Over the past several years,
the San Ignacio Resort Hotel has been
at the forefront of conservation for the threatened Green Iguana. 

A highly interpretive and educational exhibit has been designed within the Resort’s property in order to create a closer look at this amazing reptile, and to learn how vital they are to the ecological balance of the river's habitat. 

We offer the Adopt an Iguana Program and the "Iguana Kids Club", both of which have received much attention locally and internationally. 

The process of egg incubation, hatching, rearing and releasing juvenile iguanas is an ongoing,
on-site process. Visitors and school children alike are given the opportunity to have contact with one of the many young, resident iguanas. 

The program aims to create awareness, educate, and to release these reptiles into the wild in an effort to repopulate the riverbanks of Belize with these colorful creatures.

This unique encounter with the descendants of the dinosaurs takes an hour to complete and may be combined with a complete guided Medicinal, Jungle Trail tour, hiking along the Macal River, bird watching, swimming, and even lunch at the resort. See Photo Gallery.

Adjacent to the Iguana exhibit is an extensive Medicinal Jungle Trail.
We are fortunate to have two very old cultures, the Maya and the African, sharing their knowledge of medicinal plants and creating an alternative to synthetic medicines. It has become an obligation to preserve, educate and research the secret properties of these plants. In an effort to do so, the San Ignacio Resort Hotel has designated its lush, tropical forest backyard as a central site for sharing and passing on this rich, ancestral knowledge.

The Medicinal Jungle Trail winds under green giants overhead.  Educational and interpretive text accompanies the plants of major interest. This, coupled with the knowledge and insights of your guide, will provide a detailed, colorful and interesting history of the usefulness of these plants and herbs. While on your walk, be sure to look out for the resident birds and mammals who share this wonderful habitat.

Recently, the Hotel unveiled a new trail within its 14-acre jungle preserve, offering guests easy access to a variety of Belizean plants and wildlife. The trail is rated mild in difficulty and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete.

The trail, which joins an extensive path system that traverses the resort's jungle preserve, gently loops through 70 species of plants and trees that play host to 150-plus species of birds. The area is also home to such wildlife as gibnut, agouti, armadillo, and green iguanas. Interpretive signage and graveled walkways assist guest as they explore a protected section of the Macal River Valley eco-system.

This trail is for everyone, senior guests, business travelers, eco-tourists and whoever wants a truly educational jungle experience that could be enjoyed in a short time without excessive physical demands. It has an abundance of nature which is minutes away from every room at the resort. It will certainly be one of the highlights of your stay with us. See Photo Gallery.