Home to rolling Maya Mountains, the world’s second-largest barrier reef, and an umpteenth amount of eclectic wildlife, one can argue every day could be Earth Day when in Belize.
The tropical destination was made in the image of Mother Nature and it doesn’t let travelers forget it. It’s no surprise, then, that when Earth Day 2022 rolls around this April 22nd, there are myriad ways to honor the special day during your Belize vacation.
To give you some inspiration, we have rounded up the best ways to celebrate Earth Day in Belize, from opting for greener transportation to spending time in the wild.
Walk a medicinal trail
There is no purer form of celebrating nature than spending time outdoors. This Earth Day, take the road less traveled and venture to the dew-dropped jungles of Belize via a Maya medicinal plant trail. Chaa Creek’s vast 400-acre preserve provides one of the most interesting and ecologically enlightening trails in the area, where you get to learn about the jungle’s natural resources and how they’re used to treat various ailments. Take a page out of the book of the Mayas and learn about the herbs responsible for abating malaria, diabetes, and many more. You can opt to bask in the beauty of beloved Earth for its special day either via guided or self-guided exploration.
Explore the jungle on horseback
There is no honoring Earth Day without addressing alternative forms of transport. A great way for eco-travelers to offset their flight’s carbon footprint is by taking a greener approach to Belize exploration. Consider wandering Belize’s outbacks via horseback, traversing the Chaa Creek Nature Reserve to admire its sub-tropical broadleaf forest peppered with ancient Maya sites. Prepare for stunning vistas of Chaa Creek’s undulating valley below its highest point on the trail. Keep your eyes – and ears – on the highest alert for any swinging howler monkeys roaring their cacophonous greetings. You may stop once or twice on the trail to let a family of coatimundis cross your path or to spy the occasional Blue Morpho attempting to flit past surreptitiously.
Eat sustainably
A sure-fire way to ensure you’re practicing sustainability for Earth Day is to eat organically. Luckily, Chaa Creek has an on-site Maya Organic Farm to give you a closer look at what that looks like. The 33-acre Maya organic farm forms an integral part of not only Chaa Creek, but of sustainable farming in Belize as a whole. Using traditional Maya farming tactics coupled with advantage irrigation systems, the Maya organic farm produces fresh produce for the lodge. Using the same resources supplied by nature allows us to produce only the very best, at little to no cost to the environment. You can visit the Maya farm on horseback as well, and see the magic unfold before your very eyes. Skim your fingers atop lush mint leaves and basil herbs used in cocktails and drinks at the lodge.
Book an eco-friendly stay
Celebrating Earth Day while on vacation extends to where you choose to stay, as well. Staying at an eco-lodge like Chaa Creek takes the responsibility off your shoulders as your every move is built with conservation in mind. From encouraging a strict reduce, reuse, and recycle initiative to operating on energy-efficient power, Chaa Creek is designed to leave the Earth better than we found it. Eco-lodges serve as a springboard to landing a positive impact on not only the environment but the community as well. You can rest your head easy on your comfortable pillow knowing the lodge practices leave no trace guidelines, social welfare, educational programs, educational field trips, and more. Conservation is at the heart of Chaa Creek, as it should be for every eco-lodge. The best part? All of these stellar conservation efforts are practiced 365 days of the year – not just on Earth Day.
Dive into the barrier reef
Holding the world’s second-largest barrier reef has its perks. Earth Day wouldn’t be complete without diving into one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, a 180-mile-long beauty woven with fire corals, white-tipped waves, and hundreds of species of marine life. Belize’s barrier reef is the embodiment of the beauty of nature, a fierce protector doubling as a gentle abode awaiting discovery. This Earth Day, accept its invitation to writhe beneath the sea amongst kaleidoscopic parrotfish, sleek-lined dolphins, and leather-faced loggerhead turtles. Appreciate the world from a watery perspective by donning your fins and googles at the nearest caye. Here, your worldly worries wash away and the only important bits remain – you and your ever-evolving love for the ocean.
Travel slower
If the last two years have taught us anything at all it’s the importance of traveling more slowly. The act of taking our time in appreciating the colorful destinations helps both the places we visit and our psyche. By taking a longer trip, travelers indulge in more meaningful interactions and deeper types of travel. A more engaged travel experience blooms, one often benefitting local communities since revenue goes directly back into the community. An initiative Chaa Creek already champions with its Chaa Creek Cares program. Slowing down and living in the present also holds immense benefits for our mental health. There’s no rush to complete an average itinerary, now devoid of ubiquitous experiences found anywhere else. This takes celebrating Earth Day a step further, where now we are also prioritizing our wellbeing along with Mother Nature’s.
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We all have a social responsibility as eco-travelers to understand the impact our actions have on Earth. This makes it doubly important to partake in these activities not only on Earth Day but every day of the year. To make it easier, Chaa Creek can help plan your ultimate eco-friendly vacation from the moment you set foot in the sunny country of Belize. Feel free to email us or give us a call toll-free at +1-877-709-8708 to help you celebrate Earth Day the way it was meant to.