San Ignacio is a small town nestled into the Belizean mountains and is rife in ecotourism opportunities. 101 kilometers (63 miles) west of Belize City and the Caribbean coast, the town of San Ignacio is connected to another small municipality named Santa Elena. Together the two make up the second largest municipality in Belize. In 2020, the population registered at 19, 505 inhabitants.
The town got its origins from the production of both chicle and mahogany production during the colonization by the English (aka British, after 1707). San Ignacio was officially recognized as a town by British Honduras on October 19th, 1904. The original name was El Cayo (or The Island) due to the orientation of between two rivers that was once connected by a creek. The creek eventually dried up, leaving behind no signs of its existence.
San Ignacio is a major cultural and economic hub and located only 35 kilometers (22 miles) west of the capital Belmopan. The demographics of the area are a bit of a melting pot. There is a large Mestizo population with a solid presence of Creole, Lebanese, and Mopan Maya. There is also Mennonite influence from the nearby community in Spanish Lookout.
The city boasts a wonderful market six days of the week, Monday through Saturday. Every Saturday the local farmers stop by with fresh fruit and seasonal vegetables, making it the place to be each week.
San Ignacio is one of the most popular areas for tourism in Belize. There is a range of choices that will make just about any traveler happy with their visit. There are two ecotourism caves close by, the Actun Tunichil Muknal (or ATM Cave) and the Barton Creek Cave. The ATM Cave offers tourists the opportunity to see skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware, while the Barton Creek Cave offers the more adventurous option of cave canoeing.
It is highly recommended to day trip to the nearby area of Mountain Pine Ridge. This part of Belize boasts endless hiking trails, waterfalls, caves, and ruins to be explored. It can be a little difficult to reach this area, as no buses service the National Park. However, it would be worth it to team up with a group from the hostel and split a rental car to explore!
San Ignacio is the perfect escape for history buffs. There are four excellent Mayan archeological sites that are easily accessed. Tourists can visit the smaller sites of Caracol, Cahal Pech, and El Pilar. However, the most frequented site is the better known Xunantunich. Xunantunich was impressive to say the least. They offer the opportunity to explore a condensed ancient city that includes more than seven pyramid structures, including the impressive El Castillo. I was so impressed by this site that I will be posting a more in-depth article about it.
I spent a week in this quant mountain town. I really love the hostel I stayed at named the Yellow Belly Backpacker. It’s a relatively new hostel with excellent amenities that includes a full kitchen and one of the best showers I’ve had in Central America. My next post will focus on why this hostel was so fantastic. That article will also cover the nearby ruin site of Cahal Pech, which is only a five-minute walk from the hostel.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this quant mountain town. It’s quiet and relaxing with a fantastic community. Everyone I met and spoke with was incredibly friendly and wanted to tell me about a place I should check out; be it a restaurant, square, market, or river side park. Unfortunately for me, I was on a very tight budget. I plan to return and dig into all the ecotourism the country has to offer. Next time I won’t have to skip over activities due to my open-ended trip to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.
Quick Notes:
- Archeological Site Entrance fees – $10 BZN ($5 US)
- Taxi from San Ignacio to Xunantunich ferry – $3-4 BZN ($1.50-2 US)
- Bus from San Ignacio to Xunantunich ferry – $4 BZN ($2 US)
- ATM Cave Tour – $220 BZN ($110 US)
- Barton Creek Cave Tour – $190 BZN ($95 US)
