Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Shards of coloured pottery scattered all around indicate the various periods of
occupation.
Chert flakes
- by-products of the manufacture of stone implements - are
visible in huge quantities along the Chikin Trail. The more strenuous Community
Creek Trail holds structural remains and evidence of land use allowing you to piece
together a historical narrative. For a longer hike, the 1.5-mile Chorro Trail brings you
to a delicate waterfall, though the prehistoric Chorro settlement (inhabited from the
Classic period) is currently inaccessible.
Chial Road and the Macal River
he unpaved
Chial Road
, signposted south from the George Price Highway five miles
out of San Ignacio, leads to successive isolated
rainforest lodges
, nestling above the
west bank of the
Macal River
. Almost everyone who heads this way is staying at one of
the lodges, but a couple of them hold attractions that are open to non-guests, and are
well worth seeing.
he Lodge at Chaa Creek
is home to the
Chaa Creek Natural History
Centre
and the
Rainforest Medicine Trail
, while
duPlooy's
is the site of the impressive
Belize Botanic Gardens
.
In its upper reaches, swollen by tributary streams that flow down from the Mountain
Pine Ridge and the Chiquibul Forest, the Macal River can be fast and deep enough for
whitewater kayaking
; contact activity operators in San Ignacio for details (see p.140).
As it approaches San Ignacio, the Macal generally becomes much more tranquil, and
makes a popular destination for
half-day canoe trips
. In theory, you could make your
way to the various lodges by heading upstream along the river from San Ignacio. It's
much easier to float downstream than to paddle against the current, however, so it
makes sense to rent a canoe at one of the lodges, and then have it picked up in San
Ignacio. To be sure of seeing wildlife, it's well worth employing the services of a guide.
4
Chaa Creek Natural History Centre
Lodge at Chaa Creek, Chial Rd •
Daily 8am-4pm • US$5, free to Lodge guests •
T
824 2037,
W
chaacreek.com
Perched atop a hill in the grounds of
he Lodge at Chaa Creek
, the
Chaa Creek Natural
History Centre
is an interesting little museum devoted to the history, geography and
wildlife of Cayo. Photographs and display panels, accompanied by preserved specimens
including the extraordinary “peanut head bug”, detail conservation efforts devoted to
preserving the region's flora and fauna. A separate room explores Maya culture both
past and present, with archeological finds complemented by a mock-up of a
contemporary Maya village home.
In theory, guided tours start every hour, on the hour, but if you arrive on your own
someone is normally available to show you around. Once you've seen the centre itself,
you'll be led to the adjoining
Blue Morpho Butterfly Breeding Centre
, where you can
walk among enormous, magnificent Blue Morpho butterflies, and even watch them
emerge from chrysalises most mornings.
Rainforest Medicine Trail
The Lodge at Chaa Creek, Chial Rd •
Daily 8am-5pm • US$5 self-guided, US$10 guided, free to Lodge guests •
T
824 2037,
W
chaacreek.com
Created in honour of Don Elijio Panti, the Maya healer who died in 1996 (see p.130),
Chaa Creek
's
Rainforest Medicine Trail
sets off from the resort restaurant to wind through
the forest above the riverbank. Maya medical knowledge was extensive, and signs along the
trail identify about a hundred species of healing plants, many now used in modern
medicine. It's a fascinating journey, pointing out vines that provide fresh water like a tap;
poisonwood, with oozing black sap; its antidote, the peeling bark of the gumbo limbo tree,
always growing nearby; and the bark of the negrito
tree, once sold in Europe for its weight
in gold as a cure for dysentery. You'll also see herbal teas and blood tonic; the
gift shop
sells
all, including Traveller's Tonic, to prevent diarrhoea, and Jungle Salve, for insect bites.
