Local Area
Local Area
Cities: San Ignacio, Belmopan
San Ignacio
San Ignacio is the Capital of the Cayo District and the primary destination of travelers to Western Belize. The city is full of diversity and hosts a large Saturday market where many vendors and merchants come to sell their wares. The city has a lot of tour guides ready to take people all over Cayo to see ruins, caves, waterfalls, birdwatching, and any other kind of activities. Most everything you would need can be found in San Ignacio or in the nearby Spanish Lookout which is the center of the Mennonite communities.
Belmopan
Belmopan is the capital of Belize and mainly a business center with a large industrial zone as well. It was a planned city that became the new capital in 1970 after a severe hurricane devastated Belize city in 1961. The National Assembly Building was designed to resemble an ancient Mayan motif.
Mayan Sites: Caracol, Tikal, Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, El Pilar
Caracol
Caracol is one of the largest Mayan sites yet to be discovered in meso-america. The site was inhabited as far back as 1200 BCE but was at it’s peak between 485 CE to 889 CE. The site is approximately 65 square miles (168 square kilometers) and had a population over 140,000 people. The site is most famous for it’s Caana Sky Palace. This is the largest man-made structure in Belize at 143 feet tall, it’s a giant pyramid with a plaza on it’s plateau that has another two facing pyramids on either side. Definitely one of the most incredible ancient architectural works in existence.
Tikal
Located just a little ways across the border in Guatemala is the huge ancient Mayan site Tikal. Before Caracol was discovered, Tikal was thought to be the largest Mayan site known, but it is still debatable as to whether Tikal or Caracol was larger. Both sites were important metropolis Mayan centers. Tikal covers about 120 square kilometers and has also been made into a wildlife reserve where many animals can be seen. The main central plaza has two large pyramids facing each other and many smaller structures around it. The site has many large pyramids build within it. It will take a whole day or more to see the full site in detail.
Xunantunich
Located just across the Mopan river from Succotz and Benque Viejo Del Carmen, this was a very large Mayan city with a few large pyramid structures. This city was allied with Caracol and is also one of the most photgraphed sites in Belize due to it’s amazingly detailed stelaes.
Cahal Pech
Located in San Ignacio, Cahal Pech was once the palace of an elite Maya family, possibly royalty. The site sits on the hilltop of San Ignacio which looks over the city that was once a Mayan village. It’s an ideal place to see while visiting San Ignacio.
El Pilar
This site is located right on the border to Guatemala. Half of the site is only accessible from Guatemala while the other half is located on the Belize side of the border. The site largely unexcavated, but is praised by birdwatchers for it’s good location to see many of the rare birds of Belize. Many of the pyramids you wiull see there are small and simply look like pyramid shaped mounds of earth with jungle vegetation growing on them.
Caves: Che Chem Ha, Actun Tunichil Muknal, Rio Frio
Che Chem Ha
Che Chem Ha is one of the best caves to visit in Belize because it was found to have more Mayan pottery and artefacts than any other cave in Belize. Its numerous ceremonial rooms, pottery, ritual items, altars, and the natural crystalline beauty that caves offer.
Actun Tunichil Muknal
This is probably the most famous of the caves to see in Belize, most famous for its skeletons of sacrificial victims. These skeletons have been covered in minerals from that natural occurrences in the caves giving the skeletons a preservced crystalline look. This cave, often abreviated as ATM is also full of stonerware, and ceramic pottery.
Rio Frio
This is a wide open river cave that has both an opening and exit a short distance apart. It looks amazing and is also located next to a traditional rainforest medicine trail that can be walked, and has plaques with the names of the different medicinal plants when you see them.
Rivers: Macal river, Mopan river, Belize river
Macal River
The Macal river is a true Belizean river flowing out of the Mayan Mountain range in the south. It flows north through raw untouched jungle for many miles before arriving in San Ignacio where it soon meets the Mopan to become the Belize River. The Macal is the river that runs by our ecovillage and the water is clean, warm, and great for swimming.
Mopan River
The Mopan river flows from deep in the Guatemalan jungles until it weaves in and out of guatemala and Belize until it returns to Belize to meet up with the Macal and form the Belize River. Easily accessed for swimming in Benque Viejo Del Carmen, San Jose Succotz, and Bullet Tree, the water is nice and clear and many people can be found bathing, doing laundry and playing in the river on a sunny day.
Belize River
The Belize river starts just outside of San Ignacio at Brand Mouth. It is the longest river in Belize and was a major trading route taken by the Mayans in ancient times. It goes through miles of jungle where howler monkeys sit atop trees on either side howling back and forth at each other. Every year is an annual canoe race called La Ruta Maya.
Waterfalls: Thousand Foot Falls, Five Sisters Falls, Big Rock Falls, Rio On Pools
Thousand Foot Falls
This waterfall is the tallest in Central America at 1600 feet high. From the lookout point this tall waterfall appears to dissapear into jungle foliage, yet it actually falls further into a deep pool at the bottom that can be accessed along a trail for people to go swimming.
Five Sisters Falls
These 5 sister falls are lined up side by side to make for an excellent place to relax, enjoying nature while having a picnic and cooling off in the water.The falls must be accessed through the Five Sisters Lodge.
Big Rock Falls
Big Rock falls is a beautiful waterfall in the Pine Ridge area. When arriving at the falls, you just follow the trail down a hill and then walk across the rocks to view a spectacular sight as the water rolls over the rocks and plummets into a nice pool. Great for swimming.
Rio On Pools
The Rio On pools are a group of pools one after the other with small falls in between. It’s a great place to relax on the rocks enjoying the beauty of the place or get into the water and enjoy the paradise of pools.
Other: Bird Watching, Wildlife, Butterfly Farms, Belize Botanic Gardens, Mountain Pine Ridge
Bird Watching
Nearly anywhere in Belize is a good place for bird watching, however there are some more ideal places. To see all the varieties of birds, one must go to different types of terrains and habitats in Belize. This is best done with bird watching guide which knows what areas, trees, and places that each type of bird prefers. Some specific locations such as El Pilar are known to be hotspots for large varieties of birds.
Butterfly Farms
There are a few butterfly farms around the country. If you’re into butterflys then Belize has butterflys to satisfy you. Green Hills Butterfly Ranch, Tropical Wings Nature Center, or the Chaa Creek Butterfly Farm are all good places see a variety of beautiful butterflies.
Belize Botanic Gardens
If you’re into botany and plants, then the Belize Botanic Gardens is the place to check out. Here you can familiarize yourself with and learn about the flora of of Belize. Many of the plants in Belize have a long history of medicinal or food uses.
Mountain Pine Ridge
The Mountain Pine Ridge is a large reserve of mostly pine trees if you might’ve guessed. Many of the waterfalls are located in the region as well as many animals. It’s a completely different type of terrain than anywhere else in Belize. Many visitors who’ve experienced pine forests in their home countries feel like they’re at home.
