Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) is one of the best tours in San Ignacio. It combines hiking, rivers, caves, skeletons and a little swimming.

The tour starts at 8:30ish. It's about a 45min. drive to the trail head in Tea Kettle. The trail wanders though some pretty good jungle and it crosses the same river 3 times. The river crossings are anywhere from knee to waist deep. While hiking, you'll see lots of bugs and maybe ever some larger wild life (depending if groups went ahead of you). At the main camp outside the mouth of the cave, you'll usually have a little snack before heading in and you are given your head lamps.

In the Cave

You'll be going 1500ft into the bowels of the earth. From the mouth you swim in about 25ft. and the rest of the trip you'll be wading through water ankle to chest deep and climbing in, under, on and around boulders. There are a few neat things the guides will point out on the way to Boot Hill (this is what you climb up to get to the main chamber). In the main chamber you'll see skeletons encased in limestone (looks a bit like diamonds), all sorts of pots and formations. You'll spend three hours total in the cave, about an hour and forty-five minutes of that is in the main section of the cave. The whole tour takes just about five hours.

The Price Tag

• 110us per Person
• 95us with 6 or more people
• Incl. Lunch, Transportation and Entrance Fee