One of the most mysterious and least explored places on Planet Earth, the vast rainforest in Belize is home to an astounding variety of beautiful flowers, colorful birds, and exotic wildlife.
Here are some fun facts about Belize’s rainforest:
It’s Huge!
More than half of mainland Belize is covered in rainforest. A rainforest is like a regular forest except that it gets lots and lots of rain (as you’d expect), meaning that plants and animals really love it. There are hundreds of different kinds of trees in the rainforest but also fragile, beautiful flowers like orchids. Did you know that the Black Orchid is the national flower of Belize?
The rainforest is also home to colorful parrots, huge macaws, black howler monkeys (which love to sit in the tree tops and howl!) and also mysterious creatures like tapirs and even jaguars. Most of the animals in the rainforest are hard to see in the daytime though as they only come out at nighttime.
Mountains, Caves, and Waterfalls
The Belize rainforest is everywhere you go in the country, including lush valleys, steep mountain sides, and all kinds of other terrains. The Belize rainforest is also where you’ll find thousands of caves, including some that were used by the ancient Maya people to perform some of their most important religious ceremonies.
Other amazing things you can find in the Belize rainforest include deep blue swimming holes, perfect for a refreshing swim on a hot day, and giant waterfalls. In fact, the waterfalls in Belize are the biggest in all of Central America. Wow!
Lost Mayan Cities
If you’ve ever imagined trekking for miles through dense vegetation in order to find a lost city built by an ancient civilization, that’s exactly what you’ll find in Belize. The ancient Maya people built enormous pyramids, vast palaces, and strange carved stones called stelae right in the middle of the Belize rainforest. Nobody is quite sure why, but most of these cities were abandoned over 1,000 years ago and were only rediscovered recently.
But there are some cities which have yet to be found. Satellite images have revealed the outlines of lost cities just waiting for the right adventurer to discover them!
Caves Branch Jungle Lodge specializes in creating fun adventures for the whole family to see and experience all the best that the rainforest in Belize has to offer. Contact us today and learn more about our Belize rainforest and jungle tours!