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On the west bank of the Macal River, about 35km from Belmopan,
San Ignacio is a friendly, relaxed town that draws together the
best of inland Belize. Surrounded by fast-flowing rivers and
forested hills, it's an ideal base from which to explore the region,
offering good food, inexpensive hotels and frequent bus connections.
The evenings here are usually cool and the day’s fresh - a welcome
break from the sweltering heat of the coast.
San Ignacio town is usually referred to as Cayo by locals
(this is also the name you'll usually see on buses), the same word
that the Spanish use to describe the offshore islands - an apt
description of the area, which is set in a peninsula between two
converging rivers. The early wave of the Spanish Conquest in 1544
made little impact here, and the area was a centre of rebellion in
the following decades. Tipu , a Maya city on the Macal River
about 9km south of the present-day town, was the capital of the
province of Dzuluinicob, where for years the people resisted
attempts to convert them to Christianity. Spanish friars
arrived in 1618, but for years afterwards the population continued
to practice idolatry - in 1641, Maya priests conducted a mock Mass
to express their defiance towards a group of visiting Spanish
clerics, and then threw them out. Tipu retained a measure of
independence until 1707, when the population was forcibly removed to
Lago de Petén Itzá in Guatemala.
Independent Tour Operators in
SAN IGNACIO
Several small-scale, independent local operators offer good-value
trips to attractions around San Ignacio and the list below covers a
range of adventurous options. As always in Belize, make sure anyone
offering you a guided trip is a licensed tour guide - they
should display their photo-card guide license. All the guides named
below are either based in San Ignacio or will pick you up there. For
bike rental, check at the Crystal Paradise office,
across from the marketplace (phone 824- 2772), or at the Tropicool
Hotel (phone 824-3052).
David's Adventure Tours,
office at far side of the marketplace (phone 824-3674).
David Simpson leads half-day canoe tours along an underground river,
surrounded by Maya burials, to Barton Creek Cave; around US$25. See
also Guacamallo Jungle Camp.
Easy Rider,
contact Arts and Crafts on Burns Ave (phone 824-3734).
Charlie Collins organizes the best-value horse-riding packages in
San Ignacio (US$25 for a half day; US$40 for a full day).
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 Belize
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Eco Jungle Tours,
office across from the post office (phone 824-3425).
Orlando Madrid offers canoe floats on the Macal River and jungle
trips; around US$25. Also see Hummingbird Cabañas.
Everald's Caracol Shuttle,
contact the Crystal Paradise Resort (phone 824-2772). Everald Tut runs daily trips by minibus to
Caracol ruins (US$50).
Mayawalk Adventures,
contact the Mayawalk Bar (phone 824-3070). Aaron Juan leads amazing trips into the
Maya underworld, including the astonishing sacrificial cave of Actun
Tunichil Muknal, and overnight caving and rock-climbing expeditions
(US$65).
River Rat
(phone 823-3013). Gonzalo Pleitez lives
way up the Macal River and arranges excellent whitewater kayak
floats and jungle trips (US$45-80).
Toni's River Adventures
contact Toni Santiago at Eva's or call 824-3292. By far the
longest-established and best-value guided canoe trip on the Macal
River, costing under US$15 for an expert paddle upriver to the
Rainforest Medicine Trail led by Toni Santiago. Also organizes
fantastic overnight camping trips along the river.
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Explore Belize City
North side
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Cayo and the west
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Belize city
to San
Ignacio
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Belize zoo
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Belmopan
Practicalities
Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
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Park
Benque Viejo del Carmen
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Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
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San Antonio
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San Ignacio
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Xunantunich, San Jose
Corozal, Orange Walk
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