Cave Kayaking in Belize: Our 7-Mile Adventure

After the intensity of the waterfalls the day before, we slowed things down a bit on Day 3 of our trip and went on the popular 7-mile cave kayaking excursion. While many tour groups offer a tubing or kayaking experience, this particular tour is only offered through Caves Branch Jungle Lodge, and includes two additional caves that other groups miss. As it turned out, those extra caves, and having them almost entirely to ourselves, were what made this day so memorable.

Getting to the Caves

We loaded up on another trailer bed and drove for about 25 minutes to a river bank situated right at the mouth of the cave. With life jackets, helmets and headlamps, we settled into the water, boarded our kayaks and followed our guide into the first cave. The ceiling was low, only a few feet from our heads and the stalactites/mites decorated the sides of the river.

Seven Miles of Caves and Jungle

We paddled as a group through the cave, with one guide in front and one in back of our group. Since the only light is from your headlamps, it is important to stay together- the more lamps, the more light!

After paddling for a little over a mile, the river opened into the jungle and we were surrounded by trees and the sound of birds.

We paddled like this for a total of 7 miles- in and out of caves with sections of jungle in between. The serenity of this tour is difficult to describe. For the majority of the tour, we were the only 7 people in the caves. It was completely silent other than the sound of our paddles dipping in and out of the water. Occasionally we passed by a “cave window,” an ancient sink hole overgrown with vegetation that let in sunlight and the sounds of jungle wildlife. Altogether, this was one of the most peaceful experiences I have ever had- quiet, still, dark, and humbled by how small I felt surrounded by this masterpiece of nature.

Nohoch Che’en Archaeological Reserve

The last two caves are located within Nohoch Che’en Archaeological Reserve which is a very popular cave tubing route for tour operators within the San Ignacio area. While we were the only group in any of the first three caves, the last two were rather crowded. Of course, the cave and jungle scenery were still beautiful, but we had to navigate our kayaks around groups of cave tubers.

Caves Branch Outpost

After the fifth cave, we paddled to the shore and loaded up our kayaks and walked a short way to the Caves Branch Outpost where we had a delicious traditional lunch. Note: The servers did not speak much English at all. Luckily our kayaking guides were still with us and could help translate. If you don’t have a translator, keep Google Translate handy.

After lunch, we wrapped up the day with a 5 line zipline tour. This was something that my daughter really wanted to do. However, after an amazing zipline experience in Costa Rica, this was rather underwhelming. If you have ziplined before, you’ll be fine to skip it.

Back at Caves Branch Jungle Lodge

We ended the day back at Caves Branch Jungle Lodge, playing a game of water volleyball with fellow travelers and swapping stories of the day’s adventures.