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Maya stone structure with steps, surrounded by grass and trees.

Toledo

Lubaantun, Nim Li Punit, Hokeb Ha and the southern cayes

Before you go, understand the place.

Toledo District gathers the Maya sites of Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit, run by NICH; Hokeb Ha cave, near Blue Creek; Rio Blanco National Park, run by the villages of Santa Cruz and Santa Elena, and, at sea, the Sapodilla Cayes and Port Honduras marine reserves.

By Asesordeviaje.com Editorial Team · updated

Themed guides

Places grouped by theme, to plan your day.

  • Maya sites, cave and waterfall

    The status of Lubaantun and Nim Li Punit, Maya sites run by NICH, of Hokeb Ha cave and of Rio Blanco National Park is unconfirmed.

    Open the full guide

  • Southern marine reserves

    Sapodilla Cayes and Port Honduras are marine reserves run by the Fisheries Department, and their status is unconfirmed.

    Open the full guide

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
Tropic Air announced on 30 September 2026 that it is closing its Punta Gorda station from 1 November 2026; Maya Island Air lists Punta Gorda among its destinations on a website last updated in February 2023. James Bus Line links Punta Gorda with Belize City, stopping along the highway, according to Visit Toledo (April 2026), which also lists water taxis Monday to Friday between Punta Gorda and Puerto Barrios and between Punta Gorda and Livingston (Guatemala), with several operators and unconfirmed times. Punta Gorda is one of the entry points managed by the Border Management Agency. The Border Management Agency identifies four entry points it manages: Northern Border in Santa Elena (Corozal); Western Border in Benque Viejo del Carmen (Cayo); San Pedro in Ambergris Caye; and Punta Gorda in Toledo. This is the agency’s list, not an inventory of every entry point in the country. Its FAQ lists 24 hours for the northern and western land borders and 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. daily for San Pedro and Punta Gorda. Current hours are unconfirmed and secondary sources give different times. These are not boat schedules.

Tips and precautions

  1. NICH tickets are paid in Belize dollars; each is valid for a single visit to the site named, within six months of purchase, and is non-refundable; NICH only considers exchanging it for another site or date in case of closures due to bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances, according to its terms.
  2. Visit Toledo (April 2025) lists US$10 for non-residents at Hokeb Ha and Rio Blanco; whether those fees still apply is unconfirmed. The same source says guided tours are required at Hokeb Ha.
  3. The known Sapodilla Cayes fee is the one in the 2020 regulations (BZ$20 per day for non-Belizeans) and whether it still applies is unconfirmed; ask your operator whether the trip includes it.

Safety and precautions

  • The United Kingdom reports injuries and deaths in activities such as snorkelling and diving, mainly through inadequate precautions and bad weather, and advises checking the forecast and using only registered and licensed operators.
  • The United Kingdom (June 2026) warns of armed criminals in remote forested areas of Belize, particularly the border area with Guatemala and close to tourist sites there, which are patrolled by the Defence Force, with no reported incidents involving tourists. Spain (update of 19 May 2026) recommends avoiding the adjacency zone with Guatemala. Neither warning names a specific place in this guide.
  • If you cross a land border, Canada advises using only official crossings, allowing for delays and not travelling after dark.
  • 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 is the entry to Lubaantun?

According to NICH’s official shop: non-residents BZ$20 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents BZ$10.

Do you need a guide for Hokeb Ha?

Yes: Visit Toledo says that because of changes in water levels and cave conditions guided tours are required; they are available in Blue Creek and neighbouring villages.

How much is Sapodilla Cayes?

The 2021 management plan lists BZ$20 per day for non-Belizeans and BZ$5 for Belizeans, for visitors over 12; the fee in force in 2026 is unconfirmed.

Sources

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

  1. NICH – Lubaantun, entradas y horario (tienda oficial)2026
  2. NICH – Nim Li Punit, entradas y horario (tienda oficial)2026
  3. NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita2026
  4. Visit Toledo – Hokeb Ha (Blue Creek Cave) (29 abr. 2025)2025
  5. Visit Toledo – Rio Blanco National Park (29 abr. 2025)2025
  6. TIDE Tours – Rio Blanco National Park (operador)2026
  7. Belize Fisheries Department – Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve2026
  8. Belize Fisheries Department – Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve, plan de manejo (dic. 2021)2021
  9. TIDE Tours – Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve (operador)2026
  10. Belize Fisheries Department – Port Honduras Marine Reserve2026
  11. TIDE Tours – Port Honduras Marine Reserve (operador)2026
  12. Reino Unido (FCDO) – Belize: safety and security (12 jun. 2026)2026
  13. Belize Police Department2026
  14. Tropic Air – Tropic Air Announces Closure of Punta Gorda Station (30 sep. 2026)2026
  15. Maya Island Air (8 feb. 2023)2023
  16. Visit Toledo – Getting Here (11 abr. 2026)2026
  17. Border Management Agency – Points of Entry (21 oct. 2022)2022
  18. Border Management Agency – FAQs2026
  19. Gobierno de Canadá – Belize travel advice (15 jun. 2026)2026

Everything you can do

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

Showing 6 of 6 · 6 unconfirmed, flagged

Nature and jungle · 2

  • Illustration of a hanging bridge and a zip line

    Hokeb Ha (Blue Creek Cave)

    AdventureStatus unconfirmed

    A cave explored by swimming through three natural pools; it was a Maya ceremonial site, where the polychrome Hokeb Ha Vase (A.D. 600–800) was found, according to Visit Toledo.

    Status unconfirmed: Visit Toledo publishes fees and hours on a page from April 2025.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Current fee unconfirmed. Visit Toledo (29 April 2025) lists US$10 for non-residents and US$5 for residents, with free entry for Belizean residents on Sundays and public holidays.
    Hours
    Current hours unconfirmed. Visit Toledo (29 April 2025) lists Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    Source
    Visit Toledo – Hokeb Ha (Blue Creek Cave) (29 abr. 2025) · 2025

    Tip: Because of seasonal changes in water levels and cave conditions, guided tours are required; they are available in Blue Creek and neighbouring villages, according to Visit Toledo.

    Nearby: Rio Blanco National Park (5.3 km) · Lubaantun (12.6 km)

    Sources: Visit Toledo – Hokeb Ha (Blue Creek Cave) (29 abr. 2025)

    Near Blue Creek, a 20-minute walk from the village, according to Visit Toledo. The pin is the cave mouth in OpenStreetMap; it is not the visitor entrance.38.1 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

  • Illustration of a forest with a volcano behind

    Rio Blanco National Park

    NatureStatus unconfirmed

    A national park inside the Maya Mountain Forest Reserve, with a waterfall dropping into a swimming pool and a rope bridge over the river; it was created and is run by the villages of Santa Cruz and Santa Elena, according to Visit Toledo.

    Status unconfirmed: Visit Toledo publishes fees and hours on a page from April 2025.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Current fee unconfirmed. Visit Toledo (29 April 2025) lists US$10 for non-residents and US$5 for residents, with free entry for Belizean residents on Sundays and public holidays. An older government regulation lists different fees; it is unclear which applies now.
    Hours
    Current hours unconfirmed. Visit Toledo (29 April 2025) lists Monday to Sunday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
    Source
    Visit Toledo – Rio Blanco National Park (29 abr. 2025) · 2025 · +2

    Tip: Visit Toledo says the waterfall drops 20 feet and TIDE Tours that it is 12 feet high.

    Nearby: Hokeb Ha (Blue Creek Cave) (5.3 km)

    Sources: Visit Toledo – Rio Blanco National Park (29 abr. 2025) · TIDE Tours – Rio Blanco National Park (operador) · Gobierno de Belice – National Parks System Regulations (texto normativo histórico; vigencia tarifaria actual sin confirmar)

    About 30 miles north-west of Punta Gorda, according to TIDE Tours. The pin is the park in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.42.9 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Lakes, rivers and waterfalls · 2

Living culture · 2

  • LubaantunDennis G. Jarvis · CC BY-SA 2.0

    Lubaantun

    CultureStatus unconfirmed

    A Maya site famous for its limestone blocks fitted together without mortar, according to NICH, which runs the site.

    Status unconfirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Non-residents: BZ$20 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$10, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
    Hours
    Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour starts one hour before closing, according to NICH.
    Source
    NICH – Lubaantun, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · 2026 · +1

    Tip: NICH asks for footwear for rough ground, to stay on marked trails, to use the handrails and not to jump on the monuments; each guide takes at most 15 visitors.

    Nearby: Hokeb Ha (Blue Creek Cave) (12.6 km)

    Sources: NICH – Lubaantun, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita

    A mile from San Pedro Columbia, Toledo District, according to NICH. The pin is the archaeological site in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.29.1 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

  • Nim Li Punit

    Nim Li Punit

    CultureStatus unconfirmed

    A Late Classic Maya site in the foothills of the Maya Mountains, known for the jade Wind Jewel and its carved stelae, according to NICH.

    Status unconfirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop.

    Practical details and sources
    Entry
    Non-residents: BZ$20 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$10, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
    Hours
    Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour starts one hour before closing, according to NICH.
    Source
    NICH – Nim Li Punit, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · 2026 · +1

    Tip: NICH asks for footwear for rough ground, to stay on marked trails, to use the handrails and not to jump on the monuments; each guide takes at most 15 visitors.

    Sources: NICH – Nim Li Punit, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita

    Near Indian Creek, Toledo District, according to NICH. The pin is the archaeological site in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.17.5 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

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