Do you dare to explore the Mayan underworld? Dare to discover a unique place

In Belize there are hundreds of caves that served as portals to what the Mayans called Xibalbá, home of ancient gods of death located underworld, rituals and extraordinary relics.

For many, the concept of hell exists in another dimension. But in Belize, the entrance to the underworld is right beneath your feet. This small Central American country is home to hundreds of caves, many of which can be explored. But they are more than just a place to practice speleodiving. These caves are said to be the way to Xibalbá, or the Mayan underworld .

Cave tourism is one of Belize’s top activities, allowing travelers to explore Mayan mythology and culture underworld. Great effort has been made to open several caves and make them accessible to visitors. However, archaeologists have barely explored what lies beneath the surface. Here’s how to explore these haunting portals to the Mayan underworld.

The speleological wonderland

Xibalbá , meaning “place of fear,” was important in ancient Mayan culture. The Popol Vuh, the book of creation of the Q’eqchi’ people, described it as a court that existed beneath the surface of the earth, where the Mayan gods of death reigned, and a crossroads of the living and the dead.

According to Holley Moyes, a professor of archeology at the University of California, Merced and a National Geographic explorer , historians continue to speculate about why ancient civilizations viewed caves as portals to the underworld.

“We know that in Neanderthal times people were buried in the dark areas of caves in what we think could be some kind of cult related to bears,” says Moyes.”If you think about it… What do bears do in winter? They hibernate in caves. They appear to be dead. Then they wake up and go about their business, so possibly the ancients saw this as a kind of resurrection.”

The underworld gods controlled every aspect of Mayan life, from the weather (Chac) to the harvest (Hun Hunahpu), and even dictated marriage (Ixchel). The first inhabitants of the

region entered the caves underworld to celebrate important rituals, such as burials, bloodletting and sacrifices. Archaeologists continue to find evidence of these practices today.

One of the most popular caves in Belize is Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM), in the west of the country, near San Ignacio. The Mayans consider the ATM, which means Cave of the Stone Sepulchre, a sacred place. The cavern houses the bones of 13 men, women, children and the famous “Crystal Maiden”, which is believed to have been a sacrifice. Decades of erosion and calcification have given the surface of the skeleton a gem-like appearance. Other Mayan artifacts and remains are completely calcified on the cave floor. In 2012, photography and video were banned to protect the objects.

Miguel Choco, Q’eqchi’ Mayan tour guide at The Lodge at Chaa Creek, says visiting Xibalbá is key to understanding the ancient Mayans and their history. “It is vital to know the (context) of the ceremonial activities in the caves and why they ended with human sacrifices,” which often occurred when drought, infertility and famine devastated the population, he says.

Choco adds that taking visitors to the caves allows him to share Mayan history and how their legacy is not limited to the past. “The world should know that we still maintain as much of the culture as possible,” he says.

In fact, more than 11% of Belize’s population are indigenous Mopan, Yucatec and Q’eqchi’ Mayans. Many of them continue to practice ancestral traditions, speak Mayan languages and subscribe to mythologies transmitted from generation to generation.

How to explore the Mayan underworld

It’s hard not to feel the presence of something ancient and significant when entering a Belizean cave, even ones without visible skeletons. In central Belize, visitors can take a guided canoe trip or swim to the underworld at Barton Creek Cave , the longest underground grotto in the country. Fragments of pottery, jewelry and the remains of at least 28 individuals, from children to adults, have been found inside the 10 natural cornices, which were once a ceremonial site.

However, with only six kilometers of the cave mapped so far and several more to explore, who knows what other relics remain. Archaeological work inside the cave continues, little by little revealing important clues about the fall of the powerful civilization that once ruled from present-day Mexico to El Salvador.

Not all Belize caves come with stories of death, but they can send shivers down your spine. An hour from the capital Belmopan, the Caves Branch River flows through the 19 caves of Nohoch Che’en ,a popular tubing destination. The hour-and-a-half floating excursion takes travelers past towering stalactites and preserved Mayan ceiling paintings.

At certain points along the route, the tubists enter the darkness. Headlamps are provided, but embracing the darkness is the best way to see the caves like the ancient Mayans did.