Belize is sooo much more than “the Blue Hole” or “the second longest barrier reef!” Away from the hustle and bustle of snorkelers, divers and the usual tourist attractions is a hidden gem in Western Belize.
On the worn brick pavers of Burns Avenue, downtown San Ignacio in the Cayo District, you will find a small unassuming door to jungle secrets and adventures. Family owned and operated Jungle Splash Eco Tours offers several tours that take you off the beaten path, and into the hidden beauty of Western Belize -deep in the heart of the Mayan Mountains. Husband and wife team, Robert & Christy Melendez, have been in the tour business for several years. Their passion to protect and share this beautiful wild space is apparent. Robert exhibited such care for these creatures and their habitat, as if they were personal pets in his own backyard; rightly so, considering he was raised in the area and his family still farms here. They treat their customers like family, and bend the tours to the needs of each specific group. Every tour is unique, as the living jungle chooses to reveal varying treasures on any given day.
We chose their signature tour “Waterfall Pontoon Adventure: a river cruise on a pontoon boat.” They also offer cave tubing, horseback riding, among other tours and vacation accommodations.
Considering our visit was in July, at the start of the rainy season, I asked if the weather would impact our ability to tour. Christy informed me that they do have a canopy on the boat, and the rains would only “make the waterfalls more beautiful”. I must apologize for the quality of these photos, due to the rainy season the water was not it’s usual tropical blue!
Native Mayan Jose is a close friend with the owners, and is employed as a guide. We met him at their office on Burns Avenue at 8 am on the day of our scheduled adventure. He drove us out of town about an hour and a half, making a few stops to pick up fresh meal supplies and allow a bathroom break along the way. Meanwhile “Captain” Robert picked up another family from their hotel. We all met at the riverside where the pontoon boat was docked. The first river resident we met was “Komo”, the tropical cormorant. He was standing guard over the boat waving a welcome to us, when we arrived.
Jose informed us that, while most tours average 10 people, the boat could accommodate up to 20; Our group was a comfortable size of 9 passengers and two guides (Jose & “Captain” Robert). We each brought the advised insect repellent and sunscreen and our guides laid in supplies for the day of bottled water, soda, and lunch before we motored up-river smoothly.
The “Jungle Gyspsy” (as our pontoon boat was named) was equipped with life preservers, innertubes, benches, tables, an ice chest full of cold drinks, a grill for cooking lunch, and a hammock -all under a shade canopy!
“Komo” paddled alongside the boat for a bit before he took wing to scout ahead, zig-zagging upriver out of sight. “Captain” Robert soon introduced us to “Precious”, another river resident, who was effective at evading the paparazzi. As we approached, she slipped into the water and dove deep heading upstream. Robert pointed out a large sandy hill on the shore where she had just left as her nest; obviously she was distracting us away from her family. We never saw any more of this small shy native “alligator” nor any of her family the rest of the day. Although Jose and “Captain” Robert never ceased making jokes about alligators in the water, subtly reminding us we were in their space.
We eventually caught up to “Komo” standing on a rock in the mid-stream with his wings spread wide gently flapping as if warning of the shallows. Heeding this warning our “Captain” turned the boat around and cut the motor so we could quietly drift down river. Along the way he drew the boat near a flat rock surface and pointed out some more jungle residents “Insect Bats” clinging in their sleep to an overhang. Soon we docked the boat at a sandy inlet and began a short hike to the “Rio Frio” waterfall. You could hear the water falling through the trees and soon the jungle trail opened to a cool pool of water beneath a stunning waterfall spilling out of the jungle. We took our time relaxing in this pool, ventured behind the falls and jumped from the rope swing hanging high in a jungle tree! On the return hike, Jose took some time to point out some of the native fauna and show me a “Begonia” as he cut a stem for me to taste. Back at the boat Jose pulled the grill grate from the sandy bottom of the clear inlet waters where he had placed it to soak. He scrubbed it off and fired up the grill to start cooking our lunch.
As lunch cooked we drifted down river listening to the Cicadas in the jungle. Suddenly we heard them…. the elusive howler monkey conversing through the tree tops! Finally “Captain” Robert pointed them out in the trees high on the ridge! We arrived at the “Twin Falls” and the pool beneath them was deep enough for the boat to motor right up to the falls so as to enjoy the cooling spray and the refreshing sound from the hammock in the boat! Within the sight of these falls we docked again at a sandy shore and were fed a delicious lunch of grilled chicken, sausage, ribs, potatoes, plantains, and a tortilla!
Following lunch there was more blissful relaxing, swimming and jumping from another rope swing. At this course, sandy beach there were numerous tiny fish in the water. Unafraid of us in their river, they gave us all free “fish pedicures”. A stroll through the sand completed the exfoliation and my desert cracked feet were baby soft for the next week!
Since we had lingered long in relaxing & playing we cut the third waterfall from the trip and head back to the dock. “Komo” showed up to guide the boat back to his guard post. During the return trip up river Jose pointed out a very large orange Iguana sitting high in a tree top looking very much like a part of the jungle foliage. We motored up river quietly listening to the songs of the cicadas and howler monkeys, reveling in the peaceful late afternoon light glistening on the water in this untouched piece of paradise. During the entire day on the water we saw only one other boat of visitors. As Jose and “Captain” Robert tied up the boat and readied it for “Komo’s” watch, they spoke of the “Sunset Horseback tour” that would begin soon. We left the river with our hearts full of appreciation for God’s marvelous creation and immediately began pondering when we could go on that “Sunset Horseback tour”! Jose drove us back to town with a bathroom stop to change clothes. We settled our bill (worth every penny), wishing only that we had more time to linger in the beauty of Western Belize!
