Welcome to Hummingbird Highway
The lyrically named Hummingbird Hwy is one of the prettiest drives in Belize, winding its way through jungle and citrus orchards and impossibly small villages as it skirts the northern edges of the Maya Mountain range between Belmopan and Dangriga. Passing caves and jungle adventures, on a clear day the road affords plenty of postcard-perfect vistas. You can drive the 55-mile length of it in two hours but along the way are some excellent ecolodges and budget accommodations, just begging for an overnight stay.
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Hummingbird Highway activities
Waterfalls and 1000 Foot Falls by Helicopter
Your adventure will begin once you board your private helicopter at the Cisco Base Heliport in Belize City. This unique adventure will take you to see the Mayan Mountain Rivers, Valleys and Waterfalls among others. After leaving the heliport, you will follow the Burdon Canal which was built to provide an inland waterway for fresh farm producers from the fertile Sibun River Valley to Belize City in the 1920’s. You will then head south-west of the Northern Lagoon and fly over the Sibun River, one of Belize’s major river systems with many twists and turns in approximately 100 miles of actual river. Then it’s out to the green pastures of the beautiful forest of Belize. Fly over the small but famous bathing spots such as Freetown Sibun, Butcher Burns, Cedar Bank and Gracy Rock Bank. You will then fly over Caves Branch where you will be able to see the beauty of the river as it flows through the cave system. This area encompasses 58,000 acres that are situated beneath a 100 ft rainforest canopy and is bordered by turquoise waters of Caves Branch River. Ahead of Caves Branch lays deep forest of the Mountain Pine Ridge. Not long after your eyes start to dazzle at the sparkling water that runs from the largest waterfall in Belize and in Central America; called 1000 ft Falls. This has recently been proclaimed a National Monument and has been opened to the public. Even though the name suggest otherwise, this waterfall is closer to 1,600 feet. Around this area there are many different beautiful and breath-taking waterfalls. After viewing all these amazing waterfalls, you will head up across the Mountain Pine Ridge area to have a bird’s eye view at the second-highest elevation in Belize, Victoria Peak. This mountain is 3,675 feet high and is surrounded by the tropical rainforest. To reach the peak of this mountain by ground the duration time is approximately 1 to 2 days long. Victoria Peak is located on the remote northern boundary of the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary which is world renowned for being the first Jaguar Reserve. The tour then heads north across the Stann Creek District and Hummingbird highway. You will then fly across the Sibun Forest Reserve and finally the Southern and Northern Lagoons as you head for your final landing at Cisco Base, Belize City.
Xunantunich and Blue Hole
Xunantunich has six major plazas with more than twenty-five temples and palaces. "El Castillo" (the Castle), the largest rising to 130 feet above the plaza. El Castillo has carved friezes on the east and west sides. The frieze on the east has been preserved and covered with a fibre glass replica of the central mask representing the sun god. Leave Placencia at 6:30 am for the drive to the majestic Hummingbird Highway drive with its karst limestone topography intermixed with orange groves. Turn west at Belmopan toward Guatemala and Xunantunich. On the way home, stop along the Hummingbird Highway to enjoy a refreshing swim in Blue Hole National Park. Return to Placencia in the evening around 7:00 pm.Wear sturdy shoes, long sleeved shirt, long pants and a hat and a swim suit. Bring a camera, binoculars, insect repellent, sunscreen, and plenty of water.Fitness level required: low to moderate