A trip to Cockscomb is easy to arrange from any of the numerous tour providers in Placencia, and all will charge about the same price. We paid $50 for an all day trip to the reserve, lunch, a trip to the banana plantations, and a tubing trip. The price is a bit expensive, when you compare it with prices farther inside the country and in Guatemala, but is much cheaper than most things on the northern cayes.

The drive out to Cockscomb took about two hours, although on the way we stopped by a local banana plantation. The region around Placencia is filled with banana plantations that send bananas off to Europe. It is mostly migrant workers from nearby Guatemala and Honduras that work the plantations because the wages are better than back in their countries. While at the plantation our guide explained the process of banana harvesting, which is quite fascinating. It involves putting the bunches onto large hooks connected to a track, that winds its way around the whole plantation. The bananas are then taken off the bunches, washed and put on conveyor belts. It was amazing to watch.

After our tour at the plantation we headed out to the Wildlife Reserve for a hike. We spent about two hours hiking through the jungle, our guide pointing out various animals and tapir tracks along the way. The hike included a stop at a waterfall for a refreshing swim. Upon our return from the waterfall we had some lunch and then grabbed tubes for a leisurely tube ride down a river in the reserve. The river took us winding through the jungle for about an hour. It was a wonderfully relaxing journey through the heart of the jungle that allowed us to see all sorts of birds.

All in all it was a fun little trip. We didn’t see the most spectacular wildlife, or swim in the most spectacular jungle waterfall in Belize, but it was a nice way to spend one of our days around Placencia.