Our stop in Belize was part of a Carnival Breeze cruise that also took us to Honduras and Cozumel. For our day in Belize, one thing was high on our list: seeing Maya ruins.
We chose Carnival's Lamanai Maya Ruins & River Boat Safari, an excursion that combines a trip into the Belize countryside, a boat ride along the New River, and a guided visit to the Lamanai Archaeological Reserve.
We thoroughly enjoyed the excursion, and Lamanai itself was absolutely worth seeing. However, there were a few things about the tour that weren't quite what we expected from the excursion description. If you're considering this tour on a cruise to Belize, here's what our day was actually like—and what I wish I had known beforehand.
Getting from the Ship to Belize City
Belize was a tender port during our visit, meaning our cruise ship anchored offshore and we took a smaller boat to the cruise terminal.
I had read all sorts of estimates for how long the ride would take, so naturally I timed it. Both going to shore and returning to the ship, our ride took about 15 minutes.
Once we arrived, finding our excursion was easy. Representatives were holding signs for the different tours, and it wasn't long before we met our group and were escorted to our bus.
The Bus Ride into Belize
The bus was comfortable and air-conditioned, and we had an excellent guide.
One thing to understand about this excursion is that Lamanai isn't close to the cruise port. Our bus ride took about 1 hour and 10 minutes. It's a good opportunity to see some of Belize beyond the cruise terminal, but it also makes this a fairly long travel day.
Ayinha Eco Park
Our bus ride ended at Ayinha Eco Park, where we would board the boat for the next part of our journey.
The River Boat Ride to Lamanai
This was one part of the excursion that was different from what I had pictured.
I had imagined the "river boat safari" portion as a slower wildlife-viewing cruise where we would be watching for birds, iguanas and other animals along the river.
That wasn't quite our experience.
Our ride to Lamanai took about 25 minutes, and our boat traveled at a pretty good speed. I enjoyed the ride—it was actually a lot of fun—but don't necessarily expect a slow-moving nature cruise with plenty of time to photograph wildlife.
I did manage to capture a few pictures by putting my camera on its high-speed setting!
Exploring Lamanai Archaeological Reserve
Lamanai is one of Belize's most fascinating Maya archaeological sites, and walking into the reserve felt like entering another world.
The name Lamanai is commonly interpreted as "submerged crocodile." The site was once an important Maya city in northern Belize, and much of it remained unexcavated until archaeological work intensified during the 1970s. The major structures visitors see today include the Jaguar Temple, High Temple and Mask Temple.
What surprised me almost as much as the ruins themselves was the setting.
Huge tropical trees, vines, flowers and dense vegetation surround the ancient structures. Someone in our group commented that it felt like we were walking through Jurassic Park, and that description stuck with me. The combination of ancient stone temples and enormous tropical plants really did give the place that feeling.
The Jaguar Temple
One of the major structures we saw was the Jaguar Temple.
This is where I would let your photographs do much of the storytelling. The scale of these structures is difficult to appreciate until you see people standing beside them.
The High Temple
Next came one of Lamanai's most impressive structures—the High Temple.
Surrounded by thick tropical vegetation, the ancient stone structure rising above the jungle is exactly the kind of scene I had hoped to experience when we decided to visit Maya ruins in Belize.
The Mask Temple
Another highlight was the Mask Temple, one of the structures that archaeological work at Lamanai has focused on restoring and preserving.
Don't Forget to Look at the Jungle
It would be easy to concentrate entirely on the ruins, but take time to look around as you're walking between them.
The vegetation here was incredible.
Trees towered overhead, tropical plants seemed to grow everywhere, and the dense jungle made the archaeological site feel far more remote than I expected. For me, the natural surroundings were part of what made visiting Lamanai so memorable.
The Lamanai Ball Court
We also visited the ancient ball court.
One particularly interesting discovery was made beneath the circular stone marker in the center of the court: archaeologists found a ceremonial vessel containing liquid mercury.
Ball games were an important part of ancient Mesoamerican life and had ceremonial as well as competitive significance. Seeing the court in person helped put another piece of everyday Maya history into perspective.
Lunch After Touring Lamanai
After touring the archaeological site, a Belizean buffet lunch was provided.
By the time we ate, it was around 2:15 p.m., so this is something I'd definitely keep in mind when packing for the excursion. Bringing a small snack isn't a bad idea.
Our meal included rice and beans, chicken, plantain and potato salad, along with fruit punch. Other drinks were available for an additional charge.
- Expect a long excursion. Our tour was approximately six hours, with a significant portion of that time spent getting to and from Lamanai. Between the tender, bus ride, and boat ride, we spent roughly three hours of the day traveling.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes. You’ll be doing quite a bit of walking once you reach the archaeological site, and some of the surfaces can be uneven.
- Dress for hot, humid weather. We visited in January and temperatures were still in the 80s. Lightweight, comfortable clothing is a good choice.
- Bring water. Between the heat, walking, and long travel time, you’ll definitely want to stay hydrated.
- Pack a small snack. We didn’t get to eat lunch until around 2:15 p.m., so I would bring something small to hold you over, especially if you normally eat earlier.
- Don’t expect the river portion to necessarily be a slow wildlife cruise. This was probably my biggest surprise. We enjoyed the boat ride, but ours was much more of a fast ride to Lamanai than a leisurely wildlife-viewing safari.
- Allow plenty of time for the return trip. We arrived back around 3:50 p.m., and the last ferry was scheduled to leave at 4:00. Since we booked the excursion through Carnival, we had the added peace of mind of being on a cruise-line-sponsored tour.
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