Actun Tunichil Muknal, Belize (ATM Cave Belize)
#1 by National Geographic

Are you planning a trip to Central America? Then the ATM Cave Belize is your next stop! The ATM Cave Belize is a beautiful part of Belizean History that will be one of your most adventurous experiences!

Actun Tunichil Muknal (Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre) is a cave in Belize, near San Ignacio, Cayo District. I is notable as a Maya archaeological site that includes skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware. There are several areas of skeletal remains in the main chamber. The best known is “The Crystal Maiden.” This is the skeleton of a teenage girl, possibly a sacrifice victim, whose bones have been calcified to a sparkling, crystallized appearance.

Many of the Maya artifacts and remains are completely calcified to the cave floor. One artifact, named the “Monkey Pot”, is one of just four of its type found in Central America. The cave is extensively decorated with cave formations in the upper passages.

Animal life in the cave includes a large population of bats, large freshwater crabs, crayfish, catfish and other tropical fish. Agouti and otters may also use the cave. These and many other species are quite common in river caves of this size in Belize.

National Geographic names the ATM Cave Belize the #1 Sacred Cave in the world and says “After visiting the ATM Cave Belize you may feel that you have been through your own epic test. A tour to this site involves hiking, wading, and underwater swimming, but nearly a mile (1.6 kilometers) underground you will reach the resting place of the “crystal maiden,” a complete female skeleton that sparkles from eons of crystal calcification.”

Add the ATM Cave Belize to your Bucket List! It is an experience you will never forget!

Source: Wikipedia / “Actun Tunichil Muknal“. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.