Belize & Guatemala Wonders—Rivers, Reefs & Mayan Culture

Start the adventure with a day of play at the beach. Explore Ranguana Caye, a private island of two acres prime for snorkeling, swimming, and paddleboarding. Take a spin around with your water toy of choice or kick back in a hammock under swaying palms and watch the fishermen off shore. Cruise to Laughing Bird Caye National Park named after Belize’s laughing gull. Head out in a kayak or go for a guided snorkel where angelfish, parrotfish, tangs, sea sponges, elkhorn, staghorn and brain coral flicker beneath the clear waters. Set sail for Guatemala with a sunset happy hour!

Today is boots-on-the-ground in Guatemala. Start the day with an early-morning hike through Las Escobas Tropical Rainforest Park, a birder’s paradise and home to more than 400 species of plants and animals. Toucans and parrots lure you to refreshing pools and waterfalls. To round out your big morning, sit back and rest your legs as you learn about the Garifuna culture firsthand through stories, song and snacks. This afternoon, you have a choice in Tapon Creek Nature Reserve, covering more than 1,600 acres of Guatemala’s lowland forests. You can take it easy on a skiff and stroll, or hard charge it through the jungle with your guide. The area protects endangered species including tapirs, howler monkeys and jaguars.

Get to know the locals today with visits to the Kekchi Mayan Women’s Bakery and a women’s health clinic, each enriching the community in its own way. Then explore along the “sweet river,” the Rio Dulce. Glide past limestone cliffs where North American and Caribbean plates meet and jungles of howler monkeys and toucans tower above. Take it all in or grab a kayak and cruise the mangroves of lily pads past thatch-roofed homes. Stretch your legs in charming Livingston, a town perched on a hill lined with palms and packed with bustling shops and Caribbean flair. Go for an amble or take it up a notch with an optional hike from town to the Seven Altars waterfalls. The cooling waters ripple and cascade, never letting you forget that you’re in paradise.

Good morning, Punta Gorda! It’s market day and there’s something for everybody—wooden and woven crafts, produce, chilies, and tamales. Try a ripe mango or taste the local cassava while strolling past primary-colored buildings, and delve deeper into history with a trip to Mayan ruins. In the afternoon when it’s time to cool off, the cayes call with white sands and from-the-beach or hop-off-a-skiff snorkeling. Sergeant major, purple reef fish and damselfish zip below as pelicans sweep by overhead.

Beat the heat and head for land early. Get acquainted with this lush corner of Belize via a birdwatching skiff tour, hard-charging hike through the park’s savannah or kayak through the mangroves. Black howler monkeys, white tail deer, crocodiles and over 300 species of birds may join you along your way. And don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for the ripples of a manatee. Bellies full after lunch, spend an easy afternoon at a private island, kayaking or snorkeling in Lime Caye.

A jungle like no other. This protected area offers a range of hikes from easy ambles to thigh-burners—all boasting incredible wildlife. Hear the call of a crested guan, red-capped manakin, black-headed trogon or Amazon kingfisher. Keep eyes looking up to arching palms and heart-shaped leaves tumbling from the trees, or to the forest floor where leaf-cutter ants are on the move. A smooshed patch of grass and paw print mean the elusive jaguar may have shared the same path—rest assured he’s the hardest charger of them all and is far along his journey. After the trek, soak in a lazy river in an inner tube or further your studies at the park’s museum. Back on the ship, relive the week with the captain’s dinner and slideshow treat.

Linger over one last fresh baked pastry while bidding farewell to the Caribbean. Share in hugs all around to the crew and fellow travelers before transferring to the Belize City Airport.