Chiquibul National Park

Chiquibul National Park is a major protected area in the Cayo District of western Belize, conserving large tracts of the Maya Mountains and associated rainforest. The park contains extensive forest, karst terrain and cave passages and is important for regional biodiversity and archaeological sites.

Visitors and researchers come to access forest habitat, cave systems and remote archaeological remains; access is limited and typically requires organised trips because of the park’s size and remoteness. The park forms part of a larger transboundary forest landscape that extends toward Guatemala.

The protected area was created to conserve rainforest, watershed values and cultural heritage associated with the Maya Mountains and to regulate access and resource use within this remote region. Management focuses on forest protection, law enforcement and support for archaeological research.

The park is located in western Belize’s Cayo District within the Maya Mountains; its terrain is rugged and largely forested, with limited road access from regional centres such as San Ignacio.

• Large protected forest: The park protects extensive contiguous tropical forest and cave systems in western Belize and is part of the Mesoamerican biodiversity corridor.

What to See #

• Maya Mountains forest: A large area of lowland and montane tropical forest in the Maya Mountains that includes karst and cave systems important for archaeology and biodiversity.