San Ignacio and Santa Elena
Belizeans from western Belize are fond of boasting that “the west is best!” And they sure have a lot to be proud about. Besides being home to the nation’s Capital, the City of Belmopan, the Cayo District, covering some two thousand square miles of verdant landscape, has some of the most scenic attractions in the country. You will find clear, meandering rivers, lush jungles, green hillsides, thundering waterfalls, huge cave systems, two of the most important Mayan ruins in the country, and the Mountain Pine Ridge forest just waiting for you to explore and experience. It’s rich with wildlife and a favored destination for eco tourists.
San Ignacio is a charming town located on the west bank of the Macal River, just 22 miles away from Belmopan. It boasts a welcoming atmosphere and is considered to be one of the best destinations in inland Belize. As the heart of Cayo District and the primary hub for tourism in western Belize, it offers plenty of good food options, affordable hotels and restaurants, and frequent bus connections.
Compared to the coast, the evenings in San Ignacio are relatively cool, and the days are fresh, making it a refreshing break from the heat. Additionally, there are far fewer biting insects and mosquitoes. The population of San Ignacio is diverse and includes Spanish-speaking mestizos, Creoles, Mopan and Yucatec Maya, Mennonites, Lebanese, Chinese, and immigrants from the Indian sub-continent.
One of the town’s greatest features is its location on the Macal River amidst stunning countryside and close to several reserves. It serves as an excellent base for day trips or overnights to the surrounding hills, streams, archeological sites, caves, and forests. Several local tour operators offer excursions to the south into the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve and beyond to the ruins of Caracol.
The Cayo district is the Belizean western frontier (you’ll be able to do more horseback riding than in any other part of the country). It is reached via the Western Highway (recently renamed George Price Highway), which begins on the outskirts of Belize City at the intersection of Central American Boulevard and Cemetery Road. A one-hour drive from Belize City gets you to the new Belmopan traffic circle. You can continue west, or take a turn left to Belmopan, where the downtown market area is a pulsating, thriving hub with bus terminal and taxi stands offering connections to every part of Belize. Located in this area are the Belize Bank, Atlantic Bank and Heritage Bank, restaurants, fast food and snack shops, gas stations, the central produce market, internet cafes and shops.
San Ignacio is an ideal base for day trips, but if you prefer to stay in the surrounding countryside, there are numerous guesthouses and lodges that offer accommodations and organized trips. The lodgings’ standards are high, and most of them cater to upmarket package tourists who seek a “surf and turf” vacation after spending time on the cayes. Nevertheless, there are plenty of excellent accommodations available at every price point.
The people of San Ignacio take great pride in their beautiful surroundings, and there are numerous specific attractions to visit in or near town. For instance, the Green Iguana Exhibit at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel and the Maya site of Cahal Pech are both worth a visit. A bit further afield, you can explore the Rainforest Medicine Trail and the Belize Botanic Gardens on relaxing canoe trips along the mostly gentle Macal River. Resorts along the faster Mopan River offer tubing or kayaking. You can also explore the nearby farmland and forests on horseback or mountain bike.
One of the most beautiful walks in San Ignacio is the twenty-minute stroll north of town to Branch Mouth, where the Macal and Mopan rivers meet to form the Belize River. The forested hills that begin at this confluence stretch all the way south to Toledo and west across Guatemala. To reach Branch Mouth, follow the track from the football field near the central market past rich farmland and thick vegetation. At the confluence, you’ll find a massive tree with branches that arch over the jade water, while swallows skim the surface, parrots fly overhead, and scores of tiny fish swim in the water. Local boys often jump off the pedestrian suspension bridge at the final stretch of the Mopan.
San Ignacio and its neighboring town, Santa Elena, are separated by the Macal River and connected by the Hawkesworth Bridge, the only road suspension bridge in Belize, which was built in 1949. Although the two towns are essentially part of the same urban area, Santa Elena, located on the opposite riverbank, is not as appealing to tourists as its larger neighbor.
While San Ignacio offers numerous attractions, Santa Elena has relatively few of them. Therefore, it is of less interest to tourists.
The towns have an excellent nightlife, stores, restaurants and cafes and is a staging ground for those planning to visit Tikal and other areas in Guatemala. An airstrip is located at Central Farm not far from San Ignacio and Santa Elena and this in itself has become a small tourist stop for those wishing to view the area by regular small aircraft or ultra lights.
About twelve miles further West you will find the Maya Village of Succotz with easy access to the impressive Xunantunich Maya ruin one of our Top Ten Maya Sites To Visit In Belize. On your way west, the ferry to cross the river going to Xunantunich is on the right. Succotz is a quiet village with not much to do, but it has a couple restaurants that serve typical Yucatec-Maya cuisine. Another three miles or so you are in Benque Viejo del Carmen town practically within walking distance of Belize’s western border with Guatemala at Melchor de Mencos. Benque is very easy going as most folks going in that direction are headed to or returning from Guatemala. Both Succotz and Benque make up for their staid atmosphere by hosting annual summer fairs that attract thousands of visitors from all over the country.
History Of El Cayo
Named El Cayo by the Spanish, San Ignacio is still usually referred to as Cayo by locals (and is the name often indicated on buses). Meaning “island”, it’s an apt description of the location, on a peninsula between two converging rivers, and a measure of how isolated the European settlers felt, with indigenous jungle inhabitants that valued their independence. Tipú, a Maya city at Negroman on the Macal River (five miles south), was the capital of Dzuluinicob, where the Maya resisted attempts to Christianize them. The early wave of European conquest, in 1544, made little impact, and the area remained a centre of rebellion for decades. Two Spanish friars arrived in 1618, but a year later the entire population was still practising “idolatry”. Outraged, the friars smashed the idols and ordered the native priests flogged, but by the end of the year the Maya once again drove out the Spaniards. In 1641 the friars again returned to Tipú – but expressing their defiance the Maya priests conducted a mock Mass using tortillas as communion wafers. From then on Tipú remained an outpost of Maya culture, providing refuge to other Maya fleeing Spanish rule. It retained a good measure of independence until 1707, when the population was forcibly removed to Flores.
Like many places in Belize, San Ignacio probably started its present life as a logging camp. A map drawn up in 1787 states that the Indians of this area were “in friendship with the Baymen” – an intriguing situation, considering the strained relations of less than a century earlier. Later it was a centre for self-reliant chicleros, as the collectors of chicle gum were called, who knew the forest and Maya ruins intimately. When the black market price of Maya artefacts skyrocketed, many chicleros turned to looting. Until the Western Highway was built in the 1930s (though the section beyond San Ignacio wasn’t paved until the 1980s), local transport was by mule or water. It could take ten days of paddling to reach San Ignacio from Belize City, though later small steamers shortened the trip. Nowadays river traffic, which had at one point almost died out, is enjoying a revival. Perhaps the best time to visit San Ignacio is for Belize’s premier canoe race, La Ruta Maya, held in early March to celebrate Baron Bliss Day, when teams of paddlers race to Belize City over two days. Anyone can enter.
Cahal Pech
Cahal Pech is a hilltop Maya site located southwest of San Ignacio, a twenty-minute uphill walk from town that is clearly signposted from the highway to Benque Viejo. The site (daily 6am-6pm; Bz$12) has undergone extensive restoration and is well worth a visit, particularly at sunset when the site is particularly pleasant and peaceful. The visitor center and museum feature a model of the site, excellent display panels showing paintings of Cahal Pech in its heyday, and a wide variety of artifacts, such as ocarinas, chocolate pots, arrows, and carved flints, including one that looks remarkably like a modern wrench.
Cahal Pech means “place of ticks” in Mopan and Yucatec Maya, but that’s certainly not how the elite who lived here would have known it. This was the royal acropolis-palace of a Maya ruling family during the Classic period, and there’s evidence of construction from the Early Preclassic period, around 1200 BC. The city probably dominated the central Belize River valley, as evidenced by the construction from the Early Preclassic period around 1200 BC. The buildings and ceramics show that the site was continuously occupied until around 800 AD, and most of what visitors see today dates from the eighth century AD.
Things To Do Around San Ignacio and Santa Elena
Biking through the Cayo District is a fun and beautiful way to explore the area, while also burning off those holiday drinks. There are many routes to choose from – you can stick to the main highway or venture onto small dirt roads around San Ignacio and Bullet Tree, or head up into the Mountain Pine Ridge area. However, it’s important to start early and bring lots of water, especially if you’re not used to the heat. It’s also a good idea to plan short rides at first to see how your body adapts to the climate. Keep in mind that if you find yourself in need of help while in the middle of nowhere, there’s a good chance that you’ll be on your own.
If you’re looking to go for a swim in the San Ignacio area, you’re in luck – there are plenty of natural spots to choose from. You can easily find a “swimming hole” in the form of a river, pond, or creek. In fact, many hotels in the area are built along or above the river and have small beaches along the water. Of course, there are also several hotels that offer pools for a more controlled swimming experience.
If you’re looking for an exhilarating way to explore the Macal and Mopan Rivers, then canoeing and tubing are great options. Most hotels and cottage resorts in the Cayo District have canoes and tubes available for guests to use. It’s important to note that the best time for river travel is during the wet season, which lasts from May to October. During an extremely dry season, the water levels can get very low, making it less than ideal for canoeing. In this case, river tubing may be a better option.
Bullet Tree Road leads to the 100 acre, archaeological reserve of El Pilar, which means “Water Basin” the site of an annual celebration of Maya culture each April. Hike or ride horseback to a pair of fascinating sinkholes. Resorts on the Benque Viejo Road, offers guided night jungle walks to observe nocturnal plants and animals. Maya guides demonstrate how sap is extracted from the sapodilla tree, source of chicle.
The grand Maya city of Xunantunich,which means “Maiden of the Rock” towers 130 feet tall, eight miles west of San Ignacio. Fit climbers reach the top of El Castillo, adorned by an impressive architectural frieze, for a sweeping view of Cayo to the east and Guatemala to the west. To reach Xunantunich from the village of San Jose Succotz, a hand-cranked ferry carries vehicles across the Mopan River. The archaeological site has a refreshment stand, gift shop, and visitor center, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To see remains of the first Spanish mission in Belize, take Chial Road (off Western Highway mile 75) to Negroman and the overgrown site of Tipu. At the end of the road at Black Rock River, a leisurely 40 minute hike past interesting black slate formations and 800 foot cliffs ends up at Vaca Falls. Spelunking expeditions combine history and adventure for healthy hikers with professional guides and the right equipment. Che Chem Ha Cave (Chumpiate Cave), in the Vaca Plateau area, houses one of the largest caches of intact pots in the ancient Maya world. Go on horseback to discover more pots, tools, and burial sites at nearby Flour Camp Cave (U’chen Tzub). The nearby Waterhole Cavern (Actun Chapat), harbors rare bats.
Tours And Tour Operators From San Ignacio
Numerous companies and guides in San Ignacio offer a wide assortment of tours – sometimes travelling as far as the Barrier Reef – though most operators specialize in one type of tour or destination. The best way to sort through the options is to identify what kind of tour you prefer and how much you want to spend. It’s generally cheaper to book directly with a local operator than through a hotel, but make sure anyone you choose to go with is a licensed tour guide. Some locations are difficult or impossible to visit on your own; particularly caving, for which a licensed guide qualified in cave rescue is mandatory, though also for the Maya ruins of Caracol. That said, several destinations are just as easy to visit on your own: if you have a vehicle, you can reach local Maya archeological sites, the Belize Botanic Gardens, the Rainforest Medicine Trail and butterfly farms, some of which have guides on location. Be aware that for cave trips, you should go in a small group; six or eight people is typical.
The Belize Cayo District Is Expat Friendly
The Cayo District is where you will find the highest concentration of expats outside of the Corozal and Ambergris Caye areas. Cayo has a lower cost of living compared to the pricey island life of Ambergris Caye Belize. And many more open spaces suitable for farming, constructing a dream retirement home and access by road to all areas of Belize including the Peten and Livingston departments of neighboring Guatemala with its fabulous Rio Dulce at Livingston. The district lends itself to many activities you cannot find on an island – golf and horseback riding for example. Nightlife is lively with enough nightclubs, bars and even a couple of casinos. If that is not enough you can hop on over the border into Guatemala for even more nightlife activity.