Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Belize Botanic Gardens
duPlooy's Jungle Lodge Resort, Chial Rd, just beyond Chaa Creek • Daily 7am-5pm, last guided tour 3pm, last self-guided tour 4pm •
Bz$15 self-guided, Bz$30 guided •
T
824 3101,
W
belizebotanic.org
Reached either by road or river, the
Belize Botanic Gardens
at
duPlooy's
is a remarkable
project established in 1997 on fifty acres of former farmland and forest. The garden is
the brainchild of
duPlooy's
owners, avid plant-lovers Ken and Judy duPlooy. Ken, who
died in 2001, was held in such high esteem that a new species of orchid was named after
him -
Pleurothallis duplooyii
, a tiny, purple variety. Daughter Heather now manages the
gardens, which hold four hundred tree species, a nursery with a thousand seedlings and
miles of interpretive
trails
. A first-class educational and study resource, they conserve
many of Belize's native plant species within small reproductions of natural habitats. You
approach the gardens through an avenue of fruit-bearing trees, which attract wild
birds
,
and you can either explore on your own or follow expert naturalist guides. A fire tower
offers breathtaking views of the surrounding hills, and bird hides on the two ponds
allow you to spy on least grebes, black-bellied whistling-ducks and northern jacanas. The
magnificent
orchid house
, with over one hundred species, is the best in Central America.
San José Succotz
The village of
SAN JOSÉ SUCCOTZ
lies beside the Mopan River seven miles southwest of
San Ignacio, just east of Benque Viejo. A traditional place, it's inhabited largely by Mopan
Maya, who throw a fiesta here on the weekend after Holy Saturday (Easter). Under
colonial administration, the Maya of Succotz cooperated with the British, a stance that
angered other groups such as the Icaiché, who burned the village to the ground in 1867.
People here identify strongly with their culture, and local men work as caretakers at Maya
sites throughout Belize. Outside fiesta times, it's a sleepy spot; the main reason to come is
to visit the Classic-period site of
Xunantunich
, up the hill across the river.
4
Tropical Wings Nature Center
Trek Stop, San José Succotz, Mile 70, George Price Hwy
• Daily 9am-5pm • Bz$6, including guided tour •
T
823 2265,
W
thetrekstop
.com/tropical-wings
he
Tropical Wings Nature Center
, 500 yards east of San José Succotz at
Trek Stop
(see p.150), is a delicate, enchanting world full of tropical colour. Native plants arch
upwards, pressing against the netting on the roof, and about two dozen species of
butterfly breed here, laying their eggs on the leaves. Outside you can see caterpillars in
all stages of development, while inside you'll find child-friendly exhibits on biodiversity
and Maya ethno-botany.
Xunantunich
7 miles southwest of San Ignacio, via San José Succotz •
Site
Daily 8am-4pm • Bz$10 •
Cable ferry
Daily 8am-3.30pm • Free • Buses
between San Ignacio and Benque Viejo stop at the ferry
The remarkable ancient Maya site of
Xunantunich
(pronounced “Shun-an-tun-eech”)
THE STORY OF XUNANTUNICH
Although it makes a breathtaking spectacle for modern visitors, by Maya standards
Xunantunich was a relatively minor and short-lived city, where everything now visible dates
from between 600 and 950 AD
.
The site's modern name means “the stone maiden” in Mopan
Maya, but a chunk of stone frieze has revealed its original appellation:
Kat Witz
, or “clay
mountain”. It was first explored during the 1890s by Dr Thomas Gann, a British medical o
cer;
in 1904, Teobalt Maler of Harvard's Peabody Museum took photographs and drew up a plan.
Gann returned in 1924 and unearthed (looted, in modern terminology) numerous artefacts,
including the carved glyphs of Altar 1, whose whereabouts are unknown.
