Mayflower Bocawina

Mayflower Bocawina protects around thirty square kilometres of forest on the eastern slope of the Maya Mountains, with three waterfalls reached by trails of increasing difficulty: Antelope Falls, a steep climb of about an hour to a pool with a view over the coastal plain; Bocawina Falls, longer and easier; and Three Sisters, the furthest. Scattered through the forest are unexcavated Maya mounds, several of them substantial, that give the park its name from the Mayflower site. A zip line circuit and a rappel down one of the falls operate from the park, and the birding along the entrance road is excellent.

What you actually see

• Antelope Falls - a steep hour's climb to a pool with a coastal view.
• Bocawina Falls - longer and gentler, deeper into the forest.
• The Maya mounds - unexcavated structures scattered through the park.
• The rappel - descending one of the falls on a rope.

When to go

December to April is the dry season; falls run all year but the trails are slippery and leech-prone in the wet. Early morning is best for birds along the entrance road. Waterfall rappelling and zip lines run through the day.

Honest expectations

The Antelope Falls trail is steep, rooty and genuinely hard work in the heat, with a rope-assisted section near the top; people underestimate it. The access road is rough. Facilities are basic. The Maya mounds are unexcavated and read as hills unless someone points them out.

Nearby

Hopkins is 40 minutes east; Cockscomb Basin is south along the highway.