Blue Hole National Park in Belize Travel Guide

You may have seen images of Belize’s famous blue hole: a perfectly round, sapphire sinkhole embedded in the country’s beautiful barrier reef. It’s a bucket-list scuba diving destination and major tourism draw—but it’s not the only blue hole worth a swim in the country.

Deep in the jungle, just off the Hummingbird Highway near the country’s capital city of Belmopan, is the lesser-known blue hole, which is a cenote in a national park. Originally called Blue Hole National Park, the name was changed to St. Herman’s Blue Hole to avoid confusion with the one found in the sea, which is called Blue Hole National Monument. Now that we know which watery pit we’re talking about, the exploration can begin.

Unlike the blue hole of the sea, the inland one is a little trickier to find. The cenote is tucked away inside 575 protected acres of national park land, which also includes two cave systems and several hiking trails. Reaching this blue hole involves walking down a short but steep section of stairs, which has a landing where visitors can leave their clothes and other items. The cold, clear water is surrounded by moss-covered limestone cliffs studded with jungle plants. Though overall it’s very quiet, there’s usually a symphony of birdsong in the background.

There’s plenty of adventure to be found in the caves and on the trails, especially for wildlife…