San Ignacio, Belize: Attractions Worth Visiting
After spending four days on Ambergris Caye, we rented a car and headed inland to San Ignacio in Belize’s Cayo District. My husband and I and our three kids spent the next eight days using San Ignacio as our base to explore ancient Maya ruins, caves, and other attractions in western Belize. These are the attractions we thought were worth the time to explore.
Cayo District | San Ignacio
Farmers’ Market
We woke up early every morning while in San Ignacio to shop for breakfast. Fresh produce is offered every day in San Ignacio, Belize. We could find bananas 10 for $1.00. They always had a great variety of vegetables to choose from too. At lunch time if we were near town we would grab some hot food from the street vendors.
San Ignacio has an open-air farmer market every day, however on Saturday it is a huge event. Saturday’s farmers markets bring in vendors from the surrounding areas of Guatemala and Honduras.
The market has lots of choices of grains, fruits, vegetables, and meat. Vendors also offer street food and handcrafted items. The Saturday market in San Ignacio is a great place to find unique souvenirs.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
ATM Cave Tour
The most memorable and fun thing we did in Belize was taking the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave tour. The tour starts within the Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve. We had to ford two rivers, hike through the jungle, swim to and within a cave, and hike within the cave to see the Mayan sacrifice site. It was an all-day event and our kids said it was something they will remember forever. I would count this as one of the top five best excursions I’ve taken during my travels.
Find out more about our ATM Cave Adventures
Belize’s Mayan Ruins
See Belize Mayan Ruins. Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM Cave) was the best tour we took in Belize. It is a day excursion where you will ford rivers, hike through a jungle, swim to and through a cave.
Xunatunich Mayan Ruins were my favorite ruins we visited in Belize. You have to take a wooden ferry across the river just to access the ruins. The stone carvings are amazingly intricate and from the top you have amazing views of Belize and Guatemala. Visit our post on 3 Amazing Mayan Ruins in Belize & How to Find Them
See Belize’s Waterfalls
Thousand Foot Falls is the tallest waterfall in Central America, so we had to go. It is quite the adventure just to get to this remote place. You can can see both Thousand Foot Falls and Big Rock Falls in one day trip from San Ignacio.
Green Iguana Conservation Project
The Green Iguana Conservation Project ended up being one of the kids’ favorite place we visited. Not only was it very educational, it was amazing to be surrounded by so many iguanas.
The kids absolutely loved the Green Iguana Conservation Project in San Ignacio.
Iguanas in Belize
In Belize there are two kinds of iguanas
- Green iguanas
- Spiny tail iguanas, we saw these in San Pedro
Belize is also home to Green Iguanas. Green Iguanas do not eat insects, they are herbivores. If you want to hold and see many iguanas at one time a visit to the Green Iguana Conservation Project is in order.
This center is located in San Ignacio at the San Ignacio Hotel. Not only will you learn a lot about iguanas you can touch and hold them.
Despite the fact iguanas seem to be everywhere here, they are actually threatened by the loss of their natural habitat and from humans. The Green Iguana Conservation Project raises iguanas and then releases them to their natural habitat. While walking around the conservation area if you stand still you are likely to get some hitchhikers on your back. They were very friendly.
Belize Dishes
Rice and beans or beans and rice – which would you prefer? Yes, in Belize these are two distinctly different meals. Both are usually served with stewed chicken.
Rice and Beans (one pot)
Below you can see a common Belize Rice and Beans dish. This is where the rice and beans are combined with coconut milk and other seasonings.
Beans and Rice (separate)
If you choose beans and rice your white rice will be separate from the beans.
Drinks in Belize: Belkin Beer & Coca Cola
A popular beer in Belize is Belkin Beer. Coca Cola in glass bottles are common.
In San Ignacio at the Cahal Resort there is a drink called the Belizean Snow. If you like coconut it is phenomenal.
Tours in Belize
Adventurer At Heart
Amber is the writer behind Adventurer At Heart, sharing practical travel advice based on more than 25 years of exploring Arizona and traveling beyond it. She looks for places with a story, from desert trails and historic sites to scenic drives and towns worth your limited vacation time. When she’s not traveling, she’s gardening.
