With over 7000 acres
of preserved low and highlands, the Mayflower Bocawina National Park is one of the best choices for leisure or adventurous explorations
MBNP
The National Park...
MBNP
MBNP was established in the 2001, initially with a focus on the Mayflower Archaeological Site. Its purpose was expanded to encompass its natural resources including its ecosystem, biodiversity, flora and fauna and its scenic physical attributes.
Willdlife
What can be seen...
WILDLIFE
The national park offers excellent wildlife observation and birding opportunities. With such the faunal diversity is high and it can be characterized by the diverse fauna that inhabit the national park.
Activities
Things to do...
MBNP
Along with birdwatching and camping for those wishing to visit overnight, MBNP has four hiking trails and several waterfalls known as the Three Sisters Waterfalls.
PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE
The national park offers excellent wildlife observation and birding opportunities as the faunal diversity is high. The MBNP forms part of the Maya Mountain Massif –an area of crucial importance to wildlife conservation, supporting the largest population of jaguars within Belize
PROTECTION OF FLORA
A Rapid Environmental Assessment was conducted within the MBNP and a total of 228 plant species were identified. However, this number is not exhaustive as many more plants, especially herbs remain to be recorded. But at least, some of the more dominant tree species can be expected to have been identified
PROTECTING WATERSHEDS OF FRESHWATER CREEK AND NORTH STANN CREEK
Watersheds play an important role in the formation of biological corridors, survival of endangered species, and help determine the health of the barrier reef. Within the MBNP there are tributaries that form part of the Freshwater Creek, North Stann Creek, and Sittee River.
LIMIT DEFORESTATION FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES
There is evidence of illegal logging taking place in the park. Therefore, the park rangers are the frontline in terms of surveillance and security and as such their primary duty is to maintain a presence at the park and conduct patrols to detect possible encroachment, deforestation, illegal agriculture, logging, and to monitor fires.
PROVIDE INCOME-GENERATING OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH ECOTOURISM FOR BUFFER COMMUNITIES
MBEDG engages the community in economic activities when possible and provides workshops and training exercises for residents to support capacity building. The park also provides employment to community members as Park Rangers and Park Manager.
PRESERVATION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
This goal is pursued through activities such as reducing the direct pressures on biodiversity by promoting sustainable use of the buffer area, enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services, safeguarding the ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity.
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Visited for the day and absolutely loved this park. Did the hike to Antelope Falls with great views towards the Caribbean. Tough, steep but not long. Went towards the Bocawina... read more Falls too and saw armadillos in the forest! Grey fox later as well on the...More
MichaelBurm
January 31, 2019
The forest here is still untouched and beautiful. The resort is clean and the staff are excellent. The restaurant makes very good food and the service was great ( thanks... read more Reina ! ). The front desk staff are professional and ultra helpful. The waterfall rapelle...More
cannandale
March 2, 2019
My wife and I had an incredible time here hiking the trails and hanging by the falls. There is plenty of things to see on your adventures here.
Henry B
June 16, 2018kf648
Easy to get to from Hopkins and you don't need a tour guide. Just get a ride there or drive yourself and you can do hikes and swims and see... read more some great jungle scenery. There's a lunch spot at the Lodge which is more expensive than town but great food and friendly staff. You can tell your ride person to pick you up later on and that means not having to go on a tour and not having to rent a car. We hiked to Antelope Falls which they say is tough but not really if you are in shape and then to lower Bocawina Falls and didn't have time to get to the other two falls above that. Great day?
March 15, 2020 - Russ372
If you are in the Hopkins area this is a great hike to explore the NP and a wonderful cascading waterfall
Only a 3 mile out and back but... read more pretty steep with ropes and roots necessary for the last quarter mile up to the top of the falls and a beautiful swimming hole.
February 9, 2020Paloma B
Wear lots of bug repellent with high levels of DEET. Stunning beauty, great hiking, jungle pools, waterfalls.
December 17, 2019E8702QDtoms
Wonderful hike to and through (unexcavated) Mayan ruins took us through dense and beautiful tropical forest where we saw all kinds of flora, termite mounds, toucans... I wore long plants... read more and a long-sleeved shirt despite the warmth, and I'm glad I did as other members of my party suffered bug bites. The trail was muddy in spots so good hiking boots/shoes are recommended. There's a variety of hikes to choose from. facilities are primitive. Accessing the park requires a long drive down dirt roads.
February 16, 2023
First off, it is a long uphill hike. Bring good shoes and be prepared to climb steep parts at certain times. We did as a family with a 15, 13,... read more and 11 year old. Took about 1:05 minutes to climb to the pool. IT WAS...More
Mottin1055
April 3, 2018 -
The environment is welcoming. We came here on a retreat and ended up having the treat of a lifetime. The staff is extremely helpful. The ziplining experience was awesome. The... read more waterfall trail is simply amazing. This place is a must visit. The food...exeptional.
KaydeeBZ
August 24, 2018
We were really excited about going to Bocawina and hiking through the jungle. It didn't surprise us that the lodge would be a bit pricy. However,we were shocked... read more to find how much it costs for a guide tour! Basically, by the time you pay US$140/night...More
SMLBill
January 31, 2017O491RBmc
With weather complications and a reschedule we finally were able to have this amazing adventure!! The hike up and repelling were sensational, we felt safe and well taken care of!... read more But honestly our guides Victor and Donald were just simply awesome, fun, educational and became our friends instantly!!
Marco and Terri, Austin
January 20, 2020
The order you do these 2 adventures in depends on the groups that they are trying to put together. We ended up doing Bocawina Falls rappelling as a group of... read more 17. I'm pretty adventurous and lift weights but I found the rappelling to be hard....More
Fritch
January 14, 2018 -
My wife and I had an incredible time here hiking the trails and hanging by the falls. There is plenty of things to see on your adventures here.
HanktheTankCDN
June 16, 2018
I suspect you could spend a couple of days exploring the park, but if you can't and you are up for the challenge, I recommend Antelope Falls. From the Visitor's... read more Center it's about a 45 min hike, if it is dry. We walked up the...More
meelays
November 1, 2018mawinniford
The zip line was great, but long and expensive (9 platforms, 2 hrs, $75). BEWARE the road! Coming back out we got 2 flat tires. Yes, I was going probably... read more 35 mph when I should have been doing 20. Then, as we changed the tires, we got over 200 tick bites! Yes, 200! We didn´t notice until we got home. Each bite looked like a bad mosquito bite but had a tiny black tick at the center. Ugh!
February 15, 2020
Had a few hours as I was driving back to Belmopan. So I stopped in for a bite at the resort. Then I just walked around a bit taking in... read more all the flowers and beauty that is Bocawina. No waterfalls or zip lining this time....More
TravelQ6492QE
August 20, 2018 -
It’s a good hike up to the top of Antelope Falls but very well worth it. The first reward is a swim in the natural “pool”. So clean and refreshing.... read more After a light lunch of panini, home baked cinnamon roll and fresh watermelon you will...More
Susan S
November 29, 2018BackRoadBruce
I enjoyed my visit to Mayflower. Park staff was welcoming and helpful. The hiking to Antelope and New Waterfall was rewarding. The view from the top of... read more Antelope Falls is spectacular. The ropes along the steep trail sections were much appreciated. The hike out to New Waterfall is easier and very peaceful. I though the waterfall was beautiful.
After the hiking, a bowl of ice cream at the restaurant at the in park resort tasted extra good. I look forward to returning and hiking the many additional trails in the park. I stayed in Hopkins. The park is a 20 - 30 minute ride away.
February 16, 2022
The hike to the waterfall starts easy but gradually gets strenuous, the last 30min feels like its straight up hill. The pools at the very top are crystal clear and... read more cold but refreshing after the hike. You can climb that fall and see another small...More
AmandaLea93
April 11, 2019146GinaP
The Bocawina National Park is a beautiful place with many natural wonders. The rangers are friendly and the price of visiting is more than reasonable. Since it is... read more in the jungle I made sure to wear proper clothing and footwear and doused myself and family with insect repellent. Unfortunately I found out days later that this was not enough as five big bumps that itched came out on me and as time went by the pain I experienced was terrible! One other person from our group of five also got a bite. Being from the city I did not know what bit me or how to get rid of it and most people could only give vague suggestions on what it was and what to do. I eventually found out it was locally called beef worms, otherwise known as human botfly larva! Unfortunately for me my body's reaction to these bites led me to having to visit two doctors which costed me a great deal of money, weeks of being unable to work, great mental stress and pain. Most people will probably visit this park and not be bitten but for those of us who are not so lucky it is a very stressful, expensive and unnecessary experience that I believe could have been minimized. This experience can be improved by having APAMO and the management at the Bocawina National Park take seriously the suggestion to have information on the website about the possibility of being bitten by different jungle insects while visiting the park. Giving names of the insects, how to prevent being bitten and what to do if you are bitten. I have contacted both organizations but none have seen fit to even answer my emails. This review is not to discourage people from visiting the park but rather to be INFORMED, so as to be aware of what can happen and so take as many preventive precautions to minimize the risks and if bitten having the knowledge to know how to respond.
June 1, 2022