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Voykit pocket guide · Belize
San Ignacio
San Ignacio is a base, not a sight: sleep two or three nights, do the town on foot in the morning, and book the Maya sites and caves by licensed guide — and leave for the airport with two hours of road in hand.
San Ignacio is a small river town in the Cayo District, about two hours by road from the international airport near Belize City. The town itself takes half a day on foot; the value is the base for Xunantunich, Caracol and cave tours. Trips go wrong on the road at night, on rain that floods river crossings, and on cave or site tours booked with an unlicensed operator. Four walkable areas cover the town; the sites are day trips by guide from one kept bed.
- Country
- Belize
- Best months
- Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · Dec
- Time zone
- America/Belize
- Stay
- 2 days: Town morning, Cahal Pech, one guided day trip
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BZD
- Money
- Belize dollars and US dollars are both used at a fixed 2 to 1. Ask "BZ or US?" for every price. Cards work at hotels and bigger restaurants, often with a fee; markets, cookshops and taxis are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget Bz$80–160 excl. bed · Mid Bz$160–400 excl. bed · High Bz$400+ excl. bed (guided tours are the big cost) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Local SIMs from Digi or Smart are sold in town (check current offers); roaming is costly. Signal drops in caves and on the Caracol road.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- 110 V, 60 Hz; US-style two-pin and three-pin plugs (type A/B). Bring an adapter only if you come from a 230 V country.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15 percent unless a service charge is added. Guides: Bz$20–40 per person for a full-day tour is typical (2026 estimate). Taxis: round up.
- Water
- Drink bottled or filtered water; hotels usually provide it.
- Toilets
- Cafés, hotels and the visitor centre at Cahal Pech; carry tissues.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | Bz$4–8 |
| Rice-and-beans lunch | Bz$10–22 |
| Taxi in town | Bz$5–15 |
| Cave tour | Bz$200–260 |
| Belikin beer | Bz$5–9 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE)
- BZE to San Ignacio: one pre-booked shuttle or taxi, about two hours by road — the risk is not the ride but landing after dark with no transfer booked.
By rail and road
| Station | Serves | To the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Philip Goldson International Airport (BZE) | International flights; about 2 hours to San Ignacio by road | Shuttle or taxi about 2 h |
| San Ignacio bus stop (Western Highway) | Belize City, Belmopan, and the Guatemala border at Benque Viejo | Walk or short taxi |
| Benque Viejo del Carmen border | Guatemala (Flores, Tikal) | Taxi or bus about 30 min |
Typical fares
- Taxi in town
- Bz$5–15 (agree first)
- Shuttle to the airport
- about Bz$200–300 per car (2026 estimate)
Show 8 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Eat, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk inside the town; take a taxi for the hill, the sites and after dark; use a guide or shuttle for day trips.
| How | Fare | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | Free | Burns Avenue, the market and the bridge in daylight |
| Licensed taxi | Bz$5–15 in town; Bz$20–40 to nearby sites (check) | Cahal Pech, night, bags |
| Bus | Bz$2–12 depending on route (check) | Belize City, Belmopan, the border |
| Hotel shuttle or private driver | Bz$200–300 to the airport (check) | Airport and long trips |
| Guided tour van | Included in tour price | Caves and Maya sites |
| Hire car | Bz$150–250 a day (check) | Independent travellers by day |
Fares are estimates; check before you ride.
- Passes
- No pass. Taxi fares inside town are short and fixed by the driver; agree before you ride.
- Late at night
- No rail. Intercity buses and shuttles thin out after dark; do not plan a night ride.
See and do
01Actun Tunichil Muknal cave
A guided, wet cave walk to Maya ceremonial remains; the region's signature tour.
Hours: best Morning start · Price: Bz$200–260 (check) · Time: Full day
02Xunantunich
A tall Maya temple reached by a hand-cranked ferry.
Hours: best Morning · Price: about Bz$10 (check) · Time: Half day
03Caracol
The largest Maya site in Belize, deep in the forest.
Hours: best Dry season · Price: Bz$180–260 (check) · Time: Full day
04Cahal PechCahal Pech
A quiet hilltop Maya site above town.
Hours: best At opening · Price: about Bz$10 (check) · Time: 1–1.5 h · 17.1492, -89.0775
05Saturday market
Everyday Cayo life and cheap breakfast.
Hours: best Saturday 07:30–10:30 · Price: Free to browse · Time: 1 hHours: best Saturday 7:30 AM–10:30 AM · Price: Free to browse · Time: 1 h · 17.1568, -89.0697
06Hawksworth Bridge at dawnHawksworth Bridge
A short walk with birds and river light.
Hours: best 06:45–07:30 · Price: Free · Time: 30 minHours: best 6:45 AM–7:30 AM · Price: Free · Time: 30 min · 17.1587, -89.0628
07Burns AvenueBurns Avenue
Where to book guides and get your bearings.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Free · Time: 30–45 min · 17.1594, -89.0708
08Fry jack breakfastBreakfast counter
A cheap Belizean breakfast before a tour.
Hours: best 06:30–08:30 · Price: Bz$8–14 · Time: 30 minHours: best 6:30 AM–8:30 AM · Price: Bz$8–14 · Time: 30 min · 17.1593, -89.0716
09Macal River breakMacal River
A cold dip or seat after the heat.
Hours: best Afternoon · Price: Free · Time: 30–45 min · 17.1562, -89.0680
10Belize Zoo (on the way to the airport)
Native animals in natural enclosures; check if it fits your transfer.
Hours: best Morning · Price: Bz$40–60 (check) · Time: 1.5–2 h
Hours and prices are desk estimates (checked 2026-09); anything marked (check) is not confirmed. Coordinates open in any map app.
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Xunantunich | Taxi or shuttle west, about 25 minutes, then a free hand-cranked ferry at San José Succotz | Half day |
| Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave | Guided tour only, about 45 minutes drive plus a 45-minute jungle walk | Full day |
| Caracol | Guided day tour, about 2 hours each way by road | Full day |
| Belize Zoo | Shuttle or bus on the Western Highway, about 1 hour east | Half day |
| Tikal (Guatemala) | Border at Benque Viejo, then about 2.5–3 hours by road; guided tour | Full day or overnight |
| Belmopan (capital) | Shuttle east, about 30–40 minutes | Half day |
Eat
| Where | What · area | Price | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fry jack and johnnycake breakfast counter | Fry jack, beans and eggs · Burns Avenue | Bz$8–14 | Budget |
| Burns Avenue cookshop (rice-and-beans counter) | Stew chicken, rice and beans · Burns Avenue | Bz$10–22 | Budget |
| Market food stalls (tamales, panades, juice) | Tamales, panades, garnaches · Market Square | Bz$2–12 | Budget |
| Ko-Ox Han-Nah | Vegetarian or stew plate · Burns Avenue | Bz$16–36 | Mid-range |
| Riverside dinner restaurant | Grilled fish and rice and beans · River side | Bz$30–70 | Mid-range |
| Belikin and cashew-wine bar | Belikin and a grill plate · Burns Avenue | Bz$20–50 | Mid-range |
| Lodge dinner on the hill | Multi-course dinner · Cahal Pech hill or countryside lodges | Bz$80–160 | Splurge |
Per person, one dish or one meal, 2026 estimate in Belize dollars. Addresses change: check the day before.
Sleep
| Band | Price a night | Where | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| budget | Bz$60–120 | Burns Avenue guesthouses | Guesthouses and hostels |
| mid | Bz$160–350 | Town centre and river side | Hotels and small lodges |
| splurge | Bz$400–900+ | Cahal Pech hill and countryside lodges | Jungle lodges and resorts |
Per room per night in Belize dollars, 2026 estimate.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Good morning / Buenos díasgood MOR-ning / BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs |
| Thank you | Thank you / Graciasthank you / GRAH-see-ahs |
| How much is this? | How much? / ¿Cuánto cuesta?how much / KWAN-toh KWES-tah |
| Belize or US dollars? | BZ or US?B-Z or U-S |
| Bottled water, please | Water, please / Agua, por favorAH-gwah por fah-VOR |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greetings: Say "good morning" or "buenos días" to shopkeepers and people you pass; it is expected.
- Maya sites and caves: Go only with a licensed guide where required, follow the rules and do not touch artefacts or climb closed structures.
- Photos: Ask before photographing people; some Mennonite families decline.
- Dress: Light, modest clothing in town and villages; swimwear is for the river and the pool.
- Bargaining: Prices are mostly fixed; bargain lightly on crafts only and always ask which dollar.
Red lines
- Do not enter caves or climb Maya structures without a licensed guide.
- Do not remove or buy artefacts.
- Ask before photographing people.
Scams and watch-outs
- Tour desks quote very different prices for the same cave or ruin: get two quotes and confirm entry fees, guide licence and lunch.
- Ask "BZ or US?": a price in US dollars is double the same number in Belize dollars.
- Unlicensed touts on the street offer cave trips: book through your hotel or a tour desk with a licence on display.
- Taxis have no meter: agree the fare before you get in.
- Someone offers to "change money" on the street: use a bank lobby ATM instead.
One and two days
1 day
A stopover on the way to Guatemala or the coast. Skip: A cave or Caracol: they need a full day.
- 07:007:00 AMHawksworth Bridge
- 08:008:00 AMFry jack breakfast
- 09:009:00 AMCahal Pech
- 12:3012:30 PMLunch
- 15:003:00 PMMacal River bank
- 18:006:00 PMRiverside dinner
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Belize Tourism Board (official): www.travelbelize.org/
- UK FCDO travel advice: Belize: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/belize
- Wikivoyage — San Ignacio: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/San_Ignacio_(Belize)
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
San Ignacio
Take me to, please
Please take me to
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Take me to
- Cahal PechCahal Pech Archaeological Reserve
- Hawksworth BridgeHawksworth Bridge and Macal riverbank
- Burns AvenueBurns Avenue walk
- Breakfast counterFry jack and johnnycake breakfast counter
- Macal RiverMacal River bank and swim spot
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Most embassies are in Belmopan or Belize City; write your own below.
Write down your hotel address and shuttle booking.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/san-ignacio). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.