Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM Cave) - Exploring the Mayan Underworld

Our hosts at Jade Jungle Resort worked hard to get us booked on a last minute excursion to tour the ATM Cave, and their efforts led to one of the highlights of our trip! The ATM Cave is in close proximity to Jade Jungle Resort, in the neighboring Tapir Mountain Nature Preserve in the Cayo District of Belize. The drive to ATM was like several we've taken in Belize, bumping along the dirt roads, with jungle canopies opening up to reveal vast farmlands (many in this area run by Mennonites).

While the ride to the ATM Cave was relatively short, the journey to and through the cave from the Preserve Entrance is the real test! There are strict rules when accessing this sacred site ... no cameras, packs, or carrying anything but a water bottle (which gets stowed before you enter the cave). You must wear closed-toe shoes, and either wear socks or bring a pair with you (your guide will carry them) for use in the most delicate part of the cave. Because of the camera prohibition, all the photos below are from internet sources.

The journey began with a 45-minute hike through the jungle (where Scott saw our first and only snake of the trip), which included three river crossings (one was waist-deep for most of us...and neck deep for Becky). During rainy season, these crossings can be much deeper, with life jackets and swimming required. There are ropes at the crossings, which help with balance on the slippery rocks. After the third crossing, we reached a staging area where we stowed our water bottles and had one last chance for a bathroom stop. Then, just around the corner, we climbed down some boulder steps and reached the cave entrance.

No matter if you visit in the rainy or dry season, everyone must swim across the 40-50 foot deep pool at the cave entrance. This definitely sets the mood for the epic adventure ahead! Access to the sacred Maya sites within the cave involves hiking, wading, rock scrambling and swimming, with nearly a mile underground. One particularly challenging scramble involved free climbing up a 15 foot formation, assisted by fellow adventurers, guides and ropes attached to anchor points. The reward for achieving that feat was to reach the most culturally rich areas of the cave. Once we were safely back from the ledge, we removed and stowed our shoes, and proceeded on in only our socks.

Beyond its historical importance, the ATM Cave offers breathtaking natural beauty. Awe-inspiring rock formations, including crystalline stalactites and stalagmites, surrounded us throughout the journey, but they got more and more impressive the deeper we went. The vast Cathedral-like chamber within the cave was as magnificent as the grand cathedrals we've toured in Europe.

Scattered among the natural treasures were remnants that reminded us that the paths we were traveling once served important ceremonial and sacrificial purposes for the ancient Mayans. We saw many examples of pottery shards, but were especially impressed at the number and size of the many intact bowls throughout the cave. The only damage they seem to have suffered through the centuries occurred at the time of the rituals, when “kill holes” were punctured in the bowls as a way to allow spirits to escape. Some of these relics were found across the cave on alter-like ledges, and others laid just inches away from the narrow paths we walked. As a living cave, with flowing water, undiscovered artifacts are often exposed when the floods of the rainy season erode the soils that covered the relics for centuries.

Photo credit: Highpointtravel.bz

Among the pottery and other relics, we soon began to see human remains. The first skull we saw was less than two feet from the path we were walking on. A large hole in the top of the skull led us to believe this may have been someone who was bludgeoned during a sacrifice. Sadly, the skull was damaged by a tourist who dropped their cell phone on it while trying to get a photo. And thus, the implementation of rules to prevent carrying phones or anything else into the cave. That story, and the close proximity we had to these ancient treasures, made us all wonder just how long they would be able to keep this cave open to the public in this way.

The final chamber we visited was the resting place of the “crystal maiden,” a complete skeleton that sparkles from eons of crystal calcification. Though named a maiden, there remains debate among archeologists what the actual gender of this person was. There is an additional full skeletal remain in this same chamber, but it lies as a pile of bones in a small indention of the cave floor...apparently settling there after being swept down by flowing waters.

Photo credit: Viator.com 

A journey to the underworld should never be easy, and the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave provided us not only a physical challenge but a spiritual journey. Travelers to Belize should not miss the opportunity to visit this sacred site. That said, you don't have to be in peak physical condition, but the challenge shouldn't be taken lightly. An older gentleman who was in our group likely would not have made it (or would have been hurt) had we not provided a lot of assistance. There are also age/height restrictions for younger children.

Tip from locals - Try to get on one of the first tours in the morning. Even with strict limits on the number of people allowed in the cave on a daily basis, there tend to be "cave jams" that come later in the day.