Explore the caverns’ beauty and history and watch as their most notable residents—thousands of bats—rush from their homes to explore the dark skies at night. On a tour, learn the importance of various chambers such as the Altar of the Pillory where Mayan priests perform sacred rites, and the Bridge of the Fall of the King, a bridge that was restored after collapsingxa0 under the weight of King Leopold of Belgium while visiting years back.
Many tours include a hike in the 27-acre (11-hectare) national park and a relaxing float down the Lanquin river.xa0 Since the region is quite remote, multi-day tours from Antigua make sense, as you’ll have the time to take in the highlights. Trek to the alpine town of Cobán to spot quetzal and rare orchids in El Biotopo del Quetzal forest, explore the caves, and then move on to the spectacular limestone pools of Semuc Champey.