Mountain Pine Ridge Area - Chiquibul National Park

Situated in the more remote interior of Belize's Maya Mountains, Chiquibul National Park lies next to the Guatemalan border. Lying beyond the Macal River valley, the forest abruptly changes from the coniferous pine found in most of the Mountain Pine Ridge area to a broadleaf habitat. Covering about 200,000ac/81,000ha, Chiquibul National Park has very few visitors' facilities.

Most travelers drive through the park en route to the Caracol Mayan ruins. Beyond Caracol there is a series of limestone karst caves only noted by modern researchers in the 1970s. The intricate cave system is believed to be the largest series of karst caves in the Western Hemisphere, however the cave system remain largely unexplored because of its remote