Punta Gorda

Six hundred square kilometres of the bay and coast north of Punta Gorda are now protected as the Port Honduras Marine Reserve, partly to safeguard the many manatees living and breeding there. The main reef has started to break up here, leaving several clusters of islands, each surrounded by a small independent reef. Hundreds of these tiny islands lie in the mouth of a large bay, whose shoreline is a maze of mangrove swamps.

North of Punta Gorda are the Snake Cayes, idyllic and uninhabited Caribbean islands that draw a small number of visitors for their stunning beaches. Further out in the Gulf of Honduras are the Sapodilla Cayes, now a marine reserve (Bz$20 entrance fee), of which the largest caye, Hunting Caye, is frequented by Guatemalan as well as Belizean day-trippers; though most visitors simply choose to relax on the beach, the reef, located only a few hundred metres offshore, provides excellent opportunities for snorkellers.

Some of these islands already have accommodation, and more resorts are planned, though at present the cayes and reserve receive relatively few foreign visitors and are fascinating to explore on a day-trip from Punta Gorda.

Perched on a small hilltop, the Mopan Maya village of San Antonio is one of the only towns served by daily buses from Punta Gorda (usually Mon–Sat only). The founders of San Antonio came from the village of San Luis, just across the border in Guatemala, and they maintain many age-old traditions, including their patron saint, San Luis Rey, whose beautiful church stands in the centre of the village.

The area around San Antonio is rich in wildlife, dominated by jungle-clad hills and swift-flowing rivers. Though most visitors come to town to relax and to learn about Maya village life, this stunning region also provides excellent hiking opportunities. In town, Bol’s Hilltop Hotel offers basic rooms with shared bath and superb views, and is a good place to get information on local natural history and archeology.

Four kilometres east of San Antonio and down a side road heading southwest, the village of Blue Creek‘s main attraction is a beautiful stretch of water running through magnificent rainforest. To get to the best swimming spot, a lovely turquoise pool, walk ten minutes upriver along the right-hand bank. Near the pool is Blue Creek Rainforest Lodge (t 523-7076, w www.ize2belize.com; US$45), which has bunk-bed accommodation in wooden cabins with porches overlooking the creek. The price includes three daily meals and a range of outdoor activities is available at reasonable prices. Alternatively, you could try to rent a room in the village. The creek’s source, Hokeb Ha cave, is another fifteen minutes’ walk upriver through the privately owned Blue Creek Rainforest Reserve. A guide can take you to Maya altars deep in the cave. To get to Blue Creek, take the village bus from Punta Gorda to San Benito Poite.

Some 7km west of San Antonio, towards the village of Santa Cruz, which is served by four weekly buses, the ruins of Uxbenka, a small Maya site, are superbly positioned on an exposed hilltop with great views towards the coast. As you climb the hill before the village you’ll be able to make out the shape of two tree-covered mounds and a plaza, and there are several stelae protected by thatched shelters.

If you do make it out here you can enjoy some wonderful waterfalls within easy reach of the road. Between Santa Cruz and Santa Elena, the Rio Blanco Falls tumble over a rocky ledge into a deep pool, and at Pueblo Viejo, 7km further on, an impressive series of cascades provides a spectacular sight. Trucks and buses continue 13km further west to Jalacte, at the Guatemalan border, used regularly as a crossing point by nationals of both countries, though it’s not currently a legal entry or exit point for tourists.

The Maya site of Lubaantun (daily 8am–5pm; Bz$10) is an easy visit from Punta Gorda via the bus to San Pedro Columbia. To get to the ruins, head through the village and cross the Columbia River; just beyond you’ll see the track to the ruins, a few hundred metres away on the left. Some of the finds made at the site are displayed in glass cases at the visitors’ centre, including astonishing, eccentric flints and ceramics.

Lubaantun (“Place of the Fallen Stones”) was a major Late Classic Maya centre, though it was occupied only briefly, likely from around 750 to 890 AD. The ruins stand on a series of ridges which Maya architects shaped and filled, building retaining walls up to 10m high. The whole site is essentially a single acropolis, with five main plazas, eleven major structures, three ball courts and some impressive pyramids surrounded by forest.

Lubaantun’s most enigmatic discovery came in 1926, when the famous Crystal Skull was found beneath an altar by Anna Mitchell-Hedges, the daughter of the British Museum expedition’s leader. The skull was given to the local Maya, who in turn presented it to Anna’s father as a token of their gratitude for the help he had given them. Carved from pure rock crystal, the skull’s origin and age remain unclear, though much contested.