Cockscomb and River Tubing
Explore Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve, Jungle Hike and River Tubing
Discover river tubing in Belize at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary has the world’s highest concentration of big cats. In addition to jaguars, this 126,000-acre Jaguar Reserve is home to jaguarondis, pumas, ocelots, and margays. Moreover, there is plenty of “cat food” including agouties, anteaters, armadillos, tapirs, and brocket deer. Additionally, coatis, kinkajous, otters, pacas, and peccaries are common. Lots of birds can also be seen while hiking this beautiful wildlife refuge. Furthermore, your licensed guide will show you many plants and trees and explain their uses to the Maya.
Hiking paths range from easy to strenuous. A typical tour includes an easy hike along the River Walk trail. Additionally, you will learn about plants, trees, birds, insects, and animals in the Jaguar Preserve. enjoy river tubing in Belize and take a 20-minute hike to swim in the cool pool below the waterfall.
For those looking for more of a workout, climb to Ben’s Bluff for panoramic views of Mount Victoria and Outlier. Moreover, you can take a swim beneath the waterfall on the way back. Tiger Fern is another good workout — it takes about an hour to reach the peak. Furthermore, it takes another hour to hike down the other side to a waterfall. There are lots of other trails to explore depending on your interest and fitness level.
Additionally, check out the plane that’s a short hike off the road and read the amazing story of how it came to be there.
The tour leaves Placencia at 08:00 am and returns at around 4:30 pm.
Wear sturdy shoes, a long-sleeved shirt, and long pants for hiking. Additionally, bring water shoes and a swimsuit for the river tubing. Bring a camera, insect repellent, sunscreen, and plenty of water. Moreover, birders should bring binoculars as the jungle is quite dense. We also recommend a change of clothing.
Fitness level required: Low to strenuous, depending upon the specific trail.
For those interested, we can also arrange a night tour of the preserve. Moreover, an overnight stay in the Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve is possible. You will see more animals in the evening or early morning than during the day. Furthermore, we recommend no more than 4 persons with one guide for the night tour, so that silence can be maintained. Better yet is two persons with one guide.
Background and History
The Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar Preserve is the world’s largest Jaguar Reserve, established in 1986. Dr. Alan Rabinowitz came to Belize to study jaguars in the early 1980s. After an overview study, he settled into a lumber camp in the Cockscomb basin. As a result of his studies, he convinced the Government of Belize to establish the preserve. Furthermore, they removed the logging camp and the Maya Indians relocated to Maya Center. The Belize Audubon Society now manages the preserve, and most of the rangers and workers are Mayans.
With time, the Jaguar Preserve expanded to cover about 400 square kilometres (150 sq mi). Moreover, it now connects through the Maya Mountains to the Bladen Nature Reserve. As a result, the total protected area covers about 250,000 acres. Jaguar monitoring continues to this day. Additionally, rangers gather data using motion detector-operated cameras — you may get your picture taken if you trigger one!
Trails and Hiking at Cockscomb
Cockscomb has a very extensive trail network with enough variation for all hikers and naturalists. Victoria Peak is the second-highest peak in Belize. Furthermore, due to its terrain, hikers consider it the mountain to climb in the country. Additionally, Outlier offers a challenging climb with great panoramas. However, you can only climb both mountains during the dry season.
