Day Trip To Crystal Cave and Blue Hole National Park

I booked multiple tours and transfers through MayaWalk during my time in Belize including Tikal on December 27, Crystal Cave on December 28, and transportation from Belize City to San Ignacio and back to the water taxi. I originally planned to do ATM Cave, but it had been closed for several days due to weather with no clear reopening date. This is where MayaWalk stood out. The office manager Samantha was exceptional. She was empathetic, communicative, and genuinely invested in making sure I still had a great experience despite the disruption. She helped rearrange plans, gave me flexibility in case ATM reopened, and ensured I had strong alternatives so I was not left with a wasted day. She also gave excellent food recommendations. Martha’s and Pops were both great. That level of customer service is rare. Although I never got to do ATM, Crystal Cave ended up being outstanding. This is not a casual tour. It is muddy, slippery, and physically demanding, with real risk if you are not careful. The guides MayaWalk contracted, Marcus and Melvin, were exceptional. Marcus led from the front, explaining the cave and Maya history while Melvin stayed in the back making sure no one fell behind. I watched other groups pass through with a single guide far ahead, leaving people in the back unattended. That did not happen with our group. I felt safe the entire time. This mattered because I struggled physically more than others in my group. I am small, not very strong, and not particularly coordinated, but I never felt rushed or unsafe. The guides were patient, attentive, and safety-focused throughout. I would not do that cave with anyone else and strongly recommend choosing a company that uses two guides. The Tikal tour was also excellent despite a rough start. Border delays and a very large group caused by the ATM closure meant we did not leave for the site until about 8:38 am. I was worried we would lose time, but our guide made sure we saw everything, had time at all major stops, and even took some of us back to a gift shop when we had regrets. He was knowledgeable, patient, and clearly cared about the experience. The lunch stop was excellent as well. I research tours extensively and am budget-conscious, but customer service matters most to me when plans go sideways. MayaWalk puts people first. They were flexible, supportive, and made sure I still had meaningful experiences despite disruptions. I never felt treated like an inconvenience. They earned my trust and loyalty, and I would recommend them without hesitation.

MayaWalk Tours provided a great tour for Crystal Cave. Our driver, Zander, pick us up at our hotel which was nice. We went to the office first where they verified we had the proper attire, footwear and plenty of water, Zander then drove us to the visitor center where we would begin our adventure. Jose Garcia was our guide with over 30 years of experience in giving Crystal Cave tours. His knowledge was amazing. He named many butterflies, mushrooms, and trees on the way to the entrance. Sharing the history of the area along the way was very interesting. Being knowledge about this area, he shared Mayan history and folklore about the cave as well. We were not rushed going in and were allowed to take many photos. When we reached the area where z80% of the hikers turn around, Jose was concerned for our age since he had never had a couple in their 70’s venture the entire hike. He gave us a choice to continue or turn around. We chose to continue. From that point forward, the formations were incredible. Some inclines and declines were taxing. Jose’s guidance and suggestions in hiking this portion of the cave was very helpful. Wonderland (the section at the end of the cave hike) is worth the effort and perseverance. Jose helped us traverse the narrow passages and vast chambers safely, pointing out special areas of interest. We even did the passage behind Wonderland. If you go this far make sure you do the areas behind the Wonderland chamber. It is worth the hike even though you have to do it without shoes to protect the formations. (Since we did 100% of the cave, we did not get to experience the Blue Hole due to time so cannot comment on that experience. ) Upon our return to the Visitor Center, Zander had a Belizean picnic waiting for us. The Centers well was not working so we were glad he had a full container of water to wash our hands as the spelunking got us muddy from head to toe. MayaWalk Tours knows what you need on this tour. Make sure you book with them and follow their requirements for what to wear and what to bring along. We would highly recommend them and Jose Garcia and driver Zander for your Crystal Cave and Blue Hole adventure.

The ATM cave is flooded today, so we 6 people randomly choose this crystal cave for a private tour. it's really an adventure! The two guides and one driver is so nice and professional.

Richard was our great guide with a lot of knowledge, (literally) supportive and respectful. The experience was one to remember! Very impressive, highly recommended. Nb we were with a small group (4 people) we saw with other tour operators much larger groups .

This was an insane experience that I highly recommend. That said, it is really not for the faint of heart. Our adventure started with our guide, Geo (shoutout!) picking us up in a van and driving us to a jungle which we hiked through for about 45 minutes. If you go in the rainy season I recommend a rain coat because we were absolutely soaked by the time we got to the gave. Once we did arrive, Geo pulled out a rope and we rapelled a short distance into the cave. From there we were in for a 3 1/2 hour experience that was both physically exhausting but also fascinating and beautiful. Once inside, we saw gorgeous cave structures (which Geo was able to explain in detail) as well as Mayan artifacts and even a human skull. Geo was a great guide, showing us handholds and footholds, ways to slide into cramped spaces and ensuring we were safe. That said, this was not for anyone who is claustrophobic or not in decent shape. Overall, this was a very memorable experience, unique from any cave tours I've been on in other places.

We had a fantastic experience! We had initially planned an ATM tour, but unfortunately, it was closed due to rain. The team at Maya Walk kept us informed and offered alternative options, which I really appreciated. We decided to go to Crystal Cave instead, and while it was very challenging for me, it was incredibly rewarding. Our guide, Jose, was very patient and made sure we weren't rushed at all. Our driver, Ronald, waited for us the whole time and had a delicious lunch ready as soon as we returned. Overall, it was a wonderful experience!

We've been choosing the crystal cave tour, because the ATM was flooded. Is was a quite exhausting but super interesting and wonderful tour. Giovanni shared his huge knowledge about general Belize (Cultures, Communities, History) as well as specific Mayan history and culture. You could feel from the first moment, that he's an experienced guide who's passion is to explore and explain. In the jungle and especially in the cave, it felt very safe the way he guided us. We would recommend this tour with this guide to everyone who's not afraid of some hike and some climbing. The cave itself is mostly wide and the halls are often surprisingly huge. Narrow parts are rare and you always see an exit of the narrow part, so no need to get claustrophobic.

My 60 year old father and I did the Crystal Caves tour with guides Marcos and Jose. What an incredible journey! I suspected it was going to be challenging but I still underestimated the amount of physical prowess needed! That being said, I never felt unsafe and it was great to get down and dirty and feel challenged (ATM felt like a Disneyland kid ride compared to this). We were 1 of 2 groups down in the cave so it felt very private, in contrast to ATM where we were shoulder to shoulder waiting in line at some bottlenecks. At some point our group split in 2, 1 turned back and 1 continued on to Wonderland, based on skill/ability to descend into the harder to access parts of the cave. I am infinitely grateful to Jose who led us down to Wonderland and shared his intimate love of caving and ‘extreme adventure’ with us along the way. My experience would not have been complete without making the descent to Wonderland! Jose was so kind and patient and exuded passion for caving and rescue. My father thinks this tour should come with a more robust warning about the physical ability required to reach Wonderland- I think if you’re just slightly above average physical fitness level, you would be fine, but it takes mental fortitude as well! And even if you’re an exceptional rock climber, still expect to be covered in mud by the end-there are tight spaces you have to slide through. Bring 3-4L of water per person, and plenty of snacks too. I highly recommend (if you are physically able) to ask your guide to take you to wonderland- they may not if you do not specifically request. They may even say ‘no’ if your group is too slow! But the experience overall was unforgettable and I encourage everyone to request Jose for this tour!

This was one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. Words can't capture how amazing it is to be deep inside a cave formed millions of years ago and used as a special ceremonial location by the Mayan people. Truly amazing. This tour is strenuous. We slid down rocks and mud on our backsides. You will need to use your hands and upper body strength as leverage as you descend into the cave and your hands get muddy immediately. It was very slick and you need to be somewhat athletic to complete this. Our group split up about 45 minutes into the cave as one person was not recommended to complete the entire cave due to their abilities. I stayed with the slower group as I didn't feel comfortable picking up my pace. Our group still got to see the major sites like the human remains and ashes from ceremonies and pottery. Our climb back out of the cave was slow but we had lunch right after we arrived back at the parking lot at 2:30. There is a 30 minute hike to and from the cave. You will need good bug spray for the mosquitoes for the hike and for the parking lot area. The other group returned at 4pm and ate lunch and we departed. You need good hiking boots for this tour with good grip. You need good hiking / climbing pants to slide around in and will be in contact with rocks. You need long sleeves as your forearms will be useful as leverage. We were told to bring 2L of water each, snacks, a camera or phone for pictures, and bug spray only into the cave. I would bring some quick energy (sugar) and some other snacks to have along the tour to keep your energy up. I would try to bring the smallest backpack or bag possible as there are some really tight squeezes in the cave and even sometimes you will have to wear the bag on your front or pass it down to someone else while you squeeze through a tiny rock opening. You and your backpack will get very very dirty so also bring a full change of clothes. Our group didn't go swimming after but I don't think anyone was too upset about that. There are no bathroom spots in the cave so we used the "facili-trees" beforehand so bring some toilet paper and a trash bag for your trash. Our tour guide was Marcos and Jose. Jose stayed with the faster group and Marcos stuck with us and he was absolutely incredible. So patient and helpful and encouraging. He clearly knows a lot about the Mayans and happily shared so much detail. I can tell he really loves to share his culture with us and I really appreciate it. Marcos made this tour very special and amazing.

We were told afterwards that this is the most difficult cave to visit in Belize. The driver Ashton was right on time and very engageable fellow as we were driving to the cave and back. Walter was our guide and he certainly knows a lot about Belize and caving. The hike from the parking lot is pretty strenous and muddy and then definitely you want to be fit to enter and descend into the cave as it is pretty slippery and good footwear and arm strength is required. This is not walk down some stairs stuff. We were the only 3 people in the cave. Some tight spots and this is full on spelunking and bouldering. Still my partner is 67 years old and she did okay and I am 63 and we came back out happy and really dirty. It all washed out okay later. Lots of interesting formations. Good lunch afterwards and nice to go swimming.