Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Why you should do a Belize tour of Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

The beautiful Central American nation of Belize is jam-packed with fun things to do and interesting places to visit. However, no trip to Belize would ever be complete without spending some time in the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Upon its founding in 1984, this beautiful piece of land became the first jaguar preserve in the entire world. It was chosen for this honor after an ecological study conducted between 1982 and 1984 found that the Cockscomb Basin area was home to the highest density of jaguars ever recorded. The reservation was just 3,600 acres when it was originally created, but it has since been expanded and now stands at a whopping 128,000 acres.

Though Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is primarily a jaguar reserve, it is also home to a wide variety of other unique animals. On a visit to the park, you can see tapirs, deer, scarlet macaws, and keel-billed toucans. This abundance of wildlife is mainly due to the fact that Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a tropical moist rainforest which provides them with plenty of food and nutrients.

Of course, if animals aren’t your thing and you would prefer to just spend some time exploring the area, you will no doubt be pleased to know that Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary has lots to see. The area is renowned for its picturesque mountain views, magnificent waterfalls, and winding nature trails. For an up-close look at the natural beauty of Belize, there are few places better than Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.

During your time in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, it is also worth remembering that the area plays an important role in the entire Belizean ecosystem. The reserve is home to two water basins which flow into some important local river systems. The park’s East Basin flows into South Stann Creek while the West Basin makes its way into Swasey River. Keeping these waters pure at their source is the best way to ensure that locals can enjoy clean water further downstream.

If you are interested in spending some time at the beautiful Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Uncharted Jewel Belize is the company to speak with. Our experts can help you book a tour of the reserve that you will never forget. To learn more about Uncharted Jewel Belize’s tours of Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and the company as a whole, simply visit www.UnchartedJewelBelize.com.

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Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the most expansive and beautiful parks within the country of Belize, beginning along the Caribbean coastline and rising along the Maya Mountains. Despite being without roads, businesses or even hunters, the Basin is world famous for being the sole nature reserve within the region that features free-roaming jaguars.

Whether you want to go on a short day hike or an adventure taking several days, Cockscomb Basin affords visitors plenty of chances to see tropical birds, waterfalls, mountain views, ancient forests and a veritable menagerie of creatures like amphibians, butterflies, deer, monkeys, reptiles and, the national animal, tapirs.

The area occupies more than 150 square miles and was the home of the Maya empire some 100 centuries ago. Nowadays, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is among the most important natural habitats within Belize, possessing a vibrant biome that allows exotic flora and fauna to thrive. The reserve’s name comes from the nearby Cockscomb Mountain Ridge, so named for its resemblance to the comb atop a rooster’s head.

The Tour.

It takes around two hours of driving from Dangriga to reach the sanctuary by way of Hummingbird Highway. The entrance of this site is occupied by a traditional Maya village where the residents show off their gardens and homemade trinkets.

After reaching the park, participants are given a short orientation that includes a viewing of the cages reserve founder Dr. Alan Robinowitz used to store animals. After orientation concludes, tourists will follow a guide and hike the well-worn trail. Over the tour’s course, the guide will inform about any of many interesting flora or fauna native to the area. At the hike’s conclusion, participants are treated to a home-cooked meal.

Once lunch has finished, the tour takes on an aquatic aspect. Participants will clamber aboard inner tubes for a leisurely trip along the South Stann Creek River, offering plenty of opportunities to take pictures. Upon once again reaching terra firma, another hike will continue, this time toward a waterfall. The waterfall offers people a chance to be massaged by its waters and even enjoy a naturally water-carved slide into where the fall empties out.

The tour concludes with one final hike that returns participants to the vehicles parked back at the Maya village.

If any of this sounds at all appealing, please feel free to tour with Unchartered Jewels, a local touring company based in Dangriga.

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