The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is a spectacular nature reserve in the west of Belize. The area is jam-packed full of epic waterfalls, caves, creeks and other natural attractions. Whilst, you’ll also find the mindblowing Mayan ruins called Caracol nearby in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. In this guide, we’re going to reveal the nine best places to visit in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, including Caracol. This will also include details about how to visit all of the most popular sites in the reserve such as Big Rocks Falls, Rio on Pools, Rio Frio Cave and Barton Creek Caves.
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Visiting Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, Belize
The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is one of the most beautiful areas to explore in Belize. Known as Mountain Pine Ridge or simply Pine Ridge, the reserve has been a protected area since 1944. That’s mainly because the area is rich in pine forest – a type of forest that is unique in Belize.
Exploring the forest reserve offers an opportunity to traverse dramatic granite expanses atop the splendid Maya Mountains – a mountain range spanning over eastern Guatemala and western Belize, that encompasses several reserves, including Mountain Pine Ridge.
Most tourists will visit Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve from San Ignacio. This town falls along the Central America Gringo Trail, so many tourists will find themselves there. Indeed, visiting the forest reserve is one of the most popular things to do from San Ignacio. So, in this guide, we’ll tell you how to visit the forest reserve from San Ignacio. In short, you’ll need to take a tour as there is no public transport to the forest reserve, which mostly consists of unpaved 4WD-only accessible roads.
Additionally, if you plan on staying in the forest reserve itself (which is a great idea), then we’ll cover all of the best accommodation options in Mountain Pine Ridge.
FYI – there is no Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve entrance fee.
Where Is the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve?
You’ll find that the Mountain Pine Ridge location is in the west of Belize, near San Ignacio. Please click on the image below to access an interactive map of the area on Google Maps.
How Big Is the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve?
The forest reserve is around 776 square km (300 square miles), whilst the Macal River helps to form its boundaries to the west and south. The Macal River is actually a prominent feature of the reserve as it partly feeds the Barton Creek Caves, whilst tributaries of Big Rock Falls and Rio on Pools feed into the river itself.
So, now you know some background information about the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, let’s look at the best things to do during a visit!
Top 9 Things to Do in Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
There are plenty of awesome things to do in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve in Belize. The main attractions are wondrous natural sites such as Big Rocks Falls, Rio on Pools, Rio Frio Cave and Barton Creek Caves. But, perhaps the main attraction isn’t a natural attraction in Mountain Pine Ridge – it’s the Caracol Ruins, an incredible archaeological site located in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, just south of Mountain Pine Ridge.
As mentioned, the best way to visit these places in Mountain Pine Ridge, as well as Caracol, is by taking a tour from San Ignacio. Unless you plan on hiring a 4WD and are brave enough to take on the uneven and bumpy roads, taking a tour is really your only option. After all, there are no public transport options.
You’ll find a few different tour companies in San Ignacio, offering slightly varying Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve tour itineraries. Most tours combine visiting Caracol with visiting several sites in Mountain Pine Ridge Forest. Make sure to ask the tour company exactly what the itinerary includes to find out exactly where you’ll visit in the forest reserve.
Below, we’ll talk about the nine best places to visit in Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. At the same time, we’ll tell you about the best tour to do in order to visit that place.
1. Caracol Ruins
Located in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, just south of Mountain Pine Ridge, are the outstanding Caracol Ruins (AKA Caracol Natural Monument Reservation). Certainly, Caracol is one of the best Mayan ruins in Central America, let alone Belize. One of the best things about visiting Caracol is that you’re allowed to climb the steps of some of the ruins. By doing so, you’ll enjoy mesmerising views of the archeological site as well as the surrounding forest.
As mentioned, most tours combine visiting Caracol with visiting Mountain Pine Ridge. Indeed, you’ll need to drive through the forest reserve in order to reach the Mayan ruins. So, tours often include a visit to some of the natural sites in Mountain Pine Ridge either before or after visiting Caracol. Viator offers this excellent Caracol, Rio Frio Cave and Rio on Pools Tour From San Ignacio.
Viator also offers another tour from San Ignacio that visits Caracol, Rio on Pools and Big Rock Falls. If you like chasing waterfalls, we recommend this option.
Otherwise, GetYourGuide offers a similar Caracol and Waterfalls Tour From San Ignacio that visits Rio on Pools and Big Rock Falls.
Read more: Caracol Belize – Key Things to Know About Caracol Ruins Tours
2. Big Rock Falls
Big Rock Falls is certainly a highlight of visiting the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. The stunning single-tier waterfall tumbles roughly 45 metres into a gorgeous natural swimming pool. Swimming to the Big Rock Falls is an awesome experience and one of the best things we did during our trip to the forest reserve. Indeed, some of our best Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve photos are from Big Rock Falls.
To visit Big Rock Falls, you’ll want to book one of the previously mentioned tours. These include Viator’s Caracol, Rio on Pools and Big Rock Falls Tour or GetYourGuide’s Caracol and Waterfalls Tour, both departing from San Ignacio.
3. Rio on Pools
You can observe meandering rivers at the quaint Rio on Pools. Compared with Big Rock Falls, Rio on Pools is a series of cascades, flowing over sublime granite boulders. Swimming in Rio on Pools is another wonderful experience that you can have in the forest reserve.
You’ll find most tour companies offer Rio on Pools in their Mountain Pine Ridge tour itineraries as it’s fairly accessible and easy to visit. Indeed, all of the tours we’ve mentioned above include visiting Rio on Pools. But, as mentioned, make sure to double-check the itinerary with the tour company to avoid missing out!
4. Rio Frio Cave
Rio Frio Cave is another excellent natural attraction in Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. Definitely, Rio Frio Cave is one of the finest cave systems in Belize. Better yet, it’s easy to access and explore. After a short walk, you’ll reach the amazing Rio Frio Cave, where you can freely roam inside.
Often, Rio Frio Cave isn’t included in Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve tour itineraries as a focus tends to be towards visiting Big Rock Falls and Rio on Pools. This is a shame as we think Rio Frio Cave is a stellar location worth exploring. To visit Rio Frio Cave, you could do Viators’ Caracol, Rio Frio Cave and Rio on Pools Tour From San Ignacio.
Otherwise, another option is to explore Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve without going to Caracol. That way, you’ll maximise your time seeing the natural delights of the forest reserve. This means more time exploring Rio Frio Cave and swimming at Big Rock Falls and Rio on Pools. Viator offers this Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve from San Ignacio, which exclusively explores the forest reserve.
5. Barton Creek Caves
Barton Creek Caves (AKA Barton Creek Cave Reserve) is an epic cave that can be explored by canoe. Alongside, Rio Frio Cave, Barton Creek Caves is one of the best caves in Belize.
Again, the best way to visit and canoe the cathedral-like wet cave is to do a tour from San Ignacio. Viator offers this incredible Barton Creek Caves Half-Day Tour. You’ll visit Barton Creek Caves in the morning, before having the afternoon free to chill out in San Ignacio (or you could visit Xunantunich in your spare time).
GetYourGuide offers a similar Half-Day Cave Canoeing Adventure Tour From San Ignacio.
Perhaps, the best option is to combine canoeing inside the Barton Creek Caves with doing the Barton Creek Zip Line. The zip line is a thrilling and adventurous experience, which really makes the most of your day at the Barton Creek Caves. Viator offers this Barton Reek Caves and Optional Zip Line Tour.
6. Thousand Foot Falls
Thousand Foot Falls is another exceptional waterfall found in the forest reserve. The Thousand Foot Falls are actually the highest waterfall in Central America. Unfortunately, the waterfall is notoriously difficult to reach because of poor road conditions. That’s why tour companies have stopped offering tours to visit this waterfall. Unless you can negotiate a private trip with a tour company or hire a 4WD, then you may have to be content with just visiting Big Rock Falls and Rio on Pools.
7. Butterfly Falls
Butterfly Falls is yet another impressive waterfall within the forest reserve. The falls beautifully cascade 25 metres down into a turquoise-coloured pool. Although the catch is, it’s located on private property. Specifically, it’s located on private land owned by the Hidden Valley Wilderness Lodge. Essentially, to see Butterfly Falls, you’ll have to stay at Hidden Valley Wilderness Lodge. Nothing like a bit of gatekeeping!
FYI – around 30 minutes of vigorous hiking is involved to get from the lodge to the waterfall!
8. Baldy Beacon
A lesser-known attraction in the forest reserve is Baldy Beacon. It’s essentially a small mountain, that’s one of the highest points in the forest reserve. But, the major interest surrounding Baldy Beacon is its unfertile soil. Certainly, the dull and bare terrain of the area contrasts with the dense pine forests, synonymous with the reserve.
Admittedly, you won’t find Baldy Beacon included in any tours from San Ignacio. To visit, you’ll need to organise private transportation with a tour company or hire a 4WD and drive there yourself. Upon arrival, there is a trail leading to the summit.
9. Spotting Wildlife: Bird Watching
The Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is one of the best places for bird watching in Belize. During a visit, keep an eye out for rufous-capped warblers, common crossbills, pine siskins, eastern bluebirds, stygian owls, king vultures, ocellated turkeys, acorn woodpeckers, Lesson’s motmots, plumbeous vireos, keel-billed toucans and red-lored parrots. By doing any one of the mentioned tours, your guide will help to point out birds and educate you about them.
Also, Caracol is a great place to listen to and see howler monkeys!
Getting to Mountain Pine Ridge
The best way to get to Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is by doing a tour from San Ignacio. As mentioned, unless you hire a 4WD and drive there yourself, doing a tour from San Ignacio to Mountain Pine Ridge is really the only way of getting there.
Car Hire
If you don’t have your own car, you should hire one using Discover Cars. Personally, we use Discover Cars and highly recommend them for finding your ideal car hire at an affordable price. Booking online is super easy and the free cancellation policy is great.
To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.
Mountain Pine Ridge Tours
There are plenty of fantastic Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve tours departing from San Ignacio. Throughout this guide, we’ve included details of the best tours, that explore the forest reserve from San Ignacio. But, we’d like to give a specific shout-out to the tour company – MayaWalk Tours.
Personally, Beck and I visited the forest reserve, Caracol and the ATM Cave with MayaWalk Tours. They are one of the most reputable companies in San Ignacio. We certainly had excellent tour guides on each of the tours we did with MayaWalk. Better yet, MayaWalk are flexible with its itineraries. So, it’s possible to visit their office in person and ask whether certain inclusions can be made to a tour. Of course, there is no guarantee as it depends if other people have already signed up for a tour.
Where to Stay in San Ignacio
Most people will visit the forest reserve from San Ignacio. With this in mind, let’s look at the best budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation options in San Ignacio.
- Budget – Yellow Belly Backpackers: if you’re looking for the cheapest accommodation, head to Yellow Belly Backpackers. The hostel is highly-rated and is popular with backpackers.
- Mid-range – Matus Guest House: Beck and I stayed at Matus Guest House and thoroughly enjoyed it. The guest house is certainly the best value for money option in San Ignacio. A stay in a private room at this lovely guest house is a similar price to staying in a dorm room in a hostel.
- Luxury – San Ignacio Resort Hotel: the San Ignacio Resort Hotel is definitely one of the nicest places to stay in San Ignacio.
Where to Stay in Mountain Pine Ridge
Other than staying in San Ignacio, many visitors stay in the forest reserve itself. Certainly, there are many beautiful Mountain Pine Ridge resorts to choose from. Below, we’ll look at the best accommodation options in the forest reserve.
Blancaneaux Lodge
Blancaneaux Lodge is easily one of the best places to stay in the forest reserve. The lodge is beautifully set within dense pine forest, offering an excellent vantage point for birdwatching. The lodge features a forest garden, a shared lounge, terrace, restaurant and bar.
Gaia Riverlodge
Gaia Riverlodge is another stunning lodge found in the forest reserve. Offering a mixture of air-conditioned cabins, villas, bungalows and suites, there are plenty of great accommodation options at the lodge. Similar to Blancaneaux Lodge, Gaia Riverlodge also features a shared lounge, terrace, restaurant and bar. You’ll also have access to bikes, whilst swimming in the river at the property is another popular thing to do on-site.
Pine Ridge Lodge
Also known as Mountain Pine Ridge Lodge Belize, Pine Ridge Lodge is yet another highly-rated lodge in the forest reserve, located near Blancaneaux Lodge. The lodge has all the necessary amenities and facilities you’ll need during a remote forest stay. Certainly, you’re guaranteed an excellent stay at Pine Ridge Lodge.
San Miguel Campgrounds
It’s also possible to camp in Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. When it comes to Mountain Pine Ridge camping, San Miguel Campgrounds is the best place to camp.
What to Bring and Wear
Let’s talk about the things you’ll need to wear and pack for your trip to the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve in Belize.
- Swimming gear: you’ll need your swimmers if you want to swim at Rio on Pools, Big Rock Falls or Barton Creek Caves!
- Microfibre towel: a small lightweight microfibre towel is a great addition to dry off after a swim.
Osprey Skarab 30
The Osprey Skarab 30 is our go-to hiking backpack for day hikes. This well-designed unisex backpack is comfortable and spacious, so you’ll have plenty of space to pack everything without feeling the strain on your upper back.
Osprey Ultralight Raincover
A waterproof backpack cover is an absolute must when you’re adventuring outdoors. The Osprey Ultralight Raincover Medium is a high-quality waterproof cover that’ll keep your backpack bone dry.
GRAYL Reusable Water Bottle
The GRAYL GeoPress is the best water filter bottle that allows you to purify 710mL (12 ounces) of water. This bottle will make water safe to drink wherever you’re hiking.
BUFF Original Ecostretch
The BUFF Original Ecostretch is a great option when it comes to multifunctional headwear. We use the Ecostretch as a neck gaiter to keep the sun off our necks and it helps us keep warm in cooler climates.
Sony Cybershot RX100 VII
Capture epic photos and videos with the Sony Cybershot RX100 VII. This is hands-down the best compact camera. We love using this simple point-and-shoot camera when we’re hiking as it’s lightweight and durable.
To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite hiking gear, travel gear and camera gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.
Travel Insurance For Belize
You’ll need travel insurance if you’re travelling throughout Central America and especially if you’re doing adventurous activities in Belize.
Heymondo is one of the best budget travel insurance providers on the market. They provide comprehensive travel and medical insurance that won’t break the bank. Whether it’s single trip insurance, annual multi-trip insurance or long stay insurance, Heymondo offers affordable travel and medical insurance to suit all of your needs. Personally, we use Heymondo travel insurance and highly recommend it. To find out more about Heymondo travel and medical insurance, read our Heymondo travel insurance review.
Travel Insurance
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Bonus Tips
- Best time to visit: it’s best to visit in the dry season between December/January and May. Personally, Beck and I visited in February and enjoyed mostly dry weather.
- Explore the Belize Barrier Reef: in contrast to the pine forest landscape, you’ve got the awesome Caribbean coastal vibes, where you can explore beautiful cayes such as South Water Caye Marine Reserve and Laughing Bird Caye. Keep in mind, that a lot of the Belize Barrier Reef is protected and the Belize Tourism Board advise visiting the area with licensed guides. Read more about the best snorkeling tours of the Belize Barrier Reef, including tours from Caye Caulker.
- Visit the Great Blue Hole: whilst you’re in Belize, you’ll have to consider seeing the mindblowing Great Blue Hole by plane or boat.
Central America Guides
- Mexico: we spent a month exploring incredible Mayan ruins and breathtaking cenotes. Read about the 13 Best Mayan Ruins and 25 Best Cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula.
- Guatemala: we also spent a month in Guatemala, exploring all of the main natural attractions. Read our 17 Best Hikes in Guatemala guide.
- El Salvador: we spent around three weeks trekking some lesser-explored volcanoes in El Salvador. For more information, read our 20 Epic El Salvador Hiking Trails Not to Miss.
- Nicaragua: we spent another three weeks exploring Nicaragua. Read about the 16 Best Hikes in Nicaragua and the 4 Best Hikes on Ometepe Island.
- Costa Rica: we explored the most popular waterfalls and volcanoes in Costa Rica. Read about La Fortuna Waterfall, the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, Poas Volcano and Irazu Volcano.
If you have any questions about Mountain Pine Ridge in Belize, please leave us a comment. Otherwise, please read our other Belize travel guides or read 46 AWESOME Things to Do in Belize (Best Tours and Travel Tips).
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