Cradled in a picturesque valley
between the Macal and Mopan Rivers ....
San
Ignacio and sister-town, Santa Elena make
up Belize's second largest urban area.
The two towns are separated by the Macal River and Belize's only suspension
bridge, the one-lane Hawksworth Bridge (Built in 1949).
Together the towns have a combined population
of about 20,000 including: Creole, Mestizo (Spanish-Maya),
Lebanese, Chinese, Mennonite, Maya and other cultures.
Both English and Spanish are spoken, plus a myriad
of other languages.
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Known
locally as "Cayo," San Ignacio
is located along the Western Highway about 70 miles and
90 minutes drive time from Belize City. Teeming with
Guatemala-bound travelers, archaeologists, peace corps
workers, North American retirees and thrill seekers,
"Cayo" is a unique blend of America's Old West and tropical
backwater with frontier-like wooden shops on narrow streets.
Burns Avenue is "Main Street" and
a good place to begin a tour of the town. Most days it's
a
busy thoroughfare
with lots of people walking in the streets. Burns Avenue
and the adjacent streets are packed with shops, hotels and
places
to eat where hospitable townspeople mingle in
restaurants, bars and wooden shops
with colonial era archetecture of days gone by.
Things to Do ....
Excursions around San Ignacio include a short trip
to nearby Cahal Pech, a
Maya archeological site. It's a quick cab ride or a 20-minute
uphill
walk from town.
The Iguana
Conservation Project and baby iguanas are located at
the San Ignacio Resort Hotel.
Macal River canoeing is very popular. Stopovers include
a Blue Morpho butterfly-rearing facility and "medicine
trail".
Rent a bike,
walk or jog 1.5 miles along scenic Branch Mouth Road to the
"Hammock Bridge" where the Macal and Mopan rivers
join up. From the shaded river bank, you can watch for wild
parrots along with lazing iguanas and enjoy a swim in the
heat of the day.
Venture to the
Mountain Pine Ridge on the way
to
Caracol, or travel to Succotz Village
and the equally impressive Maya site of Xunantunich.
Another mile gets you to Benque Viejo and Hydro-dam Road
where the journey continues on to Chechem
Hah, a cave filled with Mayan artifacts. From Benque
Viejo, it's one mile to the Guatemalan border.
Bullet Tree, 3 miles northwest of San Ignacio, is where
the road to El Pilar, another
archeological site, begins.
Other Cayo area activities
include: Horseback Riding,
Birding, Canoeing
& Kayaking, and excursions to other nearby Caves
and Ruins, including Tikal
in Guatemala.
Saturday is the Busiest Market Day
Here you will find vendors from the small towns
and villagers selling their wares and locally-grown fruits
and
vegetables. You can get good buys on bananas, papaya, pineapples,
oranges, mangos, coconuts, avocados and other tropical produce.
Cash advances,
one-hour photo developing, internet, real estate, travel,
and auto rentals are some of the Business
Services
available in San Ignacio.
Where to Stay ....
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San Ignacio Resort Hotel - Wrap yourself in Four-Star comfort at The Premier - Full-Service -
Resort Property in San Ignacio Town, the heart of the Cayo District.... Perched above the lush Macal River
Valley, the hotel-resort boasts picturesque views of rainforest and
wildlife from each of it's 24 deluxe, air-conditioned rooms. |
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