The Blue Hole National Park
WHAT TO SEE
This park has a lot to offer. Adjacent to a parking area, steps lead to the pool that gives the park its name (not to be confused with the other Blue Hole on Lighthouse Reef. The stairway leads down through the forest, and birds can often already be seen resting on over-hanging vines, especially emerald green Jacamars and Blue-crowned Motmots. Also took out for the Scarlet-rumped Tanager and listen for the Nightingale Wren. Another common bird around the Blue Hole is the Long-tailed Hermit, a mainly brown hummingbird with white tail, which often dips into the water for a quick drink.
This park has a lot to offer. Adjacent to a parking area, steps lead to the pool that gives the park its name (not to be confused with the other Blue Hole on Lighthouse Reef. The stairway leads down through the forest, and birds can often already be seen resting on over-hanging vines, especially emerald green Jacamars and Blue-crowned Motmots. Also took out for the Scarlet-rumped Tanager and listen for the Nightingale Wren. Another common bird around the Blue Hole is the Long-tailed Hermit, a mainly brown hummingbird with white tail, which often dips into the water for a quick drink.
Back in geological time, the pool itself was a stretch of
underground river cave, but it lost its cover when the roof collapsed. Since
the Hummingbird Highway was built, it has been a favorite swimming spot, with
refreshing cold water. If you have a snorkel, bring it so you can peer down
into the eerie blue cavern where the water comes from. The stream carries on
about 40 yards before descending down a siphon through an echoing cave full of
bats (and a few Cliff Swallows in the winter months), and later on re- emerges
to join the Caves Branch River. If you're coming from Belmopan, you will
already have driven over it. The surrounding limestone is full of caves, and it
was only by tracing colored dyes that it was ever discovered that this was the
hydrological connection.
The park has a small trail network, particularly good for birding
because the forest canopy is low. This Hummingbird Loop can be walked in an
hour or longer for those wanting to linger and see more. As well as the trees.
the rich forest contains a wealth of bromeliads, mosses and ferns. more visible
than normal because of the steep lay of the land.
The other park features which offers a respite from the heat is
St. Herman's Cave. It's another part of lattice of sink holes, caverns and
creeks that riddle the area. Its relatively small opening is draped in lianas,
but steps are provided to descend into the dark interior. If you bring a torch
and go with a guide, the cavern can be followed for almost a mile. The trail
then emerges and loops back through the forest to the starting point. You can
admire the delicate cave formations, but as the stalactites and stalagmites
take about 800 years to grow an inch, definitely don't touch them.
GETTING THERE
The park is very easy to reach, set right next to the Hummingbird Highway. There are two access points, the visitor centre/parking area for Herman's Cave, and the lay-by just above the Blue Hole. The two are only a mile and a half apart. The National Park is just 12 miles southeast of Belmopan (on the right coming from that direction), and can easily be reached by bus. Tours also run from San Ignacio and Belize City. Exploring the park takes about half a day.
The park is very easy to reach, set right next to the Hummingbird Highway. There are two access points, the visitor centre/parking area for Herman's Cave, and the lay-by just above the Blue Hole. The two are only a mile and a half apart. The National Park is just 12 miles southeast of Belmopan (on the right coming from that direction), and can easily be reached by bus. Tours also run from San Ignacio and Belize City. Exploring the park takes about half a day.
WHEN TO GO
Anytime though Blue Hole gets decidedly muddy after a heavy rain.
Anytime though Blue Hole gets decidedly muddy after a heavy rain.
VISITOR FACILITIES
The park has a new visitor centre. If you are coming from Belmopan, it is on
the right hand side of the road. next to a large grass parking area. St. Herman's
Cave is just 10 minute walk from here, along a forest trail. Blue Hole is a
mile further, also on the right hand side. It has a guard station, with staff
on hand to offer further guidance if needed. The Fireline Trail connects the
Hummingbird Loop to the trail leading to St. Hermans. and is just under a mile.
The St. Hermans and Jungle Walk Trails that go through the cave. The National
Park is open daily from 8 am to 4 pm and is managed by the Belize Audubon
Society, who have a small pamphlet about it. Belizeans pay an entrance fee of
$2 and foreigners $8.
The site has rest areas, benches, parking facilities, a visitor
centre and 1 guard house. Whilst it has had trails since the late 1980s, the
first phase of a new trail system has been constructed, This consists of a loop
trail, a cross-park trail, and St Hermans cave trail. From approximately 520
visitors a year recorded during its early history, visitor numbers reached 4634
in 1991 (64% non-Belizean) and 7459 in 1993 (69% non-Belizean). All these are
under-estimates because of under-recording of visitors. After heavy rain, the
Blue Hole can turn decidedly muddy and rather unpleasant for swimming.
CULTURAL FEATURES
Mayan artifacts have been found within the site, at St Hermans Cave, 1.25 miles southwest of Blue Hole.
Mayan artifacts have been found within the site, at St Hermans Cave, 1.25 miles southwest of Blue Hole.
ESTABLISHMENT HISTORY
As far back as 1965, the site's cave was recognized as suitable for tourism. Part of the site was proposed as a National Park by Waight (1968) and the whole site was proposed as a National Reserve by a FAO (1978). The GOB having acquired part of the site in the early 1960s and the remainder in the 1970s, declared it as a National Park in December 1986 (SI 109).
As far back as 1965, the site's cave was recognized as suitable for tourism. Part of the site was proposed as a National Park by Waight (1968) and the whole site was proposed as a National Reserve by a FAO (1978). The GOB having acquired part of the site in the early 1960s and the remainder in the 1970s, declared it as a National Park in December 1986 (SI 109).
Original Article: http://ambergriscaye.com/pages/town/parkbluehole.html
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