The ATM cave (Actun Tunichil Muknal) is a limestone cavern in western Belize which contains ancient Mayan archaeology. I visited this area in early 2007 and it remains as one of the most memorable and adventurous trips I’ve taken.
We hiked through the jungle and had to cross rivers and streams 3 times. Along the way we heard the sound of howler monkeys calling, saw a taranchula, fire ants, and a variety of unusual plants.
After hiking for perhaps an hour (give or take), we reached this jungle hut area, surrounded by huge tropical plants.
Nearby was the entrance to the ATM cave. We had to swim inside, then had to wade through waist deep water much of the time- even crawling up part of a miniature waterfall- to progress through the cave. We also had to stay clear of one side of the cave, because it was home to thousands of bats, which we saw flying in and out.
There were numerous stalactite formations throughout the cave.
We reached a section of the cave where we had to climb up to another level, then only wore socks thereafter to minimize erosion in the artifact area. This image shows some of the ancient Mayan pottery that remains.
A live human skeleton was in one of the back rooms of the cave.
A picture of me at the mouth of the cave after a full day of exploring.
The guide said this cave is likely to be closed someday, in effort to prevent further damage to the ancient artifacts inside. I enjoyed it while I had the opportunity and it remains one of my best adventures.