Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Short trails lead through the forest to the riverbank or to
Tiger Fern Falls
, a
picturesque, two-tiered waterfall with a pool at the upper level.
Ben's Bluff Trail
is a
more strenuous 2.5-mile hike to a forested ridge, with a great view of the entire
Cockscomb Basin and a chance to cool off in a rocky pool.
Inner tube and kayak
rental
is available; follow the marked trail upstream and tube down South Stann Creek for a
soothing, tranquil view. If you're prepared, you can climb
Victoria Peak
(see box,
opposite); two miles along the route, a trail leads to Outlier Overlook - a great
challenging day-hike or overnight camp.
ARRIVAL AND TOURS COCKSCOMB BASIN
Almost all visitors to the jaguar reserve arrive on
guided tours
, arranged through their hotels or local operators. It is
possible, however to come here independently, either with your own vehicle or, much more laboriously, using a
combination of buses, taxis and walking.
6
By bus
All buses between Dangriga and Placencia or Punta
Gorda pass through Maya Center. If visiting the reserve, you
need to sign in and pay the entrance fee at the craft centre
at the junction of the road leading up to the Cockscomb.
From the craft centre, you can catch a ride with a taxi or
truck to the reserve headquarters; this usually costs about
Bz$30-40 each way for up to five people.
Tours
Both Cockscomb Maya Tours, based at the Maya
Museum in Maya Center (
T
660 3903,
W
cockscomb
mayatours.com), and
Nu'uk Che'il Cottages
, just up the
access road (
T
533 7043,
W
nuukcheilcottages.com), offer
guided tours or a simple taxi service into the reserve.
ACCOMMODATION
COCKSCOMB BASIN WILDLIFE
SANCTUARY
Reserve headquarters
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife
Sanctuary
E
base@btl.net,
W
belizeaudubon.org.
If
you fancy experiencing Cockscomb at night, the Belize
Audubon Society offers a wide range of accommodation in
the park itself, including private furnished cabins for four or
six people, wooden dorms and camping space close to the
visitor centre; private and shared-bath rooms in a house
that also holds a shared kitchen, at the park entrance 5
miles off the highway; and additional camping at two
designated sites along the trails. There is no resta
urant a
t
the h
eadqua
rters, s
o bring
suppli
es. Cam
ping
US$10
,
dorms
US$20
, cabins
US$55
, rooms
US$82
T
665 1313,
W
nuukcheilcottages.com.
Maya family
compound, 500yd off the highway en route towards the
reserve, where visitors can camp in the garden or sleep
either in spartan rooms with private bath, or a large
wooden cabin that holds shared showers and dorm beds.
The restaurant serves Maya cuisine (Bz$5-15), and the
owner Aurora, who is one of the Garcia sisters from San
Antonio in Cayo, has devel
oped a m
edicina
l plant
trail out
back. Camping
per per
son
US$7.50
, dorms
US$11
, double
or triple rooms
US$33
★
Tutzil Nah Cottages
Maya Center
T
533 7045,
W
mayacenter.com.
Two clean, flower-framed cabins, one
wood and one concrete, housing four rooms with choice of
shared or private bath. Run by the Chun brothers, who also
own a small grocery store at the front an
d offer
excellent
guided
tours of the reserve. Shared-bath
US$20
, private
US$24
MAYA CENTER
Nu'uk Che'il Cottages
Maya Center
T
533 7043 or
The Placencia peninsula
A long, narrow finger of land that hangs down from mainland Belize to shelter the
Placencia Lagoon from the sea, the
Placencia peninsula
has turned during the last few
years from a little-known backwater into the main centre for tourism in southern
Belize. Where once were only tiny, scattered villages is now an all-but-unbroken
fourteen-mile strip of hotels and resorts. If that doesn't sound to your taste, however,
you may be pleasantly surprised. So far at least, the peninsula remains appealingly
low-key and laidback. That may well change if the developers have their way - and
clearly will if the long-promised new international airport ever manages to open - but
for the moment there's still a lot to like about the area. Most of all its
beaches
, or
rather its beach, for the entire eastern seaboard is lined with a continuous strand of
deep, even white sand.
