Join us for a magical tour of Belize, visiting sacred Mayan ruins and temple sites over the course of our eight-day retreat. Known as the epicenter of the ancient Maya world, Belize once was home to more than 2 million Maya. Sacred temples, pyramids, advanced science, agriculture, mathematics, palaces, and architectural marvels are their legacy. Without the use of iron or the wheel, the civilization reached its zenith at the time when Europe was in the Dark Ages. We’ll visit four ceremonial temple sites over the course of our retreat, allowing us to understand key pieces of spiritual development that pre-date the Spanish conquest of the Americas. We’ll learn about the history and culture, and go more deeply into our own spiritual practices as a group.The retreat is limited to fifteen people total, to keep the experience intimate and deep.
Dates: April 12 – April 19, 2024
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED.
DAY ONE
Arrival in Belize City, Belize
Arrive in Belize City (Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport) where you will be met in baggage claim by a driver holding a sign with your name. After clearing customs and immigration, you’ll be transferred to our hotel, where we’ll stay for one night. We’ll meet together in the evening for introductions and our first group circle, to help create group energy which will build and carry us through the retreat.
DAY TWO
Altun Ha Mayan Ruins and Corozal
Checking out of our hotel, we’ll head to the Altun Ha Mayan ruins en route to Corozal. One of Belize’s best excavated archeological sites, Altun Ha has two main plazas surrounded by more than a dozen Mayan temples, pyramids, and residential structures. The jade carving of “Kinich Ahau,” the Mayan sun god, measures 6” long and 10 pounds. It’s the largest carved jade item in the area, and is represented on the top left corner of Belizean money. Home to more than 200 species of bird, we may also see armadillos, fox, deer and agouti. After touring the ruins, we’ll take about a two-hour drive to the coast where we’ll spend three nights total exploring Corozal and the surrounding areas.
DAY THREE
Lamanai Archeological Preserve and Ruins
We’ll leave early from the hotel for one of our beautiful full-day experiences in Belize. The Lamanai temple site was inhabited for more than 3,000 years, and arriving here includes a beautiful 26-mile boat ride up the winding New River. We’ll see iguanas, lily trotters, snail kites and crocodiles, as we wind our way toward these tremendous ruins. “Lamanai” means “submerged crocodile,” and the lagoon that encompasses the front of this temple site is replete with crocodiles. We’ll experience a range of Mayan ceremonial buildings, including a 108-foot staircase at the High Temple, where we can see an amazing view of the jungle and New River Lagoon. We’ll see the Jaguar Temple and the Mask Temple, which features a pair of 13-foot limestone masks adorned with crocodile headdresses.
DAY FOUR
Cerros Mayan Ruins and Travel to San Ignacio
Today we pack up to leave from Corozal to venture to San Ignacio. Along the way we’ll tour the Cerros Mayan Ruins, the only seaside ruins in Belize. Standing out against the bright blue sky and turquoise sea, several of the structures are currently submerged. We’ll arrive to views of the Bay of Chetumal and the town of Corozal. We will climb the funerary building which offers beautiful panoramic views, as well as an impressive look at the canal system, along with stucco-façade buildings and plazas. We’ll visit its most famous temple which displays stucco masks representing the sunrise, sunset, morning star and evening star. Rituals were performed at the epicenter of this location, with the priest standing here at the perceived center of the cosmos. From there we’ll travel about three hours by coach to arrive in San Ignacio where we’ll spend the three final nights of our retreat.
DAY FIVE
Maya Healing with Maria Garcia
We will spend a day in healing and ceremony with Maria Garcia, niece of Don Elijio Panti, on the ancient Maya lands that were rescued and recovered by her organization. We will participate in a Maya Blessing releasing negativity, opening our path and allowing for self-healing. We will eat a traditional Maya lunch and then participate in a Fire Ceremony. The Fire Ceremony includes burning sacred offerings shaped into mandalas, barks, seeds, leaves, etc, in order to facilitate an exchange between the spiritual and physical realms. The jungle and lands we will visit that are now Noj Kaax Meen Elijio Panti National Park was the same place in which Don Elijio would pick sacred herbs, meditate, commune with nature, offer ceremonies and give thanks to the Spirits and ask them for help with healing, especially in cases where there was great illness.
DAY SIX
Cave Tour, Cacao Preparation Experience or Free Day
After breakfast, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from three experiences based on your energy level and preference. You can opt for a free day to explore the town of San Ignacio, rest, eat and enjoy some shopping. Your second option is to participate in a cacao preparation experience, where you’ll learn the traditional way the Maya prepared cacao by grinding it from the bean into a paste, in addition to the traditional spices added to this ceremonial drink. The third, is to enjoy a four-hour cave tour in which we’ll travel, via canoe, through an underground cave system. We’ll visit an ancient Mayan waterway inside the mountain where it’s believed that the Mayas once used as a center for ritualistic activities, agricultural rituals and possible fertility rites.
DAY SEVEN
Xunantunich
After breakfast, we’ll take about a 30 minute coach ride to our final temple site at Xunantunich. We’ll board a hand-cranked cable ferry from San José Succotz over the Mopan River – aside from on the back of a horse, it’s the only way to reach the Mayan ruins of Xunantunich. Many of the large structures on view at this site were built starting in the 7th century, but Xunantunich is estimated to be much older. Some experts believe people were living here as far back as 3,000 years ago. El Castillo (“The Castle”) dominates the excavated site of these Mayan ruins. Some archeologists believe that the Mayans used the pyramid as an ancestral shrine for the ruling family, evident in the friezes depicting gods of creation and the tree of life that cover the structure. About 130 feet from top to bottom, El Castillo is the second largest building in Belize, just behind the Sky Palace at Caracol. We can climb to the top for a breathtaking 360-degree view as far away as Caracol and Guatemala on a clear day, and listen for the distinct call of the howler monkeys that live in the area.
DAY EIGHT
Return to Belize City and Home
We’ll officially complete our retreat in San Ignacio this morning, and coach transportation to Belize City is included in your retreat cost. However, if you’d like to extend your stay, or travel to any other additional destinations, you can make those travel plans with our travel agent or on your own. It is about a 2 hour coach drive from San Ignacio to Belize City, and we’ll coordinate the departure time as we know everyone’s flight and travel plans.
PRICING & DETAILS
COST IS INCLUSIVE OF:
- Breakfast
- Lodging in 3 to 4 star hotels
- All transportation once in Belize, to and from sites and hotel
- All entrance fees and activities
- Tours, tour guides and special guest speakers plus their gratuities
COST DOES NOT COVER:
- Transportation to and from Belize City (Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport)
- Lunch and dinner
LOGISTICS:
Payment plans are available and may be set up once you have placed your $350 deposit.
Travel Insurance is available for purchase. If you must cancel your trip for a covered reason, the entire amount paid is refundable. You may purchase the optional Travel Insurance with Toni when you book flights and other incidentals.
WEATHER, CURRENCY AND TIME CHANGE:
The weather in Belize in early April is rather temperate, with highs of 85° F (29° C) and evening lows of 76° F (24° C). We have chosen to plan the retreat just before the beginning of the high season, allowing us the benefits of good weather but less crowded sites. The US dollar is accepted in Belize, English is widely spoken and Belize is on Central time, making for an easeful experience in terms of jet-lag.