If you're looking for an Indiana Jones-style of adventure, then this cave in Belize is just the place to visit. The Actun Tunichil Muknal (the Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre or also known as the ATM Cave) contains 1000-year-old skeletal remains, thought to be human sacrifices.
The most famous of the remains is "The Crystal Maiden" above, the skeleton of an adolescent girl, whose bones have calcified to a have a sparkling, crystal-like appearance.
It's not easy to reach the Crystal Maiden - to get there, one has to trek through a jungle, swim into the cave, then wade up the cavern river for more than half a mile. The Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre is definitely not for the faint of heart!
Photo: Peter Andersen
- once you leave the entrance to the park (about a mile from the cave) there are only facila-trees so go before you leave.
- There are places to change and shower at the entrance
- You will get wet, there are a couple water crossings prior to the cave and you will swim in the cave
- There are some tight areas to squeeze through but none are longer than about a body width
- You will not be able to take any camera or electronic equipment as previous visitors have damaged the remains by dropping cameras on them so everything is banned