I’ve been wanting to dedicate an entire post to this experience from our family’s Central America escapades! This time, we’re diving deep (literally!) into the mysteries of the ancient Maya at Barton Creek Cave in beautiful Belize.
Our guide was so knowledgeable the history of the massive cave systems throughout Belize. There’s so much to learn – and this was only scratching the surface.
As we canoed into the cave with our headlamps, we revealed soaring cathedral-like caverns dripping with stalactites and stalagmites. Our guide was so thorough in explaining all of the cave’s formations, and how with just as many caves as have been discovered in Belize, there are that many and more that have not yet been explored.
We paddled further, the cave walls closing in at some spots until we had to duck in the canoe to squeeze through tight passages. At times, we stopped our canoes for excellent descriptions of ancient Maya ceramics and ceremonial remains. Chills ran down our spines imagining the rituals that once took place in this subterranean sanctuary. At one point our guide pointed out the small skull of a child that had been given as a sacrifice during a ceremony at that same place we were now exploring all these years later.
This is the tour we booked (you need a guide to go here) and it was a highlight of our Belize trip – the perfect blend of education, exploration, and exhilaration that is the essence of worldschooling. Experiences like canoeing the Barton Creek Cave awaken all the senses and etch indelible lessons into young minds in a way no classroom ever could.
If you’re looking to kindle that spark of curiosity and wanderlust in your children, I can’t recommend this subterranean escapade enough. Belize is a short hop from so many places, with incredible natural wonders and Maya ruins galore to explore. Pack up the fam, strap on your headlamps, and get ready to delve into a legendary underworld adventure!
What are you waiting for? The amazing Maya caves of Belize await…
The Traveling Homeschool 