Quetzal Biotope & Maya Cave, Guatemala

Guatemala – 2016. The Quetzal Biotope or Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve is a park which is operated under the watch of San Carlos University. It is a protected area about an hour’s drive from the town of Cobán and covers almost 3,000 acres (1,044 ha) of cloud forest. There are two trails open to the public. The Los Helechos trail is 2 km (1.25 miles) long, and the Los Musgos trail that is about 3.8km (2.4 miles) long. I walked the Los Helechos trail and it has a vertical elevation of 320m (1,040 feet). There are lots of streams, a few waterfalls, ferns, ancient trees, flowers and everything is green. The Cueva de Chicoy Altar de los Mayas is a sacred Mayan cave in the municipality of Purulhá, Baja Verapaz Department. It is a sacred place for the Q 'Q'eqchi and Poq' omchies, and since ancient times has been used as a ceremonial center. The cave has a fairly large mouth which is entered by going down a well-defined trail which descends into a large cavern. Even at the bottom there is some natural light but the cave was filled with smoke and mist so the visibility was poor. The path down into the cave got progressively more challenging because the dampness made it very slippery.
A flower and mosses growing in the Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Very large fern growing in the Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Cloud forest, Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Cloud forest, Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Cloud forest, Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Fern fronds opening in the Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
A fern fiddlehead in the Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Los Musgos trail rises 320 meters in the Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Cloud forest, Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Cloud forest, Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Cloud forest, Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Cloud forest, Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
One of many small streams in the Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Very dense growth – a real jungle in the Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Los Musgos trail in the Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Interesting plants and lots of ferns in the Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Interesting plants and lots of ferns in the Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Los Musgos trail rises 320 meters in the Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Cloud forest, Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
Cloud forest, Quetzal Biotope (Mario Dary Rivera Nature Reserve), Guatemala
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