5 Facts About Barton Creek Cave in Belize

Barton Creek Cave  forms part of a large riverine system, which is easily accessed and the least difficult of all caves, since it allows its visitors to wonder the Mayan Underworld on a canoe.

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Read below five of the most interesting facts that makes Barton Creek a unique cave tour.

  1. Barton Creek Cave is the longest subterranean site in Belize. The natural process of the cave allows visitors to go in for about one kilometer only.

  2. The ceramic remains suggest that the Maya were using the cave from Early classic to Late Classic Period.

ceramics found in the underworld caves

ceramics found in the underworld caves

3. The Osteological analysis of the human remains found, revealed that at least 28 individuals were buried inside Barton Creek Cave including kids.

4. Fire hearths with little evidence of cooking were found inside the cave, which suggests that the main functions of the hearths were for providing light/burning of copal incense for ceremonial purposes. Only royalty, such priests and the sacrificial virgins, were allowed inside the cave.

5. Some areas in the cave appear to have been purposely modified by the Maya to improve access to other locations within the cave, that may have been difficult to reach.

After hundreds of years, little was left and archaeologists continue to look at cave materials that can give a clearer depiction of how, why and when the Maya utilized the cave.

Wedding and Honeymoon at Sweet Songs Lodge

Anna and Trevor waited for 3 years to find the time to have their wedding in Belize and we are happy that they chose Sweet Songs Lodge to bring their friends and family for a fun-filled vacation.

The spent time together visiting Maya sites, tubing and canoeing on the Macal River, horseback riding around the property, visiting Barton Creek Cave and enjoying romantic strolls through Belize Botanic Gardens.

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Need Help Planning?

Let us assist you with your plans for a romantic getaway, wedding, honeymoon, elopement, or anything in between. Just contact us to get started!

Group Lodging in Belize

Sweet Songs Lodge has perfect accommodations for big and small groups in Belize, from families, friends, and everyone in between. The La Casona is one of the better jungle lodge options in Belize for larger groups.  

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La Casona is located on 5 acres overlooking the Macal River, less than 5 minutes walking distance from both Sweet Songs Lodge and the  Belize Botanic Gardens. This spacious house can accommodate up to 16 people with plenty of space to work, socialize and just chill.

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Upstairs / 3 Bedrooms

  • 1 Room with 3 Singles
  • 2 Rooms with 2 Queens each
  • 3 Baths
  • 2 Lounge Areas, Porch, Deck, Dining Room & Kitchen

Downstairs / 3 Bedrooms

  • 1 Room with 2 Singles
  • 1 Room with Queen & Single
  • 1 Room with Queen
  • 1 Bath
  • 1 Lounge Area
  • 1 Large Game Room with large table, extra chairs, and bar stools; fold-up ping pong table, foosball, and assorted board games.
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The Game Room easily converts for use as a classroom with enough seating to accommodate up to 20 persons. For more lodging options at Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge, visit our Accommodations page. 

Ziplining in Belize

Many of the visitors to Sweet Songs Lodge try zip-lining and cave tubing adventures.  Our favorite place for zip-lining is Calico Jack’s.  It’s also the closest one to Sweet Songs and can be combined with one of these other activities –  canoeing through Barton Creek Cave, Xunantunch or Cahal Pech Maya site, a swim in Big Rock Falls, Green Hills Butterfly Ranch, a Chocolate making demonstration, or a stop at the Green Iguana project.

To combine a Cave Tubing adventure with  ziplining in Belize, Cave’s Branch is the place to go because both are right there. A half hour’s hike through the forest with your guide takes you to the cave entrance to start your float downstream. This cave is more like a tunnel as you can see the light at the end.

We've been out cave tubing frequently, the water was always just right – not too shallow and not too fast.  As we drifted leisurely downstream, we recovered slowly from the adrenaline rush of  the ziplining experience. This varies a bit depending on the weather so sometimes the ride is fast and exciting and at other times slow and quiet, giving you time to enjoy gazing at the cave walls with their many stalagmite and stalactites.

If you have a waterproof housing for your camera, this is a great place for photos.

For more information about our tours and excursions, visit our Activities page.

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Escape to Belize for a Jungle Adventure!

Zip Lining

If  you’ve never experienced the thrill of a Zip-lining Adventure, you have two options in the Cayo District, either of which you can combine with other same-day activities at Sweet Songs Lodge.  This is one of the Belize Adventure Tours that can be enjoyed by the entire family

At Caves Branch, you can Zip-line first and then take a hike.  Walk through the forest for about a half hour, toting your inner tube in hand. Now hop on your tube and float down the Cave’s Branch River.  Make sure you’re tall enough – 4 ft.  If you’re not there is still a tubing opportunity on the Macal River at Sweet Songs Lodge.  

At Barton Creek, you can canoe through the cave and afterward head on out to Calico Jack’s for Zip-lining.  After a picnic lunch, you have the option to visit Green Hills Butterfly Ranch or swim in the cascades of Big Rock Falls in the Mountain Pine Ridge. 

This is one of the many Belize Adventure Tours offered by Sweet Songs Lodge.  If you are using our “Create Your Own Vacation” Package, you get to choose from a full day tour or one of our combination Tours each of your non-transfer days.

 

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Cave Canoeing at Barton Creek

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Green Hills Butterfly Ranch

Home to countless numbers of Belize’s butterflies and a look into the life cycle of butterflies, Green Hills Butterfly Ranch is right on the way and well worth the price of admission.

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Big Rock Falls

Imagine sliding down cascading rocks, standing under a tropical waterfall and cooling off in a cool rocky pool.  A perfect spot to end your Belizean adventure day!

For info on the best jungle tours in Belize, go to our Activities page. 

Getting to Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge

Tropic Air flies several times a day to nearby Maya Flats airstrip from all points in Belize, including the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City. It saves a lot of time to fly,  particularly if you are staying at Sweet Songs Lodge; we are only 3 miles away.

If you have the time, we suggest you travel by road at least one way so that you can see where you are going; you will also have the opportunity to stop at the Belize Zoo on the way to or from Sweet Songs by road. We also offer van transportation to and from the resort included in our All-Inclusive Packages

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Birding in Belize

Visiting Birds arrive year round in Belize (most prominently in the fall) and Birding in Belize offers chances to see a diverse array of species.  Come join us at Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge for a crash course in bird and plant ID, check out our speciality Birding Package, or even just spend your time with one of our expert bird guides who will help you find the birds you are looking for on your list.

There’s no better place for Birding in Belize than Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge!

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Kinkajous on Deck!

They visit our deck almost every night for a banana snack .  Guests have great time feeding the family, and we do try to limit the food we give them so that they will not become dependent on our feeding them but sometimes we just can’t resist and apparently neither can our guests.

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They are nocturnal animals with sensitive eyes to bright lights and for this reason  we encourage visitors to turn the flash off on their cameras before photographing or to step back a few more feet, so the flash is not so intense on their eyes.

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All this and more takes place most nights at our jungle restaurant. Learn more about our dining options and all-inclusive package here