River kayaking on the Swasey River

If you are the type of person who looks for the road less traveled, you’ll want to take the river. Located in the foothills of the Maya mountain in Southern Belize is the swasey river. Kayaking the waters of this beautiful river offers an opportunity to explore the scarlet macaw reserve established in the 1990’s. Very close to the village of red bank, yet you will get that feeling that you are floating somewhere in the most remote area in Belize’s jungle. Essentially where there is water, there is wildlife; and Belize has plenty of both. The highlight of this float is the sightings of scarlet macaws during their winter migration to red bank from December through March. For others it can be the playful river otters playing and feeding along the river banks. This tour is an excellent combination of sights and packed with lots of fun on the river. It all starts with an hour drive from Placencia or a 45 minutes drive from Hopkins. Upon arrival, the guides provide excellent instruction in how to handle the boats and how to read the water. The float is approximately two hours through the scarlet macaw reserve however getting to and from the river takes approximately 15 minutes from red bank village. The first section of the river is pretty mellow with easy current so it is the perfect warm up. Then comes the exciting class one and two rapids is what we call forgiving rapids because even if someone does tip over in a rapid, typically they just end up floating in a calm area below laughing. No previous experience is needed to experience this river. Note: Children must be 5 years or older to participate.