More Attractions

Laguna Aguacate and Spanish Lookout

Drive Time 1 hour
Departure: 7:30 am

Located within the Mennonite community of Spanish Lookout, Laguna Aguacate is a great birdwatchers' destination. Howler monkeys, tapir and crocs (American Crocodile to be precise) can be sighted here as well. Once at the Laguna you will check out the main lagoon, and take trails around the site, maybe to one of the unexcavated ruins. You can peek into Turtle Pond and Crocodile Pond to see what's lurking. There are lots of birding spots along the way as well as a place to buy ice cream for the return journey. For reasons unknown to God or man some people may suggest that you leave at 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning but top guides have confirmed that you see no more birds or wildlife so pay no attention to anyone making this outlandish suggestion!

Mountain Pine Ridge

Drive time: 1 - 1½ hours from across the river
Departure: 7:30 - 8:00 am

What's great about the Pine Ridge is that there is a lot to do in this area. There are some great water options here. The main sites in the area are: Big Rock Falls - involves a steep hike down but you can swim right up to the foot of the waterfall and around the cascading pools above and below. Rio On Pools - cascading pools with a great lookout point and picnic spot. This is an easier walk than Big Rock Falls. Great swimming spot. Rio Frio Cave - the best cave for claustrophobics, as you don't need a light and there is lots of space. It is in a neat spot with some very pretty jungle around. Thousand Foot Falls - this is only a look out point that entails lots of extra bumpy driving so unless you are a birder I would say give it a miss. Birders: this is the best site for Orange-breasted Falcon. Returning from these sights are Green Hills Butterfly Ranch, Slate Carvers and Barton Creek Cave if you are looking for combinations. Read up elsewhere in activities section.

Blue Morpho Butterfly Farm &
Natural History Centre

Departure: anytime between 8:00 and 3:00
Drive time: 10 minutes

Right next-door (two miles away) Chaa Creek has a natural history museum to teach you about geology, nature, archaeology and the history of Belize. This is followed by a tour of their butterfly farm. Although this butterfly farm has only one species it is the spectacular Blue Morpho, a large electric blue butterfly (surprise! it's not really blue! but we'll let them explain this scientific fact). You can canoe (about 30 minutes downstream and 45minutes to an hour back up) or horse ride (about an hour each way) so it is a good destination for either of these activities. Stop here if you are canoeing to San Ignacio.

Green Hills Butterfly Ranch

Departure: anytime between 8:00 and 3:00
Drive time: 20 minutes

Green Hills has a beautiful butterfly display. You can watch the butterflies flit amongst tropical plants in sunken garden with a goldfish pond. This butterfly farm boasts the biggest live butterfly collection in Belize. Along with the butterflies they have a great botanical collection such as the beautiful passionflowers, cycads, heliconia and other plants that feed the butterflies. Combine this tour with Barton Creek or Mountain Pine Ridge.

Belize Zoo

Being about midway between duPlooy's and Belize City, you can always stop at the
Belize Zoo en route to/from duPlooy's if time permits and everyone agrees to make
the stop.

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center was started in 1983 as a last ditch effort to provide a home for a collection of wild animals which had been used in making documentary films about tropical forests. Shortly after the backyard "zoo" began, it was realized that Belizean visitors were unfamiliar with the wildlife which shared their country. This aspect helped develop the little zoo into a dynamic wildlife education center.

Today, the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center is settled upon 29 acres of tropical savanna and exhibits over 125 animals, all native to Belize.