Nohoch Che'en Caves Branch

The Caves Branch river runs underground through a series of limestone chambers here, and floating through them on an inflated inner tube has become the country's signature soft-adventure trip: a walk in through forest carrying the tube, then a drift of forty minutes or so through dark chambers with headlamps, past formations and Maya pottery fragments left in the caves. It is the main cruise-ship excursion and can be very busy.

What you actually see

• The river caves - limestone chambers the river runs through, floated in sequence.
• The formations - stalactites and flowstone overhead through the passages.
• The Maya remains - pottery and evidence of ritual use in the chambers.
• The forest walk in - the approach through jungle carrying the tubes.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the standard operating window. High water after rain closes the caves entirely, sometimes for days. Cruise ship days bring the largest crowds.

Honest expectations

Cruise days can put hundreds of people on the river at once and the experience suffers badly. High water closes the site with no notice and operators do not always warn in advance. Guides are compulsory and going in independently is prohibited.

Nearby

Belmopan is west, and the Belize Zoo is east along the highway.