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ATM Caves From placencia

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Overview

Available languages

English
French

9 hours

Mobile ticket

ATM is the crown jewel of all of Belize’s archaeological treasure. This is one of the most unforgettable and adventurous underground tours you can make in Belize. The guided trip into ATM takes you deep into the underworld that the ancient Maya knew as Xibalba.

We’ll start with a 2 hours drive to the village of Teakettle. From there, we’ll turn off into the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve and pass through mahogany groves and orchards.

The tour requires climbing and swimming as well as crawling through small spaces. The cave is extensively decorated with cave formations in the upper passages, dry chambers which lead to the cathedral-like main hall, a towering chamber 350 meters in length and 50 meters wide and filled with artifacts and sacrificial remains. Visitors remove shoes and explore the cave in socks only, to protect the artifacts on the cave floor. After this, another climb takes you to the stone sepulchre (after which the cave is named) where the Crystal Maiden lies.

Additional Info

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Specialized infant seats are available

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

not recommended for kids under 7

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

Lunch

Air-conditioned vehicle

Helmets, Headlights, Life Jackets

Parking Fees

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Maya Beach Hotel

Placencia Road, Mile 15 Maya Beach Belize

Umaya Resort & Adventures

Placencia Rd, Maya Beach Maya Beach Belize

Mariposa Belize Beach Resort

Main Road, 200 Meters South Placincia Airstrip Placencia Peninsula Belize

Laru Beya Resort & Villas

Placencia Road, Placencia Peninsula Belize

Placencia Villas

Across football field, Behind Cha Chi's, Downtown Placencia Peninsula Belize

Maya Beach Hotel

Maya Beach Maya Beach Belize

Casa Placencia Belize

Placencia Road, Placencia Peninsula Belize

The Placencia Resort

Placencia Rd, Mile 13 Placencia Peninsula Belize

What To Expect

1

Atm Cave Belize (actun Tunichil Muknal)

ATM is the crown jewel of all of Belize’s archaeological treasure. This is one of the most unforgettable and adventurous underground tours you can make in Belize. The guided trip into ATM takes you deep into the underworld that the ancient Maya knew as Xibalba. We’ll start with a 2 hours drive to the village of Teakettle. From there, we’ll turn off into the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve and pass through mahogany groves and orchards. The tour requires climbing and swimming as well as crawling through small spaces. The cave is extensively decorated with cave formations in the upper passages, dry chambers which lead to the cathedral-like main hall, a towering chamber 350 meters in length and 50 meters wide and filled with artifacts and sacrificial remains. Visitors remove shoes and explore the cave in socks only, to protect the artifacts on the cave floor. After this, another climb takes you to the stone sepulchre (after which the cave is named) where the Crystal Maiden lies. This is an extraordinary Belize adventure and a rare opportunity to see ancient Maya ceremonial sites and altars as they were and virtually untouched for centuries. A visit to this site is truly profound and unforgettable.

3 hours • Admission Included

Options

ATM Caves From placencia

Pickup included

Reviews

5.00

15 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

15
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  • Great tour to the ATM cave from Placencia

    Wander34886389901,

    Jul 8, 2025

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    What a great tour! My son and I were grateful that Kylen (sp?) picked us up at our hotel and drove us 2 hours in a private car to meet the tour bus near the park where the cave was located. He was very informative about Belize and the ride was very interesting and scenic. The ATM cave was really interesting and fun, we enjoyed climbing and swimming through the cave. Our cave guide Briten (again sp?) was really enthusiastic and informative and made the adventure much easier, as he knew the caves and Mayan history inside and out. My son enjoys climbing for sport, so our guide added some additional challenges for his enjoyment. Seeing the artifacts and skeletons was a real educational lesson in Mayan history and culture. Part of the cave is done in only socks, a bit rough on the feet. This is not a tour for anyone who is claustrophobic. Overall it was a really enjoyable tour and I can't give our guides a higher recommendation!

  • Wow is an understatement.

    Summerasalifestyle,

    Jan 13, 2024

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    Officially, cameras are not allowed. Kinda a bummer but saves it from the crazies on TikTok-instagram. Amazing experience. Relatively easy walk from parking are to cave entrance. Moderate activity while in the cave. Amazing, awesome, ya gotta experience this.

  • Unique and pricey cave experience

    cargoflyer,

    Oct 2, 2023

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    Unique opportunity to have an adventurous guided cave tour with Mayan ceremonial ceramics and human remains. You will get wet several times, so bring dry clothes to change when finished. Lots of unstable footing, and tight spaces. We saw small fish and bats.

    cargoflyer's photo 1
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  • Challenging & Amazing!

    wilsonmarcom,

    Apr 21, 2023

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    Loved it! Francisco was amazing! A wealth of knowledge & kept it fun. This kind of tour you would never get in the U.S.

  • Exhilarating, thrilling and fun!!

    Randall S,

    Nov 13, 2022

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    An incredible experience. Everyone said it was their favorite tour so far. Fascinating and unlike anything else. We did this on Halloween....descending into the Mayan underworld. Xilbaba, "Place of Fear", it was fantastic. So amazing to see and experience a place that is a living history museum/sacred site. Do hesitate to do this. We want to go back!

  • ATM and xunantunich

    horseneck1980,

    Mar 23, 2022

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    This was such an amazing tour. Francisco was absolutely incredible as was Hakeem. You could just tell how truly passionate Francisco was about the Mayan culture. We were all blown away by his extensive knowledge and great sense of humor. It was an amazing day. Thanks again!

  • Totally worth the 12 hour day

    279elisap,

    Mar 20, 2022

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    Pickup was at 6:30. We had a decent drive (about 2 hours), before we met with our tour guide, Francisco. Francisco very clearly wanted everyone in the group to have a great time. He had so much to say the entire time. We learned about different bugs and plants that could be found in the region. He made a point to explain how archaeologists came up with population approximations for the amount of Mayan people in the area, and what the area might have looked like during the peak of their civilization. There was no such thing as a stupid or small question, and Francisco was very up front when the answers he provided were limited and explained why he couldn't give definitive answers. He joked with us and made a point to make everyone feel like he was happy we were there with him. He also took care to ensure we had plenty of time to see everything the cave had to offer us, and that we weren't crowded by other tourists. The homemade food he gave us for lunch was seriously some of the best locally made food I had. The caves themselves are amazing because of their historical and cultural significance, but our tour guide is really what made it memorable for us. As for the cave system and the small hike to it, I was pleasantly surprised to find the walk flat, easy, and not very buggy. I was glad to be warned about the river crossings, especially once I saw how high the water can get. There were spots on the hike and in the caves where swimming was pretty much the best option for getting from point A to point B, The only thing I wish I had for this trip was a bag of towels and spare clothes, as there isn't anywhere nearby to get these things after you've done all that swimming. The wet clothes made for a long, cold ride back, but that was my only complaint about this amazing tour. We got dropped off to our hotel around 6 that night, so plan for this being an all day trek.

  • Incredible experience

    lenmcgee,

    Nov 13, 2021

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    We were prohibited taking photos today on our jaunt to the Mayan underworld at Actun Tunichil Muknal, or the “Cave of the Stone Sepulchre”. About a 2 1/2 hour van ride into the interior of Belize, almost to the Guatemalan border. The Mayans took sacrificial humans into the cave to ask the gods to help them win wars, get rain, help their crops, defeat trump and Fascists, whatever. You hike 45 minutes, crossing a river three times (once requiring swimming while hanging onto a rope strung across the river); then swim across a pool 50 feet across to enter the cave; then hike in running water from an underground stream (at times up to your chest) 550 meters, scrambling on and over rock, including climbing a rock wall (no kidding) 30 feet high with water running down it in only your stocking feet (because you are entering sacred territory). A tad slippery. Don’t look down. At times you had to scrunch down (again in water) through a rock tunnel 5-10 feet long, no wider than the width of your chest to your back. This is all in absolute pitch black, lit only by lights on your hard hat. Amazing stalagmites and stalactites throughout the cave. After about 400 meters, you start seeing broken clay jars that are 1100+ years old. Some are almost intact, but with pieces broken off. The Mayans took food and drink into the cave and, when finished using the pots, broke them or disfigured them because (once used) they were no longer “virginal”. A few meters further are the first skeletal remains of the sacrifice victims. You see skulls with evidence of having the skull stove in at the sacrifice. You see remains of infants, children, men and women. 16 skeletal remains have been found in the cave, with a full skeleton of a 16-20 year old female at the end. Then you retrace your steps, down the 30 foot rock wall this time, back through the tunnels, back across the pools and hiking back across rivers another 45 minutes. About four hours in the cave. Absolutely mind boggling and very physically exhausting.

  • A truly wild experience to remember for posterity

    amachethetraveler,

    Nov 6, 2021

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    What can I say about the Truly Wild crew. They were professional, super helpful, patient and great fun to hang out with. We did ATM Caves, Xunantunich, Cave Tubing, and Snorkeling. And at every activity site, we had nothing but top notch service and support. Its hard to select one favorite activity as they were all so well done and managed. I think the ATM was definitely one of the high points for me and the family. Jason and his team is truly wild - wildly amazing and just good people. We will definitely be back!

    amachethetraveler's photo 1
  • ATM cave absolutely stunning

    384roslynp,

    Oct 24, 2021

    - Review from Tripadvisor

    5.00

    ATM cave was absolutely stunning! We also did the cave tubing and Mayan ruins and had a blast. Our guides were so fun to talk to. We learned so much about Belize culture and history.

    384roslynp's photo 1
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From US$245.00

5.00
15 reviews
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