Cayo Scoop! The Ecology of Cayo Culture

The latest edition of Our People, Food, and Culture is all about Cayo, and things to do and see in the area.  Oxmul Coffee is mentioned, as are Poustinia Art Park and the San Antonio Women's Cooperative.  Rio Frio Cave, Rio On Pools, and Xunantunich are highlighted.  It also sets the stage for the 2nd part, which focuses on Finados, by interviewing David Ruiz.  

Part 2 here.,

'In this episode of Our People, Food, and Culture, we learn about the Cayo District’s many natural wonders and its Yucatec Maya heritage through the celebration of Los Finados. Tune in to part 2 at 4:00 p.m. on the BTB Facebook page and the Travel Belize YouTube Channel!'

Rio On Pools and Rio Frio Cave have beautiful new facilities for everyone to enjoy, and they were inaugurated last week by the Ministry of Tourism.   

https://www.instagram.com/p/CNP_ngHFZuc/

"New tourism facilities at the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve were completed under the Sustainable Tourism Program (STP) II, which is a five-year program financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and executed through the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations.

Video of the day.  Nice drone footage of Rio On Pools and 1000 Foot Falls.

Another video of MPR.

Duarte Dellarole shot and produced an amazing video promo for Cahal Pech!  Definitely worth checking out.  It's mostly about Cayo, featuring Xunantunich, Barton Creek, the pontoon boat on Lake Benque, Rio Frio Cave, Rio On Pools, Big Rock Falls, Twin Falls, jungle horseback riding, and the Cahal Pech Archaeological site.  There's drone footage and some well used slow mo.  Cayo's shown at night at a really fast speed, which really came out perfectly.  

Excellent and informative Lonely Planet article all about the adventure found here in Cayo.  So much to do.  Mountain Equestrian Trails get a good mention.

"The Mountain Pine Ridge area near San Ignacio is a few degrees cooler than the humid lowlands and offers some excellent hikes to waterfalls and caves; highlights include long-drop Thousand Foot Falls, and Rio on Pools, where you can take a dip in a series of waterfall-fed swimming holes...

There are few better ways of exploring the jungles, riverbanks and Maya mountains than on horseback. Luckily for lovers of the graceful equines, Cayo is well set up for horseback riding regardless of your experience. In the Mountain Pine Ridge area near San Ignacio, Mountain Equestrian Trails is the premier operator where you can saddle up for half or full day rides, but the big news for horseback riders are the five and seven-day mountain and jungle riding packages, featuring birdwatching and Maya ruins and staying at the remote ecolodge."

Video of the day.  Excellent little video from a Belize vacation.  The mixing is unique.  Cayo is in there, as is Cahal Pech, Rio On Pools, and Caracol.  Definitely worth a watch. 

"This is a small attempt at capturing a recent trip to Belize.  I went with a Gopro and a Olympus Tough camera and came back with just enough footage to put this together.  As you'll see I experienced an abundance of love and friendship with some amazing people, and got into some fun trouble and saw some amazing things."

The Duke of Edinburgh's Award Program of Belize released a great video about their Summer Art Camp, which is for youth between the ages of 14 and 17.  It starts next Monday, June 8th, and MPR is the base for the camp, so the youths will experience nature in one of Belize's nicest reserves.  There are a few spots left.  Rio On Pools is the star of the video that Help International put together.

"This camp is for youth ages 14 to 17 who want to tap into their inner artist and creative learning process.  All week long youth will be in the jungle, learning how to enhance their skills in painting, writing, cooking, and music. At night there will be campfires and games to build friendships and make memories that will last forever.  This is an incredible experience all for $200.  That includes your transportation there and back, your three meals for the day, accommodation, and supplies for classes.  If you are interested in joining us please let Nehanda Higinio know by cell phone at 624-9112 or email at nehandaorange@hotmail.com and she will get you registered and signed up!"

Jacques Cousteau's granddaughter was in Belize to gather information for 'Expedition Blue Planet: Belize,' a documentary that will focus on freshwater and marine biomes in Belize.  For a portion of her trip, she stayed at Blancaneaux Lodge.  They have come up with a travel package based on that.  They visit Caracol, Mountain Pine Ridge, and the Chiquibul Forest.

"Leave on a tour to the Maya site of Caracol, located deep in the Chiquibul Forest.  Firstly visit the impressive Rio Frio Cave system before continuing on to Caracol, the largest and most important Maya site in Belize.  The epicentre of the site is home to howler and spider monkeys and the birding is excellent.

Leave the lodge early for a spectacular day of birding and natural history en route to the nesting site of Belize’s endangered Scarlet Macaws.  The route will take you through the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve to an escarpment overlooking the Chalillo Dam and its vast artificial reservoir.  After an inspiring and adventurous day in the Chiquibul Forest return to Blancaneaux Lodge.  As dusk draws in keep your eyes peeled to the road ahead in the hope of spotting an elusive jaguar."

Video of the day.  Quite a few Cayo locations, from restaurants to sites, are in this travel guide video.  

'If you're interested in visiting the Cayo district of Belize this is a must watch video! Will Mitchell breaks everything down in detail so you don't have to do a ton of research on which restaurants to go to, which activities to do & where you should eat! We break down places like pine ridge forest, big rock waterfalls, thousand foot falls, rio frio cave & so much more! San Ignacio is a beautiful jungle landscape with so much to offer.'

THE SPOT-BREAKFAST COFFEE AND LUNCH - https://www.facebook.com/thespotbelize/
• POPS RESTAURANT- BREAKFAST - https://www.facebook.com/popsrestaurantsanignacio
• RUNNING W- BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER - https://www.facebook.com/runningwrestaurant/
• LOLAS-LUNCH AND DINNER - https://www.facebook.com/lolasmunchiesandbooze
• GUAVA LIMB- LUNCH AND DINNER - https://www.facebook.com/guavalimb/
• BLANCANEAUX LODGE- https://www.facebook.com/blancaneauxbelize
• EL BOHEMIO - https://www.facebook.com/ElBohemioRockBar
Sky sushi restaurant - https://www.facebook.com/skysushibelize
• WINE SMITH - https://www.facebook.com/wine.smith.ltd

The Caribbean Culture and Lifestyle team took a trip to Mountain Pine Ridge.  They loved Big Rock Falls and Rio On Pools, and stayed at Hidden Valley Inn, where they captured a magical scene at Butterfly Falls.  They made a short video of the 1000 Foot Falls with some of their drone footage..

"Of the 8,867 square miles that make up Belize, 28% of the country is environmentally protected. The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, located in the Cayo district, is the oldest and largest protected reserve in the country. Lush green pine and broadleaf forest, beautiful rivers and hidden waterfalls that speckle the area make for a nature lovers paradise.

Abundant in wildlife, the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is home to wild cats and magnificent birds such as the Blue-Crowned Motmot, Keel- Billed Toucan, Common Crossbill, King Vulture and the Warbler.

Whether it be trekking through the forest, bird watching, or having a romantic day at the waterfalls, the Mountain Pine Ridge offers an unparalleled experience."

Belize video of the day.  From Rio Frio to Rio On Pools to Big Rock to the 1000 foot falls, to the cayes, this is a fun video that highlights Belize.  

"A recap of my trip to Belize with the Belize Tourism Board (@TravelBelize) and Tiffany Nguyen (@TiffPenguin) in January 2017. Music: "Dream" by Autogra"

The Belize Tourism Board's Feet On a Beach short ad is quite humorous.  Who really wants to see feet on a beach, when there's places like Caracol, Big Rock Falls, Bocawina, Rio On Pools, the Blue Hole(s), Nohoch Che'en, and 100's of other amazing ecotourism destinations around?  

"All vacations shouldn’t look the same.  Travelers, do your friends a favor and add some Belize to your feed.  And keep an eye out for more stories coming soon."

Video of the day.  Great GoPro video of a trip around Belize.  The time lapse photography at Caracol is done well.  The first half of the video is Cayo, and you'll see plenty of familiar sights.  The Hawkesworth Bridge is on there, and Rio On Pools, along with Caves Branch, and the Waterfall Cave. 

"We tackled the muddy roads, steep stairs, deep caves, and coral reefs of San Ignacio, Caracol, Caves Branch, Caye Caulker, and Ambergris Caye."

They have the trailer out for the next Maya Mountain Adventure Challenge, which is the test of ultimate will that spans over 220 miles around Belize.  Cayo is the setting in the trailer.  The race will start in San Ignacio, and go all around the Maya Mountains, where the teams will hike, bike, rapel, and canoe to get to the finish line. 

You can see Xunantunich, Caracol, Rio Frio Cave, San Ignacio, Rio On Pools, Branch Mouth Park, the Hawkesworth Bridge, and many other sites.  They interview Rafael Manzanero, from the Friends of Conservation and Develompment about the idea.  They did a great job on the epic trailer.