Saint Herman's Blue Hole National Park

Location: Cayo District  Map

Area: 500 acres (2 sq km)

Open: 8am-4:30pm

Entrance Fee: BZ $10

 

Description of Blue Hole National Park

Saint Herman's Blue Hole National Park is a nature preserve situated South- East of Belmopan in Cayo District of Belize. Saint Herman's Blue Hole National Park is a fairly small preserve covers an area of 500 acres of 2 sq km and it is managed by Belize Audubon Society. It is named after a pool hidden in the jungles. Its water usual blue color gave its name along with the whole park. Saint Herman's Blue Hole was formed after collapse of underground passages thus forming a water filled cenote that measures 350 feet across and about 50 feet deep. You are allowed to swim here, but take in consideration that the water is fairly cool.
 
Additionally there are two cave systems those entrance are enclosed by the boundaries of Saint Herman's Blue Hole National Park. One is called Saint Herman's and the other Crystal underground system. It is one of the caves in the country that doesn't require guide assistance unless you want to venture deeper in the underground chambers that were used by the Mayans for their sacrificial ceremonies. Most of the time it was pottery with various foods that were "sacrificed" by making a hole in vases and amphora. In dire conditions natives resorted to more gruesome acts that involved murder of humans to appease many gods of the underworld. Their calcified remains are still visible in the underground chambers of these expansive cave systems. Both are of natural origin formed by geological processes.
 
Additionally there are over 200 species of birds that are frequent in the area of Saint Herman's Blue Hole National Park. Sometimes hikers met several species of wild cats that include jaguars, ocelots and jaguarundi. If you don't want a sudden encounter with any of these animals travel in groups or bring something that makes metallic sound. It will scare all the wild life away.

 

 

The park's blue holes contain various unique cavefish and invertebrates. The park also contains thousands of acres of pine forest, which provide habitat for birds such as the Bahama oriole, great lizard cuckoo, western spindalis, red-legged thrush, black-faced grassquit and Cuban emerald.