Actun Tunichil Muknal

The Actun Tunichil Muknal (Cave of the Stone Sepulchre) is the most well known cave in Cayo and the most popular tour just outside of San Ignacio: the entire experience is an Indiana Jones type of adventure, where you’ll wonder if you will make it in and back out. Reaching the best parts of the once sacrificial cave requires hiking through a rainforest for an hour and a half, crossing three rivers on foot, swimming through parts of the cave and even going up a narrow ladder to reach the deeper, darker chambers. Efforts are rewarded with the sight of the “Crystal Maiden”--the skeleton of a young female, fully preserved from thousands of years ago. Along the hike there are also ancient ceramics to see, and you’ll leave with a definite sense that the Maya came before you thousands of years ago.