Learned Travels

How to make the most of the beautiful beaches and the captivating jungle in just 10 days.

If you’re looking for a surprisingly still somewhat hidden gem that literally has it all – Belize is going to exceed all your expectations. This beautiful, tiny country bordering Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea looks unassuming on a map, but packs a punch for any traveler looking for a little adventure. The home to the second largest barrier reef system (after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia), the mysterious Blue Hole and some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world, is also filled with ancient Mayan ruins, fascinating cave networks and relaxing eco-tourism resorts. Not to mention the hospitable people and delicious food, this country also has the convenience of a country that has three major languages spoken including Creole, Spanish and their national language – English. So if you’re looking for a fun new tropical adventure location, here is the perfect itinerary to see a little bit of everything in ten days in Belize.

Where to Stay

You have lots of options for great places to stay both for beaches and in the jungle, but if this is your first time you have to hit the hotspots because they’re popular for a reason. Staying on one of the Cayes is a fantastic option for your beach/ water time. You’ll have to choose between Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. Caye Caulker tends to cater more to the budget traveler or backpacker whereas Ambergris Caye gets more of the family-friendly vibe.

We chose Ambergris Caye partly because of availability at Ramon’s Village Resort, which I can highly recommend!! Even if you don’t end up staying at Ramon’s Village, if you decide to do any snorkeling or diving, you’ll probably come through their dive-shop (or at least you should!). They have two snorkel trips that go out every day- one to Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley and one to Mexico Rocks, then there are certain trips only on certain days and some that you have to request. Most have a four person minimum, or you pay extra for a private trip. (Spoiler alert: we did alllll the snorkeling trips, and I do have a “hot take”!!) Ramon’s has an onsite restaurant, Pineapples, and really just has a great vibe. There are tropical plans and trees that overwhelmingly surround their multiple guest villas that gives you the feeling of being tucked away in the jungle on the edge of the ocean. Our room had two full size beds and admittedly it was a little tight for three people (two of whom are chronic “over packers” although I won’t name names….), although the price was fair for their busy time of year and a somewhat last minute booking. The staff was wonderfully friendly during our entire stay and always helpful when we had questions. If you’re looking for an experience that’s slightly out of the normal “hotel” experience on Ambergris Caye, I can’t recommend Ramon’s highly enough.

Out in the jungle, in the town of San Ignacio, there is a quieter way of life. One thing we really wanted to do was stay in an eco lodge, and the two popular resorts for this are Chaa Creek or Ka’ana Resort. Unfortunately, the determining factor for us was strictly availability although it worked out great because we loved Ka’ana. This is the type of place that meets you with a delicious signature drink the second you step out of the transport vehicle they picked you up at the ferry port (or airport) with. Each “room” is its own cabin and while we still had two beds here, they were queen sized and there was much more space. Apart from the two beds and small sitting area as well as a large bathroom with a walk in rain shower, there was also an outdoor porch complete with an outdoor shower and an unattached outdoor tub. The resort has a pool, an onsite restaurant and concierge service where you can book all the amazing daily activities that this place has to offer (and you NEED to do some of these daily activities- one in particular!) Again, we were thrilled with our accommodation choice and highly recommend Ka’ana Resort for your stay in San Ignacio.

Recommended 10 Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive to Belize and head to Ambergris Caye

Day 2: Relaxing morning, Snorkel trip (Hol Chan & Shark Ray Alley) & San Pedro

Day 3: Manatee Snorkel with Caye Caulker, more San Pedro

Day 4: The Blue Hole, Relax, Caye Caulker?

Day 5: Mexico Rocks, Artisan Market, Secret Beach, Tattoos (admittedly not for everyone)

Day 6: Transfer to San Ignacio, Mayan Cooking Class

Day 7: Day trip to Caracol & Big Rock Falls, San Ignacio

Day 8: ATM Cave (the absolute highlight of my life)

Day 9: Xunantunich, Mayan Chocolate presentation, San Ignacio Market, Iguana Hatchery

Day 10: Return to Belize City & Fly home

With all that said, let’s breakdown an ideal itinerary to get a little bit of everything in your first trip to Belize!

Day 1: Arrive to Belize and head to Ambergris Caye

If you’re traveling to Belize by plane, you’re going to land at the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) in Belize City. For the amount of tourists coming through this airport, it is still an extremely small space so you should expect to wait in line to go through customs and immigration on your way in. Once you’re through customs though, you’ll walk out into another room that has the check in desks for flights to the islands, or cabs that will take you to the ferry. If you are headed straight to the islands- either Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker, you have the options of a small, island hopper flight, or taking the ferry. If you’re short on time it’s probably worth the price of the flight, but if you’re short on cash, the ferry is the cheaper option.

We chose to take the ferry and it was an extremely easy process. As mentioned, when you come out of the customs room, you enter a small room with airline checkin on your left and doors to the waiting line of taxi drivers on your right. There will be gentlemen there asking if you need a taxi to the ferry and as much as this feels like a tourist trap- you’ll see the official Belizean taxi badges they wear and the notices on the car so they are the real deal! There is a set price for the taxi drive to the waterfront that is $25USD and an additional $5 per person. For the three of us we paid $35USD. The drive took around 25 minutes although we were told it can depend heavily on traffic. There are two ferry ports for the two different ferry companies, and if you’re lucky enough to juuuuust miss (literally missed it by 5 minutes) a ferry, you should definitely head to the Belize Express water taxi because there are a few good places to get food and beverages while waiting for the next water taxi in about an hour and a half.

When you get to the port, there will be employees there who can take your “checked” bags while you go to the office to purchase your tickets. Again this feels like everything you’ve been warned against doing all your life, but we left our bags with them and watched them load them onto the luggage cart that waits there until the ship comes in and nothing bad happened! The ticketing office is all the way down the row of shops on the right hand side and it was very straight forward to purchase our round trip tickets from Belize City – San Pedro. While we waited for the ferry, it was time to get on “vacation time” and we had our first Belize must-do – drink a Belikin!! Belikin is the most popular beer in Belize and is produced locally. Their tagline is literally “The Beer of Belize”. Even if you’re not a beer person, it still feels like a right of passage when you’re in Belize.

The ferry ride from Belize City to the first stop, Caye Caulker is about an hour and then it’s another 30 minutes or so to San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. The boat fills up quickly and I understand if you’re here during the really peak season (between Christmas and New Years) they will even overload the boats to standing room only, so make sure you get on line quickly and get a decent seat. When you reach your stop, you’ll have to wait for your luggage to be brought to you, but it’s very quick and if you’re staying at Ramon’s Village a “driver” will meet you at the port to drive you and your luggage in their fancy golf cart (the island transportation is probably 99% golf cart) the few minutes down to the resort.

If you arrive before the dive shop closes, its a great idea to get your excursions booked ahead of time. We didn’t have any problem with availability, but it would be a bummer not to get the trips and times you want.

Our first night, we took a short walk down the beach (maybe three minutes?) and ate at a restaurant right on the beach called Blue Hole Grill. There was live music with an island vibe and the food was surprisingly upscale and very good considering the laid-back beach atmosphere. I had a black bean crusted fish with coconut rice and wok fried vegetables and banana in a Thai curry sauce that was delicious! There was a lot of seafood on the menu (duh), but also some vegetarian dishes and L got a Margarita Pizza that she enjoyed.

We were exhausted after a long day of travel, but the bar at Blue Hole Grill seemed to be a great spot to hang out and there were definitely plenty of other places to head to if you were looking to spend the night out, but we do that for the next few nights instead…

Day 2: Relaxing morning, Snorkel trip (Hol Chan & Shark Ray Alley) & San Pedro

Jet lag is a real thing and if you’re going on vacation to Belize, the beach portion is the relaxing portion, and taking advantage of a quiet morning at Ramon’s is the best “plan” for your first morning here. The beach is lined with loungers, breakfast at Pineapples can take as long as you’d like and you can spend hours reading or swimming by the almost-suspiciously-clean pool across from the bar, Tropic Al’s (which is another thing here you can spend plenty of time doing). My word-to-the-wise (and maybe I’m just trying to remind myself?), is don’t forget to relax a little bit while you’re here! I am known for booking non-stop vacations only to get home and need a vacation from my vacation, and as much as I love that because I feel like I’ve seen and done as much as I could- it’s okay to relax too! But anyways, I digress…

We booked our first snorkeling trip to be the 1:45pm trip to Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley. From every blog post I’ve read this is the one that everyone considers a “must do”… and it shows. The boat goes first to Hol Chan and you’ll be one of [very] many boats with groups of tourists exploring the reefs. Now don’t get me wrong, the reef is beautiful and within about 5 seconds of getting into the water we saw so many beautiful fish as well as a reef shark, a green sea turtle, a spotted eagle ray and my favorite part – a VERY ALIVE coral reef. Okay, I get that not everyone understands my love for coral, but I could have cried happy tears seeing the healthy, beautiful coral. Just let me be my weird self, okay?

After 45 minutes to an hour, you hop back on the boat for about 5 minutes and head to “Shark Ray Alley”. And this is where the trip kind of lost me (although I also had my favorite snorkel experience at the same time, so riddle me that). This is your “swim with sharks” experience. And everyone-including the sharks-knows this. The nurse sharks swarm the boat the second it arrives because the guides chum the water. Without going on a huge tangent, just understand that this isn’t the greatest thing for an ecosystem and I would’ve been less apt to go on this trip had I known in advance. The experience in itself though (putting that part aside), is still pretty incredible. You’ll snorkel around off the boat and there are nurse sharks and a few reef sharks everywhere you look. They 100% do not bother you if you don’t bother them, so there is nothing to be nervous or afraid of (this isn’t Jaws). And while I was looking at the Sharks, and the Southern Rays swimming around, the most incredibly massive Loggerhead Turtle I could have even imagined, came along munching on seagrass. This was one of those surreal, pinch-me-I’m-dreaming moments. I exclusively followed this turtle around for the rest of the 30 minutes or so we were there and then we headed back to Ramons. Again, you absolutely have to do snorkeling while you’re here, but maybe pick a different trip? We loved the other two we did and honestly, I thought they were better all around.

Wandering around town is a great way to find a place for dinner. San Pedro has a myriad of little streets with restaurants and bars all over the place to choose from. Most people rent golf carts to get around, but if you’re keen to walk, its not far from Ramon’s right into the center of town with all the activity. Our second night we went to a highly recommended restaurant called Elvi’s Kitchen that serves elevated traditional Belizean/ Mayan foods. I had pibil tacos which is a Mayan spice blend on slow cooked pulled pork – absolutely delicious, M had lobster tail because why not have seafood when you’re on the ocean?, and L had a vegetable curry which looked and smelled amazing. There are a bunch of great places to eat in San Pedro, but if you have a chance, you must try Elvi’s Kitchen!

Day 3: Manatee Snorkel with Caye Caulker, more San Pedro

I won’t claim to know your personal feelings about manatees, but my friends and I are fairly obsessed with these graceful “sea cows”. They’re just so freaking cute!!! So when we found out that there are manatees hanging out along the coast of Belize, our second snorkel trip was a no-brainer. This is not a daily trip out of Ramon’s, but as long as there is a group of 4, they will find a guide to run this trip. The Manatee tour, starts with snorkeling around where the mantis are frequently found, but it also includes a trip to Caye Caulker, so if you’re limited on time its a great way to fit a few things in at once.

We met at the dock for 7:45am, and there were 10 of us total on the trip this day- a mother and her 13 year old daughter, an older couple from South Africa and a couple from Europe on their honeymoon. We ended up having the same guide as the day before and Carlos took us about 10 minutes away to the first spot that he sometimes finds manatees. We didn’t find any in the first spot, but a little further out was where we did see our first manatee!! These creatures are so unique and being in the water with one was incredibly exciting. We were the first boat out there, but by the time we left, there were a handful of other trips trying to snorkel with the manatees as well. While this was somewhat unfortunate, it also was helpful in spotting the manatees. They’re easier to spot from above water when they pop up to take a breath and then the guides on the boat would point to the guides in the water where to lead the snorkelers. An overall efficient system.

When we got out of the water, we were met with the darkest storm cloud I’ve ever seen headed our way so we hustled off the Caye Caulker at “The Split”. I’m not sure this is a normal stop of the tour, but it was necessary during the downpour that we got stuck in. “The Split” is a spot on Caye Caulker where Hurricane Hattie ripped through and separated the island in 1961 and created a channel that not only allows for boats to pass through, but makes for an awesome hang out bar location. The next stop on the half day manatee snorkel trip is feeding the tarpon, which, let me tell you, is a whole experience. Tarpon are absolutely massive fish (in my opinion), and dangling a little sardine over the water until they decide to launch themselves at the fish (or maybe they’re really going for your hand, I don’t know), is exhilarating.

Again we come back to- probably not the most ecologically friendly thing to do, but it is a pretty cool experience none-the-less. When the boat docks on Caye Caulker, Carlos told us we had 45 mins to an hour to wander through the town and meet him back around the split. I will be very clear this is NOT enough time on Caye Caulker. If I had one thing I would have done differently it would have been to spend another day exploring Caye Caulker. As it was, for our limited time here it poured rain almost non-stop. We’ve been told multiple times that this is not normal for January, but somedays you just get what you get and there are worse things than to be “forced” into a beach bar on a rainy day. As it is, when you do visit Caye Caulker, the Sip N Dip is an awesome little spot. We were soaked through at this point, but the place has a volleyball net in the water, swings in the water to enjoy your beverages in on nicer days, an upstairs seating area to overlook the chaos and the entire building is built over the water so you can watch the fish swimming under the floor boards of the bar.

Now, Carlos told us we had to get “Lizard Juice” from the Sip N Dip. Lizard juice, in my opinion, was not all it was cracked up to be, although it did turn my tongue neon green so that’s always fun. This place definitely seemed to be the place to be though, and if you’re on Caye caulker, hopefully on a day where it isn’t down pouring, you should definitely check it out!

Once we got back to Ramons (slightly buzzed, I will admit), it seemed a good idea to enjoy the rest of the day galavanting around San Pedro again. Down the beach is another great bar called the SanPedrana (formerly called Caprice). The food is fine (nothing special), but the drinks are good and the staff were so friendly, we ended up coming back here a couple times. Other bars that we ended up at on our “day around San Pedro” were The Sports Bar (its literal name, I swear), and Sunset Bar. The Sports Bar was strictly because we actually had a sports game we were trying to watch, but this is definitely not a tourist bar. Think sports bar/ dive bar with a pool table in the corner and very dim lighting. Not really the beach bar you think of an an island in the Caribbean, but just upstairs is the rooftop beach town bar you’re probably looking for. Sunset bar was another place we went to multiple times. It catches all the trendy bar vibes complete with neon signs, live DJ and lots of different seating arrangements to accommodate whatever you would like (plus the obvious “dance floor area”). We had a blast at Sunset bar and you should definitely check it out while you’re in San Pedro. Plus, if you’re staying at Ramon’s, it’s a very short walk home.

If you’re looking for a night-club, multiple people recommended Allure. We popped in to check it out, but were definitely too early because it was dead at 10:30 and to be honest, I’m not as young and “fun” as I used to be so we were ready to go home at that point. If nightclubs are your vibe though, this is the one.

Day 4: The Blue Hole, Relax, Caye Caulker?

You’re in Belize, there is no excuse for not seeing the Blue Hole. This natural phenomenon is essentially a vertical cave in the ocean that’s almost perfectly round and the edges of it can even breach the surface of the water, but the hole is over 400 ft (125 meters) deep and is known to be one of the best diving spots in the world. None of us scuba dive and as someone who can get motion sick on long boat trips, the 2.5 hour boat trip to get to the Blue Hole and then another 2.5 hours back didn’t seem overly appealing to us. Although I’ve read some reviews that this is absolutely worth it and if it sounds exciting to you, I could not, in good conscience, discourage it. However, we were not willing to miss the Blue Hole, so a more unknown option is to do an aerial tour of the Blue Hole (and if you’re feeling really crazy, its probably not a bad idea to just do both so you can see it up close and get an appreciation from the air).

There are two airline companies that do aerial tours of the Blue Hole – Maya Air and Tropic Air. When we went in January 2023, we paid around $200 each and went with Maya Air. The prices and schedule seemed similar between the two and both are extremely convenient from Ramons. The Tropic Air terminal is slightly closer to Ramon’s but not enough that it should be a determining factor. We walked to the Maya Air building and arrived about half an hour before our flight (although I’m fairly sure even this formality was unnecessary). They give you a “boarding pass” (a laminated piece of paper that says Boarding Pass) and you wait in their very nice waiting area until your color (what “Boarding Pass” is written in) is called for your flight. This is also the place where you would fly into if you chose to fly from Belize City to Ambergris Caye.

The flight path starts from San Pedro and then stops at Caye Caulker to pick up passengers from there and then off you go out over the ocean. It was about 15 minutes of flying over the beautiful ocean and out laying islands to the reef where the blue hole sits. The Caribbean Sea is so beautiful and rich with rocks and corals and the Lighthouse Reef that surrounds the blue hole is stunning to view from the air. The blue hole itself is an incredible feat of nature. Almost a perfect circle, with all shades of blue, from the lightest turquoise on the outer rim to deepest blue, almost black in the middle. We circled the blue hole two or three times in each direction and every seat is a window seat so everyone had a chance to look out and take photos. We also flew up and down the reef and looked out on a big tanker that had wrecked on the reef a long time ago and the little dive resort that sits on an island close to the Blue Hole. The whole flight took around an hour, maybe an hour and a half, which felt like an efficient use of time. I’ve also spoken to some people who have only ever seen it by boat and while the diving (and snorkeling) is incredible, there is a different kind of appreciation to be gained in seeing it from above. While it is one of the more expensive excursions, I thought it was an amazing experience and well worth the money.

Because of this efficient use of time, the rest of the afternoon is wide open. This would probably be a great day to catch the ferry back over to Caye Caulker and do some more exploring over there. As it was, we were hungover and spent the day enjoying the beach and the Nachos at Ramons.

For dinner however, we made it to Carambas, which was recommended by the front desk staff. When you walk up to Caramba’s, you’ll know right away by the fresh seafood sitting on ice outside the big windows and under the very colorful sign for the restaurant. There are other options, but you would be missing out if you didn’t do the pick your own seafood option. You take a plate and walk outside where a very nice man explains each of the fish options and will make recommendations based on what you like. You choose as many options as you’d like and then back at your table, your waiter will come and ask how you’d like it prepared, in what sauce and with what on the side. I got stone crab and a lobster tail both boiled with an herbed butter sauce with steamed vegetables and coconut rice on the side. Everything was delicious and just a cool experience. Also, fun fact, did you know that Snow Crabs can actually regrow their claws if they’re harvested in a sustainable way? This place was absolutely packed and for good reason, so consider a reservation if you know you’ll want to eat here.

Day 5: Mexico Rocks, Artisan Market, Secret Beach, Tattoos (admittedly not for everyone)

We made a last minute decision to do one last snorkel trip on our last full day at Ramons, and despite the weather being crappy (more rain and honestly pretty cold), I am so thankful we decided to “tough it out” and go. In my opinion, Mexico Rocks is extremely underrated and I highly preferred it to Hol Chan/ Shark Ray Alley. They delayed our departure while we waited for some rain to clear, and thankfully the water felt warmer than the air so once we were in, I was completely distracted from the storm clouds.

Mexico Rocks is appropriately named, as the underwater landscape looks like someone threw a bunch of oddly shaped rocks and boulders onto an otherwise sandy stretch of ocean. These rocks are absolutely covered with beautiful, thriving coral and swarms of fish. From the second we got into the water, we were surrounded by the little yellow and black fish and big gray fish that were maybe a little too curious and would swim right up and almost into you. We saw more Southern Rays, parrot fish, grouper, a big lobster, a squid, a tiny flounder and a baby green sea turtle (plus about a million other fish that I don’t know their names). Mexico rocks was a really great snorkel spot, and I was absolutely shocked that there was only one boat there before us and it was equally as uncrowded when we left. Hot take, but if I had to choose between Hol Chan and Mexico Rocks, I would go back to Mexico Rocks. Obviously, if you have time though, you should do both.

We went into town for lunch this day and wandered into a little papuseria, which is something you have to try in Belize. They’re also a significantly cheaper option than all of the tourist restaurants around here, so if you’re doing Belize on a budget, this will be your best friend. We also stopped at the San Pedro Artisan Market in town, which is a horse-shoe shape of wall-to-wall souvenirs made by the locals. Mostly, they sell a lot of bead work, hand embroidered things, beautiful wood work and some carvings made out of fish bones. If you have the space in your luggage, there are some really beautiful pieces in here and some of the vendors do take credit cards and will ship larger items.

This was also the day we finally rented golf carts. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again, you HAVE TO rent a golf cart while you’re here. It is absolute chaos, but the perfect excuse is a trip out to Secret beach. Ramon’s has golf carts for rent at reasonable prices, so if you’re staying there, it’s probably just easiest to rent through them. Driving through town has its challenges, but once you’re well on your way to Secret Beach you’ll get to the dirt road and that is where the fun begins. Pot holes of varying sizes will keep you on your toes and if there’s someone on the back of the cart, please do yourself a favor and check on them every once in a while….

The whole drive took about 45 minutes, laughing the entire way. I knew Secret Beach was no longer an appropriately named place (our snorkel guide Carlos said it was an actual secret maybe 10-15 years ago when it was just locals that would go), but I wasn’t really expecting what we found. Parking is free and you walk down to a beach that is just absolutely COVERED in lounge chairs. The first place you come across is Pirates, which one of the servers was kind enough to come up to us and explain that all of the lounge chairs are completely free for anyone to use- he didn’t make us feel like purchasing a beverage from the bar was required, but I felt somewhat obligated (twist my arm, right?), so we grabbed some drinks and wandered through the little spot next door and down the beach slightly further until we realized it was headed to the Secret Beach Water Park which, while it looked fun, was admittedly not our vibe for the day. At Pirates, they had some picnic tables in the water and offered cheap massages out on a little pier (which we didn’t take advantage of, but seemed like a nice option).

We sipped our frozen cocktails and lounged in the water like good beach vacationers for about an hour and a half before heading back on another golf cart adventure to Ramon’s. There were a ton of restaurants, bars and little stops you could stop at on your way to Secret Beach, and people would come out and try to flag you down as you drove by. One of the more popular spots is The Truck Stop, which has a bunch of shipping container/ food truck park that offers a bunch of food options in a fun atmosphere.

Our last adventure was a bit out of the ordinary and admittedly isn’t for everyone, but if you have any interest in getting a tattoo while you’re in San Pedro, Noel at Artistic Skins is your guy. He was patient with us and each of our tattoos came out amazing! I got a spotted eagle ray swimming over some coral, L got a small ray done as a single line and M got a piece of coral. Just a little something to forever remind us of our trip to Belize.

We stopped at Jaguars for one drink before they closed and got the best street food burrito I have ever had from the food cart in front of it before we went home.

Day 6: Transfer to San Ignacio, Mayan Cooking Class

If you’re taking the Ferry back to Belize City, the front desk recommended leaving 45 minutes before the Ferry time. As we were leaving on the 10:00 ferry, the golf cart took us back to the ferry by 9:15. Pineapples was nice enough to make our breakfast up to go, which was a great option since we had some down-time once we arrived at the port.

When we got off the boat in Belize City, a driver from Ka’Ana was there to greet us and help us with our bags. Off to a very fancy start. The drive from the ferry port in BC to Ka’Ana in San Ignacio was about an hour and 45 minutes. Pulling into the resort you’re greeted at the front door with a fresh juice and immediately helped by very friendly staff. Our room was beautiful and spacious with two queen sized beds, a large bathroom with a rain shower and out the back is a deck overlooking the outdoor tub and separate outdoor rain shower. The whole property is absolutely beautiful, with a little infinity pool and about 17 little cottages like ours.

The onsite restaurant had some delicious food options and you should definitely take the chance to eat here at least one night. We also decided to take advantage of the Mayan cooking class that they offered. Off the side of the restaurant is a little open-air shed with a traditional Mayan fogon stove in the center. Two women taught us how to make chicken tamales, which is a more complicated process than I realized. We also made some corn tortillas- which was also harder than I thought. The food was delicious because admittedly, the ladies made most of it. I’ve always loved taking cooking classes in foreign countries. Maybe it’s because I don’t come from a family that has “family recipes” passed down for generations, so I’ve always been fascinated by traditional cooking especially in places where the food is so much a part of the culture. It was especially cool here because of the traditional Fogon stove that is made from clay and uses a grate over a fire. Besides, its always good to come home from vacation with a new skill.

Day 7: Day trip to Caracol & Big Rock Falls, San Ignacio

We set up all of our day trips through Ka’Ana, which may not be the cheapest option, but let me tell you why it was worth it. All of our trips were private trips and because we were leaving from the resort and it was just us, we were always out early meaning we arrived early and were almost always one of the first, if not the first group to each site. This made everything so much nicer because we beat the crowds and the heat each day.

Our Caracol trip left Ka’Ana at 7:30 in the morning to make the 2 hour drive deep into the jungle. It was a long drive out to the ruin and while they’ve been working to repair and even pave the road, they’re a long way from done and the majority of the drive is still on very bumpy dirt roads. Definitely not for the faint of heart and I was glad our guide, Andee was doing the driving!

Caracol is believed to be one of the largest cities in the Mayan kingdom around the time they were at their peak power. Much of the site is still undiscovered, but they’ve taken aerial scans of the area to determine how big the site really is. Our guide explained that excavation projects like this in the jungle are so complicated because maintaining the sites that have been uncovered is extremely time consuming (and expensive), so the more they uncover the more they have to spend. The jungle likes to take things back under its fold.

When you arrive to the site, you climb up a hill and come upon the first set of ruins that would have been a more humble abode farther away from the temples where the rulers lived and were buried. Beyond that, the massive main temple site begins to come into view and the sheer size of it is absolutely unbelievable. In this main site there are two large ruins- one is still very covered in moss and doesn’t appear to have any access points, but the main one is massive and covered in steep stone steps all the way to the top. You’re able to climb around explore all of these ruins and the view from the top is unbelievable with jungle covered mountains as far as you can see. So much ancient history in one place that is so old its almost incomprehensible. While we were here we got to see a few spider monkeys swinging through the trees and we could hear the howler monkeys off in the distance.

There are a few different uncovered temples that you’re free to explore while you’re on the site, but the whole place is so expansive and impressive that it would be easy to spend an entire day just wandering around. Again because we were there early, but also because Caracol is more difficult to get to we had hardly any other tourists to contend with. There were a handful of other tours there, but it did not feel even remotely crowded and we were told that there still are not many tourists who want to make the trip this deep into the jungle. I think it’s safe to consider this one still “off the beaten path” although with the work they’re putting into the roads, I’m sure it won’t be long until this is as popular as the temple, Xunantunich right in San Ignacio.

Because this is an all day trip, you will have a lunch packed for you complete with ceviche, grilled chicken sandwiches, veggie sticks, fruit and cookies (there were other options, but these were the best, in our opinion!).

Now officially, this trip does not include a stop at Big Rock Falls, but I’ve read on a few other blogs that this happens somewhat frequently. Our guide asked if instead of the spot we were supposed to go, if we would rather go to Big Rock Falls on the way back and we enthusiastically agreed. It seems if a guide reads your group and thinks you can handle it, they’ll exchange it. The path into Big Rock Falls is actually not for the faint of heart. The wooden steps down the steep hill seemed unforgiving but if you go slowly and carefully, you’ll make it there. From the bottom of the stairs you can see the falls that are very appropriately named. You’ll scramble over some rocks, closer to the thundering waterfall. The waterfall itself is huge and falls into a first little pool which during the dry season you can swim in but for now, we were told to stay in the second pool that sits right below the first and has its own little water feature. You make your way out to the farthest large rock where you can jump in (you can slide in off the smaller ones- but it was a little cold and if I’m going in cold water, it has to be all at once). The water was actually wonderfully refreshing and it is a great stop if you’re up for a swim!

It was still another 45 minutes or so back to Ka’Ana wand we decided to head into San Ignacio for dinner. Multiple people had recommended Ko-Ox-Han-Nah for dinner so we decided to head there. The hotel van brought us down and we had to wait a little because this tiny restaurant was packed. When we did get seated it was easy to tell why. The menu had a little bit of everything and we decided to try the lamb curry, a veggie burrito and the traditional belizean rice and beans with beef stew. I had the lamb curry and it may have been the best food I’ve eaten in Belize (maybe in my life? Idk, maybe… it was delicious). I’m actually drooling just thinking about it…. We enjoyed everything we had here and the service was friendly and helpful. I completely recommend this little eatery and if you go you absolutely have to get the lamb curry!

Ka’Ana does offer a complimentary s’mores by the fire set up if you’re interested, but s’mores seems to get lost in translation outside of the US, so you’re probably better off getting desert where you eat dinner. It’s a nice effort, but if you’re expecting actual s’mores, it won’t be quite right.

Day 8: ATM Cave (the absolute highlight of my life)

If you do nothing else in Belize, you absolutely cannot miss the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave, informally known as the ATM cave. This was hands-down the most amazing adventure activity I have ever done and you feel like an adventurer/ badass the entire time.

We left the resort at 7am and once again, because we booked a private trip through Ka’Ana it was just the three of us and after the approximately one hour drive, we were the second car in the parking lot at the entrance trail. This trip I would say it is particularly important to book as a private tour and get there as early as possible (I believe the entrance opens at 8am and we pulled in at 8:15) because this place, rightfully so, is a hot spot and sees hundreds of tourists every day. Being able to privately enjoy the cave system with almost no other people in it is such an enhancement to being part of a 15 person group where half the people can’t even hear the guide and there are so many groups making their way through the narrow spaces that claustrophobia is bound to set in.

On the way in, as I mentioned there was only the three of us with our guide and one other group that I believe had the same amount of people. You’ll get “geared up” in the parking lot with a helmet with a headlamp and a life jacket and then take an approximately 45 minute hike that involves three river crossings of various water levels. The first one which is about 2 minutes from the parking lot is the deepest water crossing that you’ll have to swim across, but they’ve tied a rope across the river that you can use to pull yourself if you’re not a strong swimmer. Water levels were high while we were visiting, which also made the water a little chilly, but just think about it as a better way of waking up than caffeine! The walk itself is not difficult at all and is mainly on flat ground and even the river crossings were very manageable, just look out for the slippery mud!

Devastatingly enough, there are absolutely no cameras or video devices allowed in the caves so I have zero photos or videos to prove that this is the incredible adventure I’m claiming it is. When I read this before we went, I assumed that because the cave was sacred to the Mayan people and used as an offering cave to the Gods, that was why there were no cameras allowed. But no, like all good things, tourists managed to ruin this one for themselves when someone in 2012 dropped their camera on a thousand year old skull. face palm. This also brings up another part of why this cave is as popular as it is among tourists. Not only are there thousands of pieces of pottery and other offerings sitting all over the cave, left for the rain Gods to beg for good harvests, this cave is also home to one of the most pristinely preserved skeletal remains of a human sacrifice who is known as the “Crystal Maiden”. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

At the end of the walking trail, you make your way into the river and have to swim into the mouth of this massive cave, and from there you continue to wade, swim and maneuver through rock and stalagmite formation for about an hour until you come to the rock face that you climb up to enter into the first of the multiple cave chambers. You will have to leave your shoes here and are required to wear socks at all times in the cave to minimize the damage to the area. I can’t stress this enough, but this activity was actually not for the faint of heart. We are three slim and athletic people, we we had no problem, but it was a lot of climbing and maneuvering with some very tight space and deep water. But if you’re a little on the adventurous side, it is also the most incredible thing I’ve ever done.

In the first chamber, that seems to have cathedral like vaulted ceiling with stalactites overhanging the entire thing, you will see many of the ceramic offerings that have been sitting here for a thousand years being slowly covered by the minerals from the cave. As you walk along you are constantly in awe of the sheer size of this cave and the magnitude of how old this all is. From carbon dating, they believe the cave was used for the ceremonies and rituals for at least 250 years. A little further into the second chamber were the first of the human remains- a few skulls and finger bones. They have officially found 14 different human remains, but our guide says it’s now at 18, but water flowed through in the last 6 years and uncovered new pottery they hadn’t seen before so who knows what is still to be found.

Again the benefit of a small tour, our guide realized that we were young and fit enough and took us to a few “off the beaten path” places where we saw the “shoe pot” after climbing up stalagmite structures on the far side of one chamber (you can google/ YouTube pictures that were taken by officials and by tourists who visited pre-2012). All the way at the back of the last chamber is a ladder that takes you to what this cave is the most famous for- the “Crystal Maiden”-a perfectly preserved, full human skeleton that had been sacrificed and the body left behind. I’ll admit human sacrifice isn’t the most wonderful part of ancient human history, but quite frankly, it is the truth of what happened and from an archaeological stand-point, it is fascinating to put all of these clues together and understand the mindset and customs of an ancient civilization.

As mentioned, getting here early was a huge advantage and the majority of the time we were coming in through the cave system and wandering through the chambers, we were completely alone and able to move at our own pace and fully appreciate the magnitude of this place. However, on our way out, with the majority of the groups coming in, I gained a whole new appreciation for getting here early. It was group after group coming in and waiting for the people in front of them to maneuver the more complicated areas. I’m not usually claustrophobic, but the amount of people that started to squeeze by us moving in the opposite direction while we’re already surrounded by rock formations and stalagmites in narrow spaces got to be unsettling and again – advantage of being a small group, our guide took us off the main pathway to another, slightly trickier way back out of the cave so we had less people to encounter. At one point, we had to take our life vests off in chest high water and sink down until we were only above water from our chin up because our necks were the only part narrow enough to fit between the wall and a rock point across from it in the narrowest of crevices before coming out the other side. (Reminder, this isn’t on the main pathway so if that sounds terrible to you (it was exhilarating, not terrifying, I promise) it is not actually mandatory). The whole experience into and out of the cave took probably 2 to 2.5 hours. Coming out of the cave seemed to be faster, but you’re also going with the current on the way out so the walking isn’t as difficult.

When we reached the cave exit, I was pretty much ready to turn around and go right back in. That place is truly special and one of the most fun adventurous adventures I’ve had in a long time. I will now recommend this to anyone who will talk to me about it and I will absolutely be coming back to do this again.

If you book through Ka’Ana, and judging by the other guides/ drivers setting up tables most places do this, you’ll have lunch set up for you when you arrive back to the car park. In speaking with our guide, anyone guiding in the ATM cave has to have a special license and there are only 25(ish) guides who are licensed. They go through special training, both in the historical information, but also for the physical requirements of getting tourists through the cave system and there haven’t been trainings offered for many years. So you can rest assured that you’re getting a very well trained and likely very experienced guide no matter who you book through considering their requirements and the limited number of guides.

As mentioned, its a strenuous activity so you’ll be exhausted by the time you get back to the hotel, so I wouldn’t plan anything else except maybe a dinner after this. We ate at Ka’Ana this night and while the food is good, its pricey and I’m sure there are better places to try in town, so if you’re not staying here, then I wouldn’t make the trip all the way up the hill to eat here. Although if you are staying here there is nothing wrong with the food and I recommend trying the Belizean Chimole Soup which is a traditional soup and very yummy (although in retrospect, I should have gone back to Ko-Ox-Han-Nah and gotten that incredible lamb curry every single night…).

I’ll admit the ATM cave is not going to be for everyone and you should take your physical abilities into strong consideration, but it was genuinely one of the most incredible things I have ever done and if you’re at all able and interested, you should make sure you add this one to your bucket list.

Day 9: Xunantunich, Mayan Chocolate presentation, San Ignacio Market, Iguana Hatchery

We did all of these things as part of a full day tour (again booked through the resort) and therefore had a guide. Honestly it made the whole process much easier, but you could do it without a guide if you wanted it to be cheaper. Personally, I thinking having a guide through the ruins helps you get the most out of the experience and you learn a lot more (unless you’re already a historian with knowledge of the ancient Mayan civilization).

The ruins of Xunantunich are much closer than those of Caracol and are in the town of San Ignacio. We were still one of the first groups here even with a 9am departure and we wandered through the impressive ruins although they are on a noticeably smaller scale than Caracol. There are day trips that come to Xunantunich from cruise ships and the coast, so if you’re planning a visit, I highly recommend coming as early as possible to avoid the cruise ship crowds. When we were leaving we actually passed some of the tour buses on their way to the site and I can’t imagine it being enjoyable to be surrounded by that many people. Also depending on the time of year, it gets HOT in the middle of the day, so avoiding peak temperatures and strong sun is also a good idea.

Our next stop back in town was Ajaw Chocolate, where they do a chocolate presentation every hour on the hour. Belize may not be internationally known for their chocolate like other places in the world, but they probably should be. Mayans are actually credited with inventing hot chocolate although its not the drink that we’re accustomed to today and it was traditionally only drank by the upper-classes. The presentation explained all about the cacao plant and we sampled each part of the bean from raw to chocolate bar. It was very interesting and obviously delicious. They started with an ancient Mayan chocolate drink which is the fermented and dried bean ground up on volcanic rock then mixed with hot water and the optional addition of honey and spices (allspice – native to Belize, and cinnamon)- it was bitter but delicious. Cacao has been an important part of Belize and the ancient Mayan civilization both historically and culturally. Also as a side note, AJAW Chocolate is actually a great follow on instagram and their handle is @cayochocolate. They share a lot about the cacao farming process, and are strong advocates for Belizean chocolate.

We had lunch at Saint Idas, which is the second most recommended place to eat in San Ignacio for traditional Belizean food. They have a great little backyard patio and the menu is simple, but they do it all very well. I had the coconut chicken with cilantro rice and fried plantains. We learned that while we were here (January 2023) they were struggling to get good plantains because they had a bad crop year for Plantains, but if you haven’t had fried plantains, they’re a must try!!

The other “must-do” in San Ignacio is the San Ignacio Market. Friday is a good day for the market although Saturdays are supposed to be the best with a huge influx of vendors. The market was lined with absolutely beautiful produce for sale. We bought a few spices from one vendor and it was unbelievably cheap. I paid .50 cents (one Belize dollar) for a small bag of allspice that probably would cost $5 at least in the US. We also tried a sapodilla fruit which is like a pear but sweeter and it made me sad we don’t have them in the states (or if we do, I don’t know where to find them). We also bought a few trinkets to bring home as souvenirs. The souvenirs here were very similar to the market in San Pedro with a lot of bead work, wood carvings, embroidery, etc.

The last thing to fill your day with in San Ignacio is the Iguana Hatchery at the San Ignacio Hotel for a guided tour of their conservation facility. The green iguana is endangered in Belize and the hotel has a small facility they use to breed, raise and release them back into the wild as well as permanently care for ones that cannot safely return to the wild for various reasons. They do let you hold them and explain all about them as you wander the small enclosure. Iguanas (and lizards in general) may not be my personal favorite, but I can appreciate the plight of any endangered animal and be thankful that people are willing to make a conservation effort on their behalf. It is definitely well worth a visit while you’re in town.

For our last night in town, we had to visit Burns street and wander around a bit. We decided on one of the handful of street vendors for dinner and got some freshly made veggie burritos. Admittedly it wasn’t nearly as good as the ones we got in San Pedro, but it was $7 BZE ($3.50US) for three burritos and the tortillas (the best part anyway) were delicious. San Ignacio is definitely a quieter town when compared to San Pedro, but there are still lots of little bars and restaurants around to choose from. We did find a place called The Spot which had a nice covered patio area in the back for lounging with some drinks and large TVs showing sports games.

Day 10: Return to Belize City & Fly home

We purposely booked flights for later in the day so that we wouldn’t have to rush our last morning and the knowing that the drive from Ka’Ana to Belize City Airport is about two hours. Ka’Ana will provide you with transportation to the airport which is extremely convenient.

If you have a little extra time, you should request that they make a stop at a souvenir/ crafts store called the Art Box. The building itself looks extremely out of place as you’re driving back towards Belize city, but inside has an incredible selection of crafts from bags of local coffee and small souvenirs that are locally made, to beautiful handcrafted kitchen tables that you could have shipped home.

We arrived about two hours before our flight and it was a quick check in process but the line for customs/immigration was incredibly long. We waited maybe 45 minutes before we got through to an almost empty security, but a very full terminal after that. It seems that the Belize City airport should probably be bigger than it is, but also I think there were multiple flights leaving around the same time that was making it so crowded. There are many souvenir shops within the terminal, but only a couple places for food. We went into the pizza place, Belizimo (LOL-I love a good pun!) to have our last Belikin and a quick bite at the only restaurant that had actual seating. The other places were small, almost food stands that you could order to go. There are also a couple of souvenir shops that you can do your last minute shopping at although they’re nothing really special. You’re much better off getting any souvenirs you’re thinking about from the markets in town.

General Belize Take Away-

Honestly, my overall impression of Belize is that it hasn’t seen the boom of tourism yet that it deserves and will eventually get. The country has a little bit of everything and for Americans in particular it’s an incredible travel destination. The convenience of being able to use the USD (or an easy conversion rate) coupled with the fact that it is a primarily English speaking country (it’s actually their primary language) makes it easy. The diversity from sea to jungle is tantalizing. You get some of the best (if not now the best) snorkeling and diving in the world, combined with fascinating ruins that look into one of the oldest known civilizations in the world that are still very much open to tourists to explore. There is a mixture of leisure and adventure. Of tranquility and nightlife. All cooped up in a beautiful country full of some of the friendliest and most easy-going people I’ve had the pleasure to meet while traveling.

I have also rarely felt more safe traveling as a small group of only women. As three women traveling together (who didn’t shy away from going into the town and out late at night) I would have expected some run in that would have made us uneasy or uncomfortable at some point, but that couldn’t be further from what we found. We never felt threatened or even uneasy in any way in any of the areas we visited and as the three of us are avid travelers, we frequently commented on our surprise at just how safe we felt. In many countries the hawkers trying to sell their merchandise get pushy and somewhat rude when you say no thank you, but in Belize, while there were many people who would offer beaded keychains, bracelets, hand embroidered tapestries, etc, no one was pushy. M put it best when she said it seemed to be the only country we’ve been to where they actually understand that “no means no”, and it was wonderfully refreshing. Now I’m not saying this is true for everyone and I’m sure there are unsafe places in Belize, especially Belize City, which even locals did warn us about, but the same common sense rules apply everywhere in the world. Be smart, don’t take unnecessary risk and be aware of your surroundings at all time, but overall I found Belize to be one of the safest countries I have visited and I will happily return one day.

If you have any questions at all about my experience in Belize or if you’re interested in advice for planning your future Belizean travels, leave a comment or feel free to send me an email! I will always be happy to help a fellow traveler out with trip planning advice 🙂 .