Rio On Pools

Rio On Pools in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve of Belize are a series of natural granite swimming holes of extraordinary beauty — water-carved bowls and pools in the pink granite of the Maya Mountains, fed by clear mountain streams of the Macal River headwaters, where the water temperature is influenced by natural warming from sun-heated granite rocks. While technically not a geothermal spring in the volcanic sense, the siliceous granite pools capture solar energy in the rock to maintain temperatures above that of the streams, creating a natural outdoor bathing experience of great scenic beauty in the heart of one of Central America's most biodiverse forest reserves. The Mountain Pine Ridge is one of Belize's most remarkable landscapes — Guatemalan-style pine forest in the tropics, with the stunning Thousand Foot Falls, the great Maya ceremonial caves of Actun Tunichil Muknal, and jaguar territories within the adjacent Chiquibul National Park.