Less than a half hour south of Belmopan and covering over 575 acres is Blue Hole National Park. The Blue Hole is actually a large sinkhole which is part of an underground river system, and visitors can take a dip here in its deep turquoise waters surrounded by mosses and lush vegetation.

The Blue Hole Park is rich in wildlife and harbors the jaguar, ocelot, tapir, peccary, tamandua, snakes, toucans, motmots, and more. The actual pool itself is an oblong collapsed karst sinkhole, 300 feet across in some places and about 100 feet deep. Water destined for the nearby Sibun River surfaces briefly here only to disappear once more beneath the ground.

Steps lead down to the swimming area, which is a pool only 25 feet deep or so. The Blue Hole National Park is also home to St. Herman's Cave, which can be visited with a licensed guide (for more on St. Herman's Cave, click here).