Actun Tunichil Muknal

Cave of the Crystal Maiden

Useful Information

Location:	Seven Miles El Progresso. Departs at San Ignacio. (17.1143345, -88.8617594)
Open:	All year after appointment. [2024]
Fee:	Prize depends on tour and operator. [2024]
Classification:	Karst Cave Gateway to Hell
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	L=5 km.
Guided tours:	D=4 h.
Photography:	strictly forbidden, including smartphones
Accessibility:	no, cave trekking tour
Bibliography:	Tom Miller (1989): Tunichil Muknal, The Canadian Caver vol 21 no 2, 1989. Bruce Schulman (2017): Site Profile - Actun Tunichil Muknal, In: The Ancient Maya For Teachers & Learners, Charlotte, North Carolina. academia.edu
Address:	KaWiil Tours, Bullet Tree, San Ignacio Town, Cayo District, Tel: +501-664-5446. E-mail: Mayawalk Tours, 19 Burns Avenue, San Ignacio, Cayo, Belize, Tel: +501-824-3070. E-mail: PACZ tours, 14 Cahal Pech Street, San Ignacio, Cayo District, Tel: +501-629-5953, Cell: +501-623-2385. E-mail: Belize Tourism Board, P.O. Box 325 #64 Regent Street, Belize City, +501-227-2420. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

250-900	cave used by the Maya during the Classic Period.
1989	first exploration of the cave system.
1993	National Geographic Explorer film Journey Through the Underworld filmed.
1998	opened to the public
2000	underwater excavations by the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project/Western Belize Regional Cave Project.
2004	designated a Natural Monument by the Belize government.

Description

Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) is an important archaeological site, the cave was known to the ancient inhabitants of the area, the Mayas, and used for religious purposes. The name of the cave is translated as Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre, the name Cave of the Crystal Maiden is also commonly used. A small chamber called stone sepulchre contains a complete human skeleton covered by calcite crystals, the Crystal Maiden, hence the name. Of course, this is only the most spectacular Mayan remains among hundreds of ceramics, stoneware items, and bones of many persons which can be seen on the tour. The crystal "maiden" is actually a teenage boy, about 17 years old, who was probably a sacrifice victim. Due to his small size and slight frame it was initially believed to be a female. As a result some tour guides now call it The Crystal Prince, while others still call it The Crystal Maiden, including the Belize Tourism Board. And there are several such calcified skeletons in the Main Chamber.

The cave is sometimes called Xibalba (place of fright), but that's actually not a name of a cave, it is the name for the afterlife, heaven or hell, the place where dead people go. The Maya believed that the underworld was in the underworld of the caves, and it was ruled by the Maya death gods and their helpers. Xibalba is described in the Popol Vuh (Book of the Community, Book of Counsel) as a court below the surface of the Earth. The Popol Vuh is an oral tradition, which was recorded in writing around 1550. The archaeological remains here are an obvious sign that this cave was seen as one of the entrances to the underworld, or a "gate to hell".

The cave is visited on a (mostly easy) cave trekking tour, but it requires some physical fitness and surefootedness, and the ability to swim. On the other side, it is not really difficult, just a lot of walking, wading in the cave river, and some swimming. Getting to the cave requires a 45-minute hike through the Tapir Mountain Reserve, through the jungle and crossing the river twice. Then a short swim into the cave through a crystal-clear stream flowing from the cave opening. Bring clothes to change, a towel and a plastic bag for the wet clothes. Also, enough water for half a day and a snack, probably some energy bars. Sturdy closed toe shoes, trekking shoes, or probably gum boots and comfortable clothes are essential. Also socks for entering the archaeological parts, where no shoes are allowed. Professional cave helmets, lights and waterproof bags are normally provided by the operators.

Inside the cave, the corridors are mostly flat, the passages are mostly spacious. There are no developed paths, the visitors follow the tracks of their predecessors. Although this is quite easy and not a problem for the visitors, it poses a danger to the cave and the archaeological remains. Visitors who wander around and accidentally step on fragile speleothems or archaeological remains pose a real danger. A few years ago, a visitor accidentally dropped his camera, which fell on a skull and smashed it. As a result, photography equipment was banned from being taken into the cave, including not only all types of cameras but also all types of smartphones. The result is a strange mixture of naïve recklessness and narrow-minded regulation that we both consider dangerous, to say the least.

The cave is under protection because of its archaeological importance. After it was featured in National Geographic, it became a popular destination for adventurous travelers. In order to find a compromise between protection and tourist revenue, the Belize Tourism Board at first granted licences only to two tour operators. One of them is Mayawalk Tours in San Ignacio Cayo who offer guided tours to the cave. Beneath the so-called Day Trips they also offer Overnight Camping Trips, which include visits to various Mayan sites and rappelling into a sinkhole leading to ATM. They also offer tours into Barton Creek Cave and cave tubing trips. The other operator is Pacz Tours, However, things change, and today Kawiil Tours is the most prominent tour operator, who even provides the official link on Google. Their guide Luis is very knowledgeable as he worked with the Belize Valley Archaeological Reconnaissance Project (BVAR). He obviously worked for the archaeologists Dr. Jamie Awe, Sherry Gibbs and Cameron Griffith. And during this work he learned a lot about the archaeology of the cave firsthand. The cave is now located in the Actun Tunichil Muknal Natural Monument, which is managed by the National Institute of Cultural and History (NICH).

Dr Jaime Awe, from the University of New Hampshire, was the first archaeologist to explore Actun Tunichil Muknal (Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre). It was named after the sacrificial chamber within the cave where the remains of a young woman were found. Fourteen burials have been found in Actun Tunichil Muknal. The cave also contains two slate stelae in front of which Maya elites cut themselves with obsidian blades to collect their blood and offer it to the gods. A stream flows out of this cave, providing the main water supply for the camp. Actun Tunichil Muknal also contains large broken pottery. Calcite from dripwater has encased many of these finds over the centuries.

Numerous tourist outfits lead trips to the cave.

Text by Tony Oldham (2004). With kind permission.