Mayan Ruins Canoe Cave Tour

The Mayan Ruins Canoe Cave Tour was designed for travel enthusiasts who love to explore the world by water and caves.

This tour will begin in Cenote Azul, one of Mexico’s most famous and unique underground passages, then we tour to Guatemala all the way through Belize and be back in 8 days.  We will be visiting the impressive Tikal archeological site and we will devote 3 days traveling to and from ancient Mayan ruins by canoe via Guatemala’s jungle rivers.  Prior to ending our tour on the Mexican Caribbean coast we will further explore the Mayan underworld in Belize’s amazing caves.

This tour departs from Playa del Carmen, Mexico.  You can also be picked up from Cancun Airport if you choose to.

Below is the itinerary of the tour:

Day 1: Travel to Bacalar, visit to Cenote Azul.

In Playa Del Carmen we meet as a group then we will travel 5 hours south riding a first class bus going to Bacalar. As soon as we arrive Bacalar we will spend the rest of the day swimming in Bacalar´s Cenote Azul.  Though the Yucatan Peninsula has a lot of cenotes yet Cenote Azul is one of the most impressive cenotes which is the 90 meter deep, clear-blue water.

During the Spanish colonization, Bacalar served as an important defense point or fort as pirate ships used to visit the lagoon.  But today the fort holds an interesting museum about the piracy’s history.  

So as to prepare for the upcoming journey, we will spend the night in typical Cabanas.

Day 2: Travel to Tikal.

The succeeding 2 days of the tour will take us to and through Tikal and Guatemala which is one of the lesser-known yet very remarkable Mayan archeological sites.  These ruins are well preserved and have turned out be an increasingly popular attraction in Guatemala as it is surrounded by abundant jungle.  You will get to watch sunset and sunrise at the top of the temples overlooking the vast jungles of the Mayan world giving you amazing sights which you can’t find anywhere else in the world.

Day 3: Tikal ruins guided tour, sleep in Remate.

On the third day of the tour we will have a guided tour of Tikal ruins and National Park in the morning.  We will climb the tallest temples in Tikal and have the opportunity to see exotic wildlife such as coatis, monkeys and toucans.

We will leave Tikal Park in the afternoon and head towards El Remate, Guatemala. On the shores of Lake Petén Itzá you can find this eco-tourism village.  Put on your bathing suits and take a dip and swim in the transparent, turquoise water of the lake.

Additionally, we will have the chance to meet local woodcarvers who devoted themselves to creating wonderful forest-saving art.  At the end of the day we will indulge in delectable cuisines at one of the local restaurants.  To complete our community experience, we will spend a good night in a genuine typical limestone cabañas.

Day 4: Transfer to El Peru starting point and canoe to El Peru.

Soon after taking local transport deeper into the jungle, we will set off in canoes and paddle our way up the San Pedro to the riverbank of El Peru, Guatemala.  And from these banks, we move on to the hidden ruins by foot.

The very rare and endangered Scarlet Macaw is one of the highlights of this unspoiled forest.  We are privileged to see 132 breeding pairs of these fine-looking parrots left between Mexico and Guatemala in their natural, and protected, habitat.  We will camp near the ruins at the end of the day.

Day 5: explore El Peru ruins.

We will dedicate the fifth day to an all-day exploration of the El Peru ruins.  These ruins are very exclusive and are unreachable by road and have been reached by only a few people each year. We’ll return to the El Peru campsite at the end of the night to enjoy the appetizing campfire meals that Duende Tours is famous for.

Day 6: Canoe back and transfer to Belize.

By foot, we return to our canoes and paddle to a pick-up point for our trip to the Cayo District, Belize.  This area boasts its incredible natural beauty and magnificent caves which made it well known to the world.  Just outside Cayo's main town, San Ignacio, we will spend the night on a beautiful riverbank to prepare ourselves for an exciting cave tour!

Day 7: Cave tubing in Belize and transfer to Corozal.

These natural wonders are considered underworld by the Mayans and we will make the most of it by touring the site.  These wonderful scenes are shaped and created by nature for thousands of years.

We will travel north to Corozal, Belize, and spend the night at a local hotel at the end of this exciting tour.

Day 8: Travel to Tulum.

We will cross the Belize – Mexico border at the end of our journey and travel up the Riviera Maya, where, depending on departure schedules, we can get to explore coastal ruins as well as untouched beaches of Tulum, sightsee in Playa Del Carmen or Cancun or scuba dive in the world famous reefs of Cozumel.

So if you are looking for adventure and perhaps one that you will never forget, the Mayan Ruins Canoe Cave Tour is the perfect choice for you.  This adventure tour will surely make you remember the natural paradise as well as the many wonders that Mexico has to offer.   

This tour is not just exciting, it is filled with cultural beliefs and history of the Mayans.

Mayan Ruins Canoe Cave Tour Pictures

These amazing pictures are taken from our Mayan Ruins Canoe Cave Tour. Enjoy!