Dive into Belize! Explore coral reefs, trek through jungles, float through caves, and journey into the ancient world of the Mayans. This adventure is packed with unforgettable experiences above and below the surface that will leave you with incredible memories to last a lifetime.

Overview - Learning Comes Alive in Belize!

Get ready for the ultimate trip to Belize! You will spend the first seven days at a private island paradise where you will explore coral reef ecosystems, spot vibrant marine life, and visit world-famous sites like the Great Blue Hole and Elbow Reef. When you’re not underwater, you’ll have time to kayak, paddleboard, or simply relax at the pool, or on the beach, outside your oceanfront cabana.

After spending a week exploring the largest barrier reef system in the Western Hemisphere, your adventure continues inland! Float through vast underground caves, trek through the jungle on a night hike, and experience the legendary Actun Tunichil Muknal—an awe-inspiring cave system filled with ancient Mayan artifacts and historical gems.

This Belize EDventure blends thrilling ocean exploration, jungle adventures, cultural discoveries, and learning opportunities into an experience you’ll never forget!

The Details – Where Science Meets Adventure!

Your expedition begins when you land in Belize City and board a boat that will carry you across sparkling tropical waters to a private island paradise—your home for the next 7 nights.

Each day offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in the wonders of marine science and ecology. You’ll participate in three daily scuba dives, or two daily snorkel excursions, where you’ll learn to identify reef fish, observe coral health, and understand the dynamics of marine ecosystems firsthand at some of the most remarkable sites in the world. You’ll visit the iconic Great Blue Hole, a geological marvel, and the renowned Elbow Reef, known for its biodiversity and abundance of marine life. Above water, you will hike through pristine habitats on a remote atoll while learning about the unique flora and fauna that thrive there.

Kayaks, paddleboards, a beach volleyball court, and a pool are available to use during your free time, before you retire to your oceanfront cabana. Gather on your shared patio, or under the star-filled sky, to relax, reflect, and discuss the day’s discoveries. When you finally collapse in your bed, you’ll be lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves outside your door.

After a week exploring the ocean, your journey continues inland as you travel deep into the Belizean jungle for a two-night stay at an eco-lodge perched above the banks of the Macal River. Along the way, you’ll float through a vast cave system on an inner tube, learning about the geology that shaped this spectacular underground world. After arriving at the lodge, you will take a guided night hike to experience the sights and sounds of the rainforest after dark.

The next day brings one of the most unforgettable highlights of the trip—a visit to Actun Tunichil Muknal. This once-in-a-lifetime experience combines history and anthropology, as you hike, crawl, and swim through a prehistoric cave system containing ancient Mayan artifacts and ceremonial remains.

This bucket-list trip is the perfect opportunity to connect with nature, engage in field-based learning, and gain a deeper understanding of the natural world and the importance of its conservation.

• Spend 7 nights in an oceanfront cabana at an eco-resort on a private island

• Swim amongst tropical fish, rays, and sea turtles as you explore the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean (5 days of 3 dives, or 2 guided snorkels, per day)

• Visit The Great Blue Hole to snorkel, or dive, this legendary site

• Hike along nature trails on a secluded atoll

• Kayak, paddle-board, play beach volleyball, enjoy the pool, or just relax on the beach, during your free time

• Spend 2 nights at an eco-lodge in the Belizean jungle

• Float on an inner tube through an ancient cave system used by the Mayans for spiritual rituals while witnessing schools of eyeless cave fish, stalactites, and strange Mayan paintings on the rocky ceilings above

• Take a guided hike through the rainforest at night

• Hike, crawl, wade, and swim through the “Mayan underworld” at Actun Tunichil Muknal

• Learn about marine ecology, reef fish diversity, invertebrate biology, cave geology, and Mayan culture, during evening presentations and guided tours

This trip is being organized by:

Mr. Scott Collins

sgcollins80@gmail.com

815-252-1093

Documentation

You must have a U.S. passport valid for the length of your stay and proof of an onward or return ticket.

Minors

Parents will need to supply a notarized “permission to travel” form. The document must be signed by both parents.

State Department Website

The package includes roundtrip airfare from Chicago.

Price does not include baggage fees, special travel, or additional costs due to airline imposed surcharges, and taxes prior to ticketing, nor does it include extra costs associated with cancellations or missed connections. Once booked, the ticket is the property of the named ticket holder and it is non-refundable and non-transferrable. 

7 nights at Blackbird Caye Resort (double cabana room with 2 beds, AC)

2 nights at Blackrock Jungle Lodge (double cabin with 2 beds, ceiling fans)

All participants must be able to swim.

SCUBA Divers must have at least 3 logged dives in the past year.

Coming Soon

Snorkeling & SCUBA dive gear are not included. Gear can be rented onsite, or you can bring your own.

Mask & Fins $90 USD per week

BCD $90 USD per week

Reg $90 USD per week

Wetsuit $90 USD per week

Dive computer: $20 per day or $120 per week

All Participants

A Travelex Insurance Services Student Group Essentials plan is paid and provided by Green Edventures as part of your trip package. This plan includes post-departure benefits only. See the attached flyer for more information. Click here and select your state of residence from the dropdown to view a copy of the policy.

At Green Edventures, we recommend you purchase a travel protection plan with additional benefits to help protect you and your trip investment. In today’s changing travel environment, it’s important to protect your travel investment and well-being so you can relax and enjoy your trip. Unforeseen events such as flight delays, baggage loss or even a sudden sickness or injury could impact your travel plans.

For your convenience, we offer a travel protection plan through Travelex Insurance Services. For more information on the available plan please review the Student Group Plus flyer. If you would like to enroll in the plan, please click below:

https://partner.travelexinsurance.com/index.aspx?location=28-0108&go=PSPCZ&navigation=off&groupname=GreenEdventures 

Installments

For your convenience you can pay for your adventure in interest-free monthly installments using a checking account or credit card. 

ACH / Checking Account 

Pay zero transaction fees when you pay from your checking account.

Credit Card

Want to rack up points on your credit card? We get it. WeTravel will add a service fee to the total amount of your trip if you pay with a credit card. Credit Cards fees: 2.9% (Amex: 3.9%). This is a bank convenience fee not a fee added by Green Edventures. 

Alternate Between ACH & Credit Card

You can change your payment method at any time in your WeTravel Account. 

Click on links to review:

Terms & Conditions

Cancellation Policy

After landing at the Belize International Airport, we’ll head to the nearby marina and board a boat for an exhilarating ride across the Caribbean Sea. Our destination? Blackbird Caye – an eco-resort on its own private island within the Turneffe Atoll.

Upon arrival at this island paradise, you’ll have time to settle into your oceanfront cabana before gathering together for dinner in the palapa-style restaurant. As the evening winds down, relax in your patio hammocks and soak in the ocean breeze before drifting off to sleep with the sound of waves outside of your door.

Meals: Dinner

Get ready to dive into the largest reef system in the Western Hemisphere! Snorkelers will kick off the morning with their first guided reef tour, while the divers meet for a thorough briefing followed by a check-out dive to prepare for an epic 15 dives in 5 days.

After lunch, we’ll all head back out for another round of world-class snorkeling and diving. Some of the most spectacular reef sites in the world are only a short five-minute boat ride from Blackbird Caye.

When the day’s adventures wrap up, you’ll have free-time to kayak or paddleboard, spike it out on the beach volleyball court, or simply unwind in the pool.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We’ll enjoy another unforgettable day in paradise, exploring more spectacular dive and snorkel sites within the marine protected area surrounding our island home.

Today’s highlight will undoubtedly be our visit to the Witconcrete Wreck. Built during World War II as part of a rare experiment with concrete cargo ships, it was later sunk to create an artificial reef. Today, this 375 foot long wreck is covered with colorful coral, sponges, and sea fans and serves as a thriving habitat for schools of fish, curious eels, and even the occasional sea turtle. As you snorkel, or dive, around this giant underwater playground, you will explore a piece of history turned into a living reef.

Upon returning to the island, you’ll have some free-time to relax, and/ or take advantage of the island’s amenities, before we meet for dinner. We will conclude the evening with another engaging learning session focused on fish identification and reef ecology.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we will visit three of Belize’s most legendary dive and snorkel sites. Our first stop is The Great Blue Hole, a world-famous natural wonder. Advanced divers will descend into its deep, sapphire waters to swim around the massive stalactite formations at 130 feet. The rest of the group will be able to explore this geological marvel while snorkeling above the bubbly coral reef along the rim.

Next, we’ll head to the Half Moon Caye Wall, a breathtaking drop-off where the reef suddenly plunges into the open ocean. Snorkelers and divers alike will glide past walls covered in sponges and corals, keeping an eye out for eagle rays and reef sharks passing by in the blue.

Our final stop is The Aquarium, a site bursting with marine life. This shallow reef is famous for its crystal-clear water and incredible biodiversity. Expect schools of tropical fish, bright corals, and the chance to see turtles, rays, and maybe even a dolphin or two.

Morning: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

On our fourth day snorkeling, or diving, on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, we’ll head out to explore a new stretch of this incredible ecosystem. Divers will have a chance to do 3 dives along vibrant walls and coral canyons, while the snorkelers enjoy two guided swims above colorful coral gardens filled with parrotfish, angelfish, and sea turtles. Each site reveals a different side of the reef’s biodiversity, giving you the chance to see how all of the species and habitats connect to create this thriving oasis.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our fifth day on the reef takes us to another set of unforgettable dive and snorkel sites. Snorkelers will float over shallow reefs where sea fans sway in the current and schools of tropical fish swirl beneath them during their two boat trips. The divers will descend for three dives through reef ledges, swim-throughs, and dramatic drop-offs patrolled by rays, moray eels, and reef sharks. After several days immersed in this underwater world, you will appreciate how many fish you are able to name and notice how the biodiversity on the reef changes from site to site.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

On our last day on the water, we’ll take a boat trip to one of Belize’s most exciting sites, Elbow Reef. Divers will experience a thrilling drift dive, as the current carries them along dramatic reef walls. The snorkelers will have a front-row seat to the action in the shallows, as they explore picturesque coral gardens filled with a diversity of reef fish. Whether on top or below, you will quickly see why Elbow Reef is one of the most famous and unforgettable spots on the Mesoamerican Reef.

After we dry off, we’ll head to Calabash Caye for a guided hike on an uninhabited island in the Turneffe Atoll. Along the trails, we’ll learn about the area’s unique coastal ecosystems, spot native plants and wildlife, and see firsthand how land and sea connect on this remote atoll.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We will enjoy our last breakfast at Blackbird Caye before saying goodbye to our island paradise. The boat will take us back to the mainland, but our adventure is far from over!

From Belize City, we will travel inland towards San Ignacio to spend our last two nights at an eco-lodge in the Belizean jungle.

Nestled deep in the rainforest along the banks of the Macal River, the Blackrock Lodge is surrounded by jungle-covered cliffs and endless green canopy. We will sleep in rustic, but comfortable cabins that blend into the forest while dining at the on-site restaurant that serves fresh meals prepared from the lodge’s own gardens and farm.

The ride to the lodge takes about two and a half hours if we were to drive straight there, but there is no way we would pass by the Cave Branch River Archaeological Reserve without stopping for another adventure. Once we reach the river, we’ll jump into inner tubes and float downstream, weaving in and out of cave systems and gliding past an underground waterfall. With only our headlamps lighting the path, we’ll spot massive stalactites hanging from above, ancient pottery tucked into corners, and even statues of Mayan fertility gods carved into the rock. We’ll break for lunch during the excursion before continuing our journey inland.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We will meet for an early breakfast before heading out for an all-day excursion to Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) where we will journey into the Mayan underworld.

A visit to ATM is like stepping straight into history and adventure at the same time. After a short jungle hike and river crossing, we will enter a cave system once used by the ancient Mayans for sacred ceremonies. Equipped with headlamps, we’ll swim and wade through crystal-clear water, climbing deeper into chambers filled with stalactites and stalagmites. Along the way, we’ll see centuries-old pottery, artifacts, and even human remains left as offerings – the most famous being the “Crystal Maiden”, a skeleton that became fused to the cave with glittering minerals over 1,000 years ago.

After our thrilling and unforgettable glimpse into the mysteries of Mayan culture, we will return to the lodge to hang out, laugh about all the trip highlights, and savor our final Belizean dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We’ll wake up early for our final breakfast in Belize while taking in the sweeping views of the jungle and river one last time. Afterward, we’ll load into the van for our transfer back to the Belize International Airport. With stories to tell, phones full of photos, and a lifetime of memories to look back on, we’ll say goodbye to paradise…until our next Edventure!

Meals: Breakfast