MAYFLOWER BOCAWINA NATIONAL PARK

  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

  Not sure if I was going to make it to the top . Quite a climb. It was worth the struggle . great pool very pretty. water a little... read more refreshing . could have stayed there ALL day

  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.

  The Mayflower Bocawina park is an amazing and accessible preserve. Hiking trails range from mild to hardcore with river and jungle views, water falls, Mayan ruins and incredible flora and... read more fauna all around. A great place to spend a few hours or an entire week.

  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!

  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.

  Beautiful park. Got to Antelope Falls before anyone else. If you can do stairs or hike this is a moderate hike. Saw Jaguar tracks and lots of cool birds!
<br... read more /> Came back and started on bird loop - thought it was shorter. Clearly not many people do this hike.
While you can see snakes anywhere, I walked within 1 foot of a large fer de lance (Tommy gah) on this trail near the turnoff to the ruins. We are avid hikers and outdoors people and thought we were looking carefully. It really freaked us out.
I would not do this quieter hike now knowing this especially with kids. I'm sure Antelope Falls is so well travelled that it would be more unusual.

  Beautiful rainforest setting with friendly, accommodating and knowledgeable staff. A great place for a three-generation family gathering. The teens and their parents enjoyed zip lining and rappelling down a waterfall... read more while the adults loved early morning birdwatching and guided hikes. We got the all-inclusive package and took all our meals on site. The food was outstanding, with lots of variety, local ingredients, and accommodations for the vegetarians and gluten free eaters in our party.

  This is a stunning national park with amazing trails up to many lovely waterfalls and incredible birds. We did not stay at the resort but it looked brilliant.

  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 trail in a downpour and to ensure we were safe on the rocks and trails, we took our time. It was a very challenging hike (and climb in some places) so be prepared with something that comes over the toes--stubbed piggies are guaranteed otherwise.

There are two key things to see on this hike. The scenic view and the pool. The Falls are just gorgeous and the view is absolutely magnificent and the rain had stopped for us to be able to take it in! The pool is another 15-20 minutes further up, but should not be missed! We were the only ones there (who else would make the hike in a downpour?) and it was tranquil bliss! The pool was a cool treat for washing off the sweat and mud from the trail!

The climb down was still a bit treacherous because everything was still wet, but we persevered and had a very safe trip down.

Thanks to Israel, who was manning the Visitor's Center. He gave some great suggestions and helped us make the decision to try Antelope Falls!

Bring closed toed shoes, bug spray, swim suit, camera.

  This was a great hiking experience!! The peak is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is worth the hike! I would recommend wearing shoes that have grips on them cause it may be a... read more lil slippy going up the mountain! I book my tour with Belize concierge Excellence!! Their...More

  Unlike my first zip line experience in Alaska, this one put me more in control because I got to brake myself. I also enjoyed the hiking in between rather than... read more going from platform to platform. The guides added humor as they provided information. They were...More

  We went to this park as a day trip from our resort in Placencia and had SO much fun!! We started with zip lining and Winston was a great guide!!... read more He was entertaining and knowledgeable and the ziplines were long and high and gave us...More

  We visited with kids from 4-7 and we did the antelope trail (graded as steep) and we were worry warts! It was tough for them to reach the guide ropes... read more and navigate the climb. It was just the right amount of tough for us too and we consider ourselves out of shape 🙂 Once we got to the “pool” it was all worth it! Must wear water/ hiking shoes and bathing suit as you have to go down the way you came wet. Pack a small towel for a mini dry of after swimming and a water bottle and that’s all you really need as the time spent hiking and swimming is about 2 hours. Cost is 10 belize per person. Would recommend!

  Nice little park! The rangers are very helpful and informative and helped us decide what to do with our time there. Several of us did the hike up to Antelope... read more Falls, about 2 miles round trip. Tough but worth it! Nice and cool swimming hole. Two days later I did the loop trail, about 8 miles total with four water falls and swimming holes. Big Drop Falls was awesome...and a big drop getting there! Take PLENTY of water on any of these hikes. Nice way to get a taste of the jungle.

  This is a great little park not far from Hopkins. The Antelope Falls hike is difficult at the end, but I made it and so worth it when you get... read more to the swimming hole at the top. You swim in a waterfall. It's so clean and the little fish will give you a free pedicure! They have several other hikes as well. I wish I had more days to explore! We met some other hikers on our way up and down but had the waterfall pool to ourselves. It was amazing. So refreshing! Bring at least one, if not two water bottles. (I froze them overnight before this!) Bring bug repellent also.