Barton River Cave Canoeing
Canoeing really is the sport of gentlemen. Treat yourself to all that comfort and directional control (not like those crazed tubers) and get yourself a vessel which demands international acclaim. The canoe really is feat of ingenuity and design. Don’t take our word for it, try it yourself with the Medics Away Canoeing Adventure Activity (previously known as the MACAA).
This half day adventure begins with a scenic drive through the farmlands of the Mennonite. Arriving at the large entrance of Barton Creek cave, we board canoes and slowly paddle through the serene crystal formed passages the ancient Maya believed to be their underworld. You’ll find yourself ending this adventure with a cool invigorating swim at the entrance of the cave.
We start off from San Ignacio with an hour drive through farmland where you can see the Mennonite in their traditional style of living. We reach Barton Creek, which is a large river passage over 4.5 miles long navigable by open canoe. At the large entrance of the creek cave we board our canoes, switch our lights (1,000 candle lamps) on and slowly paddle our way into the cave passage. While floating deeper into the passage we learn of the geology, archeology and Maya history of this passage, as our lamps bring to life crystal formations that are a few million years old. After exploring this passage we turn our canoes around and float back out. We then park our canoes at the entrance of the cave and complete our half-day tour with a swim.
It is always optional to spend the rest of the day visiting the Mountain Pine Ridge (Rio on Pools, Thousand Foot Waterfalls) to complete the tour and head back to the town of San Ignacio.