Cayo Scoop! The Ecology of Cayo Culture

Actun Chapat, located near Benque, just south of San Jose Succotz, is getting more exposure, and now Hidden Valley Inn offers it as a tour.  Actun Chapat, along with Actun Halal, makes for a great day tour that includes a jungle hike, cave exploring, and a history lesson about the Maya.

"Meet your archaeology guide at the village of San Jose Succotz along the Mopan River where you will traverse 8 miles through old farms and tropical forest in the infamous land rover.  There is only one trip a day and tours are private to Hidden Valley Inn Guests only.  Your experience guide will share stories, legends and facts about the caves and the surrounding area.  The History of the Maya will be told by your guide as you hike through the chambers of mysterious cave formations, terraces, alters, strewn with artifacts and Mayan relics.  At the sky opening you break for lunch with a favorite burrito.  Handmade flour tortillas, with a bean and / or chicken filling, a special sauce, with fresh lettuce, tomato and cilantro and of course hot sauce.  After your return a cold soft drink, beer, or water to enjoy while you rest up for your return ride."

Actun Chapat and Actun Halal get great reviews.  This well written article has some great pictures, and you can get a good feel for Chapat.  The Trek Stop in Succotz, along with its butterfly farm, gets a good mention.

"We left Actun Halal behind and headed deeper into the jungle along an ancient Maya causeway toward Actun Chapat, an extensive cave or - perhaps more accurately - cave system with underground lakes, Maya artifacts, and miles yet to be discovered.  It was hard to take photos because the moisture in the air obscured the formations if I used a flash; I used my small tripod and took mostly available light photos.  Some of the chambers are massive but I wasn't able to document that with a camera."

Cayo has the caves.  The article is actually called '5 things to do in Belize besides diving' but the first 2 they mention are what Cayo excels at.  Actun Chapat and ATM both get mentioned in the article.  How they missed Crystal Paradise, which is known for amazing birding, nobody knows.

"While neighbouring Mexico and Guatemala get all the press for Mayan sites, Belize was once the centre of the Mundo Maya.  At its peak, the Mayan civilization in Belize is said to have reached over a million people.  This means plenty of archaeological sites, some still buried under thick bush and, most fascinating of all, sacrificial caves now open to the public for supervised spelunking.  You can hop on the popular Actun Tunichil Muknal tour to view the skeletal remains of a young Maya girl, but there are also others worth exploring.  Arrange a visit to Actun Halal and Actun Chapat, in the western village of San Jose Succotz, through Belizean Sun Tours—there, your group will likely have the xibalba or Mayan underworld all to yourselves.