Aquamarine waters help drain tension as you glide above the treetops along the Belizean coast. The 12-seat single-propeller Cessna lands on the worn and bumpy paved runway just 100 yards out flanked by water at the landing and stopping points. One tight change of course and you’re heading to a local airport the size of a postage stamp. Within minutes the fresh and local produce and mail are loaded, your pilot signs the sign-in sheet and manifest, and you’re getting ready to take off on the long driveway. During this short landing until take off time, native animals are known to graze on the runway, locals will have to chase them away.

Two more landings and twenty minutes later you will land in the small town of Punta Gorda, surrounded by spectacular views of the protected and private rainforest. A secluded resort nestles among little traveled nature trails, wild shrubbery, hidden caves, tropical waterways, and centuries-old archaeological sites. Your professional guide will pick you up and take you to the resort for a refreshing, fruity drink. In your spare time, stroll down the stone walkway, among hummingbirds and tropical flora, to its two-story, hand-carved and built cabins, filled with terraces and beds with mosquito nets.

Enjoy a morning bike ride on the nature trail with your guide and picnic lunches. Visit the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, Ballum Na, in Indian Creek, where you can see a beautiful and shiny toucan, a pair of jaguars, and a black howler monkey, which will hold your hand with its soft little hands as it hangs on its tail. .

There are two nearby archaeological sites documented from 790 BC. C. Nim Li Punit (Big Hat) was discovered in the eighties, where 26 stelae were unearthed. These stelae are believed to be monuments representing his life. A religious neighborhood is located on top of the rock formations. This pyramid-style construction was made without any mortar. A grassy area in the middle seemed to be a popular sport with two men and a ball.

Later, hop into a canoe or kayak and then enjoy a leisurely paddle on the Golden Stream River, through one of the few natural rainforests in the world. Your guide will point out various birds, flora, fauna and any animals that you may find; the golden and white anteater, sea otters or bats sleeping on a tree trunk. Vines hang peacefully over the trees and cross the narrow channel, while night bats sleep in a ceiber tree on the shore. The river bed is littered with debris from leaves and branches that recycle life. A sea otter basks on a rock ahead while a snake bird dives for fish.

Welcome to Jungle Camp, the jungle of Belize. Tall, arthritic-looking redwoods reach for the sky and provide an ecosystem for some jungle dwellers. A clear, unspoiled stream takes visitors from the uncivilized world to remote areas of the jungle by canoe and kayak. Beautiful and unusual flowers and plants, as well as some spiders and snakes, quietly make this their home. An easy and rewarding paddle welcomes you to a private sanctuary where tropical colored toucans, dancing butterflies and black howler monkeys peacefully cohabit.

A canopied maze with about a dozen thatched huts sits 20 feet above the ground, quietly hidden in the jungle.

A moist, green, and woody scent wafts below your nostrils. A narrow band of light is barely visible on the canopy of the trees; ceiber, palm and redwoods. In the distance, the morning songs of the kingfisher and hummingbirds sing along the river. Your flashlight beam picks up something on the ground. In the soft earth there are footprints. Cool, after rain, one after another down the trail. Upon closer inspection, you can make out the definition of these heavy but clear footprints. A jaguar prowls near the camp. Other smaller footprints are that of the Tapir, the national animal.

The jungle, or shrub as the locals call it, is home to nearly 600 species of exotic birds, mammals, and plants.

Paddle or ride a motorboat out of the jungle to Moho Caye. Your private oasis awaits you. Watch dolphins play nearby as you dock on the sandy beach. Some mangroves and pine trees provide shade for well-camouflaged iguanas and visiting humans. Beautiful shells line the path to your thatched roof tent / cabin. Relax on your private deck in an Adirondack chair or in the handcrafted redwood dining room. I breathe for man and nature. Miles of blue-green ocean to the east towards sunrise and dormant mountains to the west.

From cave exploration and jungle hikes to diving with porpoises, stingrays, and close to the largest natural reef, come see the world through emerald lenses.