San Ignacio Travel Guide

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Introduction

by Frommers Travel Guides

72 miles (116km) W of Belize City; 20 miles (32km) W of Belmopan; 9 miles (14km) E of the Guatemalan border

In the foothills of the mountains close to the Guatemalan border lie the sister towns of Santa Elena and San Ignacio, which are set on either side of the beautiful Macal River. For all intents and purposes, San Ignacio is the more important town, both in general terms and particularly for travelers. Just north of town, the Macal and Mopan rivers converge to form the Belize River. San Ignacio is the business and administrative center for the Cayo District, a region of cattle ranches and dense forests, of clear rivers and Mayan ruins. It is also the second largest metropolitan center in the country. Still, you won't find any urban blight here. If you've come from Guatemala, you'll sense immediately that you are now in a Caribbean country. If you've come up from the coast, you might be surprised by how cool it can get up here in the mountains. Despite the similarity in the sound of their names, the Cayo District and the cayes are worlds apart. While the cayes cater to those looking for fun in the sun, Cayo caters to those interested in nature and classic Mayan ruins. This area makes a good first stop in Belize; you can get in a lot of activity before heading to the beach to relax.

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San Ignacio Travel Experiences

Mountain Pine Ridge

Just returned from a week in Mountain Pine Ridge. And yes I too was surprised to see a pine forest in Belize! We "camped" in... Continue reading »

by Real Traveler Jessica Lyn
Group Project @ St Andrews School Week1

This Winter Break 20 volunteers from the United States and the United Kingdom have flown into Belize to work with us in San Igna... Continue reading »

by Real Traveler Andrea Leitch
Day Two: The Jungle

I try to sleep as late as I can, but I’m excited for the trip and am up early. I grab breakfast and a latte at the coffee shop downstairs... Continue reading »

by Real Traveler Tracy
Young Gal Road

This Saturday I went to a village called Teakettle with one of our volunteers to visit a project that she is working on, w... Continue reading »

by Real Traveler Andrea Leitch
San Ignacio Homestay

After a few days of lounging on the beach in Placencia, for our days off, we headed off to our San Ignacio homestays. I stayed with the T... Continue reading »

by Real Traveler Jessica Lyn