San Ignacio

San Igancio is the capital and cultural-economic hub of Cayo, the largest of Belize’s six districts. Founded in the 1800s, the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elana have largely amalgamated over time into a single centre. Two major thoroughfares run through the area, the George Price Highway between Belize City and the Guatamalan border, and the Hummingbird Highway which runs south to Stann Creek. We stayed at the Maya Bella Hotel in the centre of town and enjoyed our stay immensely

The regional population is highly diverse, with Mestizo, Kriol, Mayan, Chinese, and Mennonite communities all active participants. Tourism is a large source of income as the region is famed for its ruins, caves, waterfalls, and riverways.

 

San Ignacio was our base camp for exploring Western Belize as it was both affordable and centrally located to a number of interesting sites. There were originally a few days planned for relaxing, but the sights in the area proved too alluring and we maintained a very go-go-go pace throughout our visit.

Special shout out to the Ko-Ox restaurant for having the best food in town. Steven had heard about them before we arrived and we must have eaten 2 out of 3 meals there every day the entire time we were in the area.