Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
before being released into the wild, none reach their full adult length of up to 6ft.
They're still pretty large and fearsome-looking though, especially when the males turn
bright orange during mating season (Dec & Jan).
Branch Mouth
Reached by a pretty twenty-minute stroll north of central San Ignacio - follow
the track from the football field through rich farmland and thick vegetation - the
point where the Macal and Mopan rivers merge to form the Belize River is known
as
Branch Mouth
. At this confluence is a huge tree, with branches arching over the
jade water, swallows skimming the surface, parrots flying overhead and scores of
tiny fish. Assuming the pedestrian
suspension bridge
that crosses the final
stretch of the Mopan has been repaired since it was smashed by flooding in late
2013, local boys will once more be leaping off into the river. The forested hills
that rise to the south of the confluence roll all the way south to Toledo and west
across Guatemala.
Santa Elena
San Ignacio is divided from its sister town to the east,
SANTA ELENA
, by the
Hawkesworth Bridge
, built in 1949 over the Macal River and still the only road
suspension bridge in Belize. To all intents and purposes the two towns make up the
same urban area, and yet, lying just on the opposite riverbank, Santa Elena is of
distinctly less interest to tourists, with few of the attractions of its slightly larger
neighbour.
4
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
SAN IGNACIO
By plane
San Ignacio's airport, a 15min drive west of town
towards Benque, is served by daily flights from Belize City
on Tropic Air. Taxis may be waiting to shuttle visitors to
town (from Bz$10), but it's best to arrange transport
through your accommodation in advance.
By bus
Services to and from Belize City stop in the centre of
town just south of Coronation Park, within easy walking
distance of all the recommended hotels. There's also a
useful shuttle service between Philip Goldson International
Airport and San Ignacio (from US$35 per person;
T
631
1749,
W
belizeshuttlesandtransfers.com).
Destinations
Belize City via Belmopan (every 30min
4am-6pm; 3hr); Benque Viejo del Carmen, for the
Guatemalan border (every 30min; 15min); San Antonio
(Mon-Sat, 2 daily; 1hr).
By taxi
Getting to or from the Guatemalan border is most
comfortable by shared taxi. The Savannah Taxi Coop (
T
824
2155) will carry up to four passengers for Bz$25.
Tourist information
The modern Cayo Welcome Center,
in Coronation Park on Savannah St near the bus stop (daily
9am-5pm;
T
824 2939,
W
travelbelize.org), can provide
details of local attractions, and holds an exhibition on Maya
finds unearthed during excavations along Burns Ave.
TOURS AND ACTIVITIES
Tour and activity operators based in and around San Ignacio offer a wide range of guided tours in Cayo District and beyond.
Almost all the local hotels and lodges also offer a very similar programme of tours, but the independent operators tend to
be a little cheaper, and the fact that many have o
ces on San Ignacio's central Burns Avenue makes it easy to shop around
to find a tour and a price that suits you best. Expect to pay around US$150-175 for the long day-trip to Tikal in Guatemala.
Otherwise, typical prices range from around US$110 for full-day tours to the likes of ATM or Caracol down to US$80-90 for
shorter tours, for example to Barton Creek Cave or Xunantunich. The following companies are especially recommended:
Cayo Adventure Tours
29 Burns Ave
T
824 3246,
W
cayoadventure.com.
Crystal Paradise
Cristo Rey Rd, Cristo Rey village
T
824
2772 or
T
824 4014,
W
crystalparadise.com.
David's Adventure Tours
Across from the market
T
804
3674,
W
davidsadventuretours.net.
Hun Chi'ik Tours
San Jose Succotz
T
600 9192,
W
hunchiik.com.
K'Atun Ahaw Tours
10 Burns Ave
T
824 2661 or
T
610
6474,
W
belizeculturetours.com.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP
MENNONITE TRADERS, SAN IGNACIO
P.137
; CARACOL
P.135
; MACAL RIVER
P.146
>
