Belize Snapshot: Barton Creek Cave

Barton Creek Cave – Cayo, Belize

Barton Creek is one of the caves you should check out while in Cayo, Belize; located deep in the lands occupied by the Mennonites.  Barton Creek is a wet cave that is best explored by canoe.  The entrance, which is barely wide enough for a single canoe, gives passage to the Maya underground world of Xibalba.  Inside, you can paddle for one mile, observing the different rock formations and archaeological artifacts.

Barton Creek was previously used by the Mayas for ceremonies and religious rituals.  Today, while paddling through the still waters inside the cave, you can see remnants of the offerings left by the Mayas, as well as human remnants – like skulls. The pottery shards found inside the cave date tells us that the Mayas used this cave from the Early Classic (200 to 600 AD) to the Late Classic (600 to 900 AD) periods.

While the cave has an eerie feeling – with its dark, sharp edged wet walls and the dripping sound that echoes through the whole chamber – it is fascinating to see the chambers “skyscraping” hundreds of feet from the water, in addition to the history that is hidden between the ledges.