Any green traveller considering visiting South America should make a note of Belize. The country has numerous national parks worth seeing and enjoying with Chiquibul being the grandest of all.
Sitting on the west of Belize along the border with Guatemala this national park encompasses the Mayan mountains and circles the Mayan city of Caracol.
Chiquibul National Park isn’t the most accessible park in the world and can take some reaching. Therefore, ecotourists planning a visit to the park should consider the option of a tour. There are many tours available and you get the added advantage of contributing to the economy, whilst a local imparts his expert knowledge to you. Moreover, at over 1000 square km, without a guide it would be easy to get lost.
Whilst there are many reasons for visiting the Chiquibul National Park one of the highlights must be the bird life. The Keel-billed Motmot and Scarlet Macaw can both be found be found in reasonable numbers. It is understood that Belize has the highest amount of the Keel-billed Motmot on the continent, so this is definitely the place to see them.
Another reason to visit is the ancient Mayan city of Caracol. This city which is surrounded by the national park is now an archaeological reserve and not easy to get to. However, many of the tours on offer will include Caracol due to its popularity.
Belize takes its responsibilities to the environment very seriously. One of the reasons for the countries popularity is that over time, the government has worked to improve and protect the parks so that both the population and visitors can enjoy them the way they were meant to be seen. The Chiquibul National Park is a great example of this work.