It was originally part of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. Thanks to the pressure of conservationists, most of the forest reserve that did not have active timber concessions was re-designated as a national park.
 
The park is located in the center of the block of protected areas known as the "Massif of Mayan Mountains" or more simply "Mayan Mountains" which includes Doyle’s Delight, the highest mountain in Belize. It also contains parts of the Chiquibul Cave System, the longest of its kind, known in Central America. It has a great biodiversity, including the largest population of macaws in all of Belize.

Forest i n Mayan Mountains
 
MAYA GOLDEN LANDSCAPE
The 311,608 ha of the Maya Golden Landscape are a set of protected areas, private lands and Mayan communities in Belize. Its landscape is very diverse and in the corridor there is a great diversity of landscapes, including rain forests, pine savannas, coral reefs and coastal wetlands.

Mayan Mountains
 
The Columbia River Forest Reserve, for example, covers 60,038 ha of the largest intact forest areas in Central America. It has several geological peculiarities, including large cenotes, caverns and rock formations rich in quartz. Its landscape consists of primary and secondary forests, pine savannas and mountain forest.


The Columbia River Forest Reserve
 
The Maya Golden Landscape is of great ecological importance as it is the main biological corridor to the south of the country and connects the Mayan Mountains forest area with the Mesoamerican Reef. In addition, it houses more than 3,000 species of plants, 110 mammals, 400 birds and 92 reptiles and amphibians, including 18 endemic species and 37 endangered. Among the great diversity of fauna there are animals such as jaguars, crocodiles, manatees and macaws.
 
CHIQUIBUL-MONTAÑAS MAYA
The Mayan Mountains - Chiquibul Biosphere Reserve has an extension of 123,685 hectares; It is located southeast of the department of Petén. The northern part of the Reserve, called Chiquibul, has an elongated shape from north to south, while the southern part, known as the Mayan Mountains, is narrow from east to west. Both collide with Belize.
Due to the variations in height, the reserve houses species of flora typical of temperate regions such as rainforest.
The biodiversity of this area is highly threatened by human activities, which cross the borders of Guatemala and reach the part of the Mayan Mountains in Belize, which is in a better state of conservation.


The Mayan Mountains - Chiquibul Biosphere Reserve