Experiences and local guides in San Ignacio · Cayo

Nature

San Ignacio, in Cayo district by the Guatemalan border, is the base for inland Belize: jungle, clear rivers like the Macal and the Mopan, and the Maya Mountains with pine forests, waterfalls and caves. Here are Caracol, Belize's largest Mayan city, Xunantunich with its El Castillo pyramid, and the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave, where the Maya left offerings and crystallised skeletons a thousand years ago.

Activities

• ATM cave: hiking, swimming and climbing through the sacred cave with a licensed guide (limited places)
• Caracol, Xunantunich and Cahal Pech, Mayan ruins with local guides, and the San Ignacio market
• Cave tubing and kayaking through caves and rivers (Nohoch Che'en, Mopan river), canoeing the Macal to the botanic garden
• Mountain Pine Ridge: Big Rock and Río On falls, Río Frío cave, natural pools
• Horseback riding, birdwatching, green iguanas at the conservation project, Mayan chocolate in San Antonio

When to go

December to May is the dry season, with clear rivers and easy trails; the ATM cave may close on heavy-rain days. June to November brings afternoon rain, green jungle, full waterfalls and fewer people.

How to get there

From Belize City (BZE airport), 2 hours along the Western Highway by bus or shuttle; from Flores (Guatemala) and Tikal, 2 h 30 with the border at Benque Viejo. The ATM cave, Caracol and Xunantunich are visited with a licensed guide from San Ignacio; trips include transport.