this, another climb takes you to the stone sepulchre (after which the cave is named) where the Crystal Maiden lies.

Hike up to witness the Cockscomb Waterfalls and ride inner tubes down the South Stann Creek River along with a chance to spot a wide variety of wildlife at a nature reserve in Belize. You will be greeted by magnificent landscapes and vegetation during your hike here.