Belize - Study Abroad Association

Belize: Humanities

8 days

Belize City, San Ignacio & Caye Caulker

Depart Home for Belize City, Belize
Arrive in Belize City, Belize
Airport Transfer – Transfer to San Ignacio
Check-in, Relax & Refresh
Welcome Dinner & Group Discussions – The group will be taken for an authentic dinner with a variety of menu options to cater all diets.

Breakfast & Day Briefing
Xunantunich Maya Archaeological Site – The name of this ancient Mayan ruin is a tongue twister, but to indigenous peoples who made this sacred site their home for millennia, Xunantunich was a safe, secure hilltop area with plenty of vantage points, just in case a neighboring army of usurpers or explorers from abroad sought to claim this stronghold.
Traditional Chocolate Making Experience – It all started with the Classic Period Maya (250 – 900 C.E.)- the first people to discover the cacao plant. Chocolate played an important Religious role in their lives. The Mayans drank chocolate on special occasions and during religious events. In addition, the priest would also present the cacao seeds as an offering to their god. It was primarily a beverage for royalty; however, recent findings have encountered traces of chocolate in the potteries of the ordinary Maya households.

Breakfast & Day Briefing
River Tubing – Experience the thrill of tubing and enjoy a cool swim in the refreshing waters of a natural pool, formed between cave entrances. Float downstream and relax as you learn about Mayan culture and view stunning cave formations.
Lunch Break
Medicinal Gardens & Iguana Conservation Project – A highly interpretive and educational exhibit has been designed in order to create a closer look at this amazing reptile, and to learn how vital they could be to the ecological balance of the river habitat. The Green Iguana Conservation Project is a continuous effort that aims to conserve and look after the endangered Green Iguana species in Belize. The Project uses interactive exhibits and programs to help educate students and create awareness among the general public. Here, students are given the opportunity mingle with these wonderful reptiles and also, learn the about the incubation, hatching, rearing, and releasing process.
Structured Free Time & Cultural Immersion

Breakfast & Day Briefing
Blue Hole National Park – Located in Belize’s western Cayo District near the capital of Belmopan, St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park is a site of natural beauty.
Belize Zoo – The Belize Zoo is an institution that cares for over 150 native wildlife, and promotes Conservation, Education, Recreation, and Research.
Free Time & Cultural Immersion

Breakfast & Day Briefing
Mountain Pine Ridge National Park – As the oldest and largest protected forested area in Belize, Mountain Pine Ridge (MPR) covers 300 square miles of area to find a sharp contrast to the tropical landscape; here, pine needles rather than palm fronds, fill the landscape.
Free Time & Cultural Immersion

Breakfast & Day Briefing
Transfer to Belize City
Ferry Transfer to Caye Caulker – Caye Caulker, located 21 miles northeast of Belize City and 11 miles south of Ambergris Caye, is the second largest of the Belizean cayes. The island is about 4 miles long, but the town is only about a mile long. Caye Caulker was primarily a fishing community; but its economy has become increasingly tourism-based.
Island Orientation
Mangrove Sea Kayaking Tour and Sunset
Free Time & Cultural Immersion

Breakfast & Day Briefing
Full Day Snorkeling Excursion Hol Chan Marine Reserve – The Hol Chan Marine Reserve was established as a marine protected area in 1987 under the Laws of Belize. It incorporates the southernmost marine and coastal areas of Ambergris Caye including the barrier reef, seagrass beds and the mangrove islands of Boca Chica and Cangrejo Shoals. A zoning scheme was developed in order to ensure sustainable use and guarantee its conservation. Hol Chan is divided into four zones which include no-take areas and zones that regulate and promote sustainable fishing practices.
Farewell Dinner & Program Closing

Is there an experience you would like to provide that isn’t included in our itineraries?
Let’s add it!

Are there sites that better fit your subject than the ones provided?
Let’s swap them!

Is there an experience you would like to provide that isn’t included in our itineraries?
Let’s add it!

Are there sites that better fit your subject than the ones provided?
Let’s swap them!