Mountain Pine
Ridge

Caracol, pools, waterfalls and caves

Before you go, understand the place.

The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, south of San Ignacio, has pools, waterfalls and caves such as Rio On Pools, Big Rock Falls and Rio Frio Cave; further south, inside the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, lies Caracol, the country’s largest archaeological reserve, run by NICH. Near the reserve entrance is the private Green Hills Butterfly Ranch.

By Asesordeviaje.com Editorial Team · updated October 5, 2026

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Select a place to view its details. Open a group to see its places.Map: © Stadia Maps © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap

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Status unconfirmed

Groups: the number in the middle is the total of places; the ring shows their statuses. Open a group to see the breakdown.

The “Open and seasonal” filter covers open (0) and seasonal (0) places.

Themed guides

Places grouped by theme, to plan your day.

Pools, waterfalls and caves
Rio On Pools, Big Rock Falls and Rio Frio Cave are in the forest reserve; only travel blogs about them were read.
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Caracol and Green Hills
Caracol is a Maya site run by NICH and Green Hills is a private butterfly ranch. The status of both is unconfirmed.
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Plan your visit

The practical information you need to plan your visit

The essentials

Best time to go: The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, although a cyclone can form outside that period (Government Press Office, 28 May 2026). Follow the warnings from the National Meteorological Service of Belize and the NEMO emergency agency. The rainy season runs from May to November, with flooding that can cut roads and flooded temporary bridges in the south, particularly in Stann Creek and Toledo.
Getting there: Public transport to the reserve and to Caracol is unconfirmed; a travel blog (8 Sep 2026) suggests a rented 4×4 or a tour operator.

Tips and precautions

A travel blog (8 Sep 2026) says there is a checkpoint at the reserve entrance where visitors’ details are often noted, that it is not always staffed, that entry to the reserve and its natural attractions is free and that many inner roads are still unpaved and get muddy.
Caracol’s hours are unconfirmed: NICH’s ticket page mixes information about Caracol and Cahal Pech. There is no official information on the road or any checkpoints on the way.
Green Hills Butterfly Ranch charges in US dollars (US$20 per adult) and NICH charges for Caracol in Belize dollars (BZ$25 for non-residents): compare them in the same currency.
In 2025 a blog reported the road to Rio Frio Cave temporarily closed by the rains, with access on foot, and advised consulting local operators in bad weather.

Safety and precautions

The United Kingdom (June 2026) notes that Belize has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world and that gang violence is concentrated in Belize City, particularly south of the Haulover Creek (Southside); tourists are not normally the targets, but anyone nearby could be affected. It warns of theft from tourists in San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia and San Ignacio, and of armed criminals in remote forested areas near the border with Guatemala, which are patrolled by the Defence Force, with no reported incidents involving tourists.
Canada (15 June 2026) advises a high degree of caution throughout Belize due to high levels of violent crime and to avoid non-essential travel to Southside Belize City, south of the Haulover Creek, due to gang and drug-related violence. It notes higher crime in border areas such as Melchor de Mencos and Chetumal, and near the Caracol ruins, close to the border with Guatemala.
Emergencies: 911 (Belize Police Department); 922 for anonymous reports. The United Kingdom also lists 90 for ambulance, fire and police.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to visit the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve?

A travel blog (8 Sep 2026) says entry to the reserve and its natural attractions is free; no official confirmation.

How much is the entry to Caracol?

According to NICH’s official shop: non-residents BZ$25 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents BZ$15.

How far is Caracol from San Ignacio?

NICH puts it 50 miles from San Ignacio, inside the Chiquibul Forest Reserve; a travel blog gives about 40.

Sources

Information checked in October 2026. Prices, hours and rules change: confirm them with the official source before you travel.

Everything you can do

Closed or restricted places are included and flagged, so you know what to expect.

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Showing 5 of 5 · 5 unconfirmed, flagged

Nature and jungle · 2

Photo: Dennis G. Jarvis · CC BY-SA 2.0
Rio Frio Cave
AdventureStatus unconfirmed
A limestone cave carved by the underground Rio Frio River, with an entrance over 20 m (65 ft) high; a travel blog (8 Sep 2026) says it is one of the few caves in Belize you can explore without a guide.
Status unconfirmed: the only information available comes from travel blogs.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Free, according to a travel blog (8 Sep 2026); no official confirmation.
Source
Thoroughly Travel – Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (blog; 8 sep. 2026) · 2026 · +1
Tip: According to the blog, the dirt road gets very muddy and is often impassable, and most people park by the road and walk about a mile. In 2025 another blog reported the road closed until the next dry season, with access on foot.
Nearby: Rio On Pools (3.3 km) · Big Rock Falls (6.9 km) · Green Hills Butterfly Ranch (13.6 km)
Sources: Thoroughly Travel – Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (blog; 8 sep. 2026) · Nayawalk – Mountain Pine Ridge (blog; actualizado el 7 sep. 2025)
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. The pin is the «Rio Frio Cave C» cave mouth in OpenStreetMap; it is not the visitor entrance.6.9 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Photo: Judy Gallagher · CC BY 2.0
Green Hills Butterfly Ranch
WildlifeStatus unconfirmed
A private butterfly ranch with about 30 native species in a large flight area, on a 250-acre forest property where it has recorded 316 bird species, according to the ranch.
Status unconfirmed: the ranch publishes hours and prices on its website.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Adults US$20 and children US$10, according to the ranch, which does not define the age of a «child».
Hours
Monday to Sunday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., public holidays included, according to the ranch.
Source
Green Hills Butterfly Ranch · 2026 · +1
Nearby: Barton Creek Cave (5.1 km) · Big Rock Falls (7.2 km) · Cahal Pech (11.9 km)
Sources: Green Hills Butterfly Ranch · Thoroughly Travel – Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (blog; 8 sep. 2026)
Near the entrance to the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, according to a travel blog. The pin is the ranch in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.20.2 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Lakes, rivers and waterfalls · 2

Photo: Jriveragt · CC BY 4.0
Rio On Pools
WaterStatus unconfirmed
A series of small granite waterfalls dropping into natural swimming holes, surrounded by pine forest, according to a travel blog (8 Sep 2026).
Status unconfirmed: the only information available comes from travel blogs.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Free, according to a travel blog (8 Sep 2026); no official confirmation.
Source
Thoroughly Travel – Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (blog; 8 sep. 2026) · 2026 · +1
Tip: According to the blog, it has toilets, a changing hut, a picnic area and a viewpoint, and the pools are about a 5-minute walk downhill.
Nearby: Rio Frio Cave (3.3 km) · Big Rock Falls (4.8 km) · Green Hills Butterfly Ranch (12 km)
Sources: Thoroughly Travel – Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (blog; 8 sep. 2026) · Nayawalk – Mountain Pine Ridge (blog; actualizado el 7 sep. 2025)
Off Chiquibul Road, in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, according to the blog. The pin is the place in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.9.9 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Photo: Russell Harrison Photography from Raleigh, NC, US · CC BY-SA 2.0
Big Rock Falls
WaterStatus unconfirmed
A waterfall of about 45 m (150 ft) that drops into a deep pool and then into a larger, calmer one, on Privassion Creek, according to a travel blog (8 Sep 2026).
Status unconfirmed: the only information available comes from travel blogs.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Free, according to a travel blog (8 Sep 2026); no official confirmation.
Source
Thoroughly Travel – Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (blog; 8 sep. 2026) · 2026 · +1
Tip: According to the blog, there are no facilities (no toilets, food or water); it is a 10-minute hike down a steep wooden staircase, and good hiking shoes, not just flip-flops, are essential.
Nearby: Rio On Pools (4.8 km) · Rio Frio Cave (6.9 km) · Green Hills Butterfly Ranch (7.2 km)
Sources: Thoroughly Travel – Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (blog; 8 sep. 2026) · Nayawalk – Mountain Pine Ridge (blog; actualizado el 7 sep. 2025)
About 2 miles down Blancaneaux Line, according to the blog. The pin is the waterfall in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.13.8 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Living culture · 1

Caracol
CultureStatus unconfirmed
The country’s largest archaeological reserve: its Caana complex, some 139 ft high, is the tallest building in Belize, and at its peak the city covered about 38 square miles with 80,000 to 100,000 people, according to NICH.
Status unconfirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop, and road access is unconfirmed.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Non-residents: BZ$25 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$15, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
Hours
Hours unconfirmed: NICH’s Caracol ticket page contains a description of Cahal Pech and lists 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with the last tour at 2:00 p.m. and departure expected by 3:00 p.m. It is unclear whether those hours apply to Caracol.
Source
NICH – Caracol, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · 2026 · +4
Tip: Canada (15 June 2026) notes higher crime near the Caracol ruins, close to the border with Guatemala. There is no official information on the road or any checkpoints on the way.
Sources: NICH – Caracol, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · NICH – Caracol (13 jun. 2024) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita · Thoroughly Travel – Caracol (blog; 8 sep. 2026) · Gobierno de Canadá – Belize travel advice (15 jun. 2026)
Inside the Chiquibul Forest Reserve; NICH puts it 50 miles from San Ignacio and a travel blog about 40. The pin is the site in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.20.2 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Before you go, understand the place.

Themed guides

Pools, waterfalls and caves

Caracol and Green Hills

Plan your visit

The essentials

Tips and precautions

Safety and precautions

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Everything you can do

Nature and jungle · 2

Rio Frio Cave

Green Hills Butterfly Ranch

Lakes, rivers and waterfalls · 2

Rio On Pools

Big Rock Falls

Living culture · 1

Caracol

Keep exploring Belize