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Things to See and Do | Shopping | Dining | Accommodations
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
Here in Mother Nature's amusement park, choose from birding, canoeing, caving, hiking, swimming, tubing, horseback riding, mountain biking, or exploring archaeological sites. But first, kick around central San Ignacio, starting with busy Burns Avenue. On market day (Saturday) vendors come to tout their fresh vegetables, tropical fruits, and other tasty wares. Go early and enjoy the show, as well as the food.
San Ignacio Resort Hotel, "the only jungle in town," runs the Green Iguana Exhibit to help preserve the little descendants of dinosaurs. Curators gather iguana eggs from the wild, incubate them, then release the hatchlings after nine months to a year. This intervention increases survival rates by 80 percent. Although the reptiles look like refugees from a sci-fi movie, they touch the hearts of guests who adopt the little critters and give them names, for a US$20 donation.
Another project of the San Ignacio Hotel, the Medicinal Jungle Trail, weaves among 70 species of plants and trees. Expert guides describe the ones with known medicinal properties, and explain the African and Maya traditions of treating ailments with them. Tours depart at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., US$5.
The Macal and Mopan rivers carry canoers, kayakers, swimmers, and tubers through picturesque landscapes. The Challio Dam has raised water levels, creating better conditions on the upper Macal. Thrill-seekers can tube the Mopan at Clarissa Falls, a retreat near the village of Calla Creek. Committed bird watchers tend to prefer afternoons. Self-guided canoe trips cost US$23-50; guided trips $35-60.
In March, fans cheer their favorite teams during La Ruta Maya River Challenge, the longest canoe race in Central America. Three-person teams paddle the grueling, 180-mile, four-day clamor down the Macal and Belize rivers, from the Hawkesworth Bridge to Belize City.
The Holy Saturday Cycling Classic, from Belize City to San Ignacio and back, started in the 1900s, when nothing more than a mule track connected the two settlements. Other competitions include the Valentine Cycle Race (February), from Belmopan to Benque Viejo to Belize City, and the Mother's Day Cycling Classic, from San Ignacio to the western border, then back to Belize City.
Benque Viejo del Carmen, a mestizo village two miles shy of the Guatemalan border, comes alive during its July fiesta, which honors the village's patron saint with shows, food, and games. On Good Friday, Christians from around the country come for the dramatic Passion of Christ procession. More annual events include the San Ignacio Easter Fair, the San José Succotz Festival in March, and Cayo Expo in May.
San Ignacio visitors can actually walk to the impressive Maya site of Cahal Pech. Perched atop a hill just a mile from town, it rewards the 15-minute hike with a panoramic view of San Ignacio and the Belize River Valley. A museum and visitors center displays Maya artifacts, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., US$5.
Bullet Tree Road leads to the 100-acre archaeological reserve of El Pilar, which means "Water Basin," the site of an annual celebration of Maya culture each April. Hike or ride horseback to a pair of fascinating sinkholes. Windy Hill Resort, on Benque Viejo Road, offers guided night jungle walks to observe nocturnal plants and animals. Maya guides demonstrate how sap is extracted from the sapodilla tree, source of chicle.
The grand Maya city of Xunantunich, which means "Maiden of the Rock," towers 130 feet tall, eight miles west of San Ignacio. Fit climbers reach the top of el Castillo, adorned by an impressive architectural frieze, for a sweeping view of Cayo to the east and Guatemala to the west. To reach Xunantunich from the village of San José Succotz, a hand-cranked ferry carries vehicles across the Mopan River. The archaeological site has a refreshment stand, gift shop, and visitor center, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., US$5.
To see remains of the first Spanish mission in Belize, take Chial Road (off Western Highway mile 75) to Negroman and the overgrown site of Tipu. At the end of the road, from solar- and hydro-powered Black Rock River Lodge, a leisurely 40-minute hike past interesting black slate formations and 800-foot cliffs ends up at Vaca Falls.
Spelunking expeditions combine history and adventure for healthy hikers with professional guides and the right equipment. Che Chem Ha Cave (Chumpiate Cave), in the Vaca Plateau area, houses one of the largest caches of intact pots in the ancient Maya world. Go on horseback to discover more pots, tools, and burial sites at nearby Flour Camp Cave (U'chen Tzub). Waterhole Cavern (Actun Chapat), harbors rare bats. Horseback tours to the falls and caves start at US$65 per person.
Chaa Creek Natural History Centre, at the Lodge at Chaa Creek, showcases traditional life through its replica of a Kekchi Maya house, complete with hearth, furnishings, and clothing. Other educational displays include geology, bird nests, butterflies, deadly snakes, animal skulls, and a growing library. A butterfly farm raises beautiful iridescent blue morphos. The history center and butterfly farm open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., US$5. Also at Chaa Creek, a traditional Maya farm demonstrates organic methods, and the Ixchel Rainforest Medicinal Trail reveals healing plants and trees, many of which now serve in modern medicine. The exhibits open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., US$5.
Garden trails in nearby Belize Botanic Gardens at duPlooy's Jungle Lodge pass hundreds of species of exotic rainforest plants and trees, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., US$5. Eighteen species of butterflies grow and develop at Tropical Wings Butterfly House and Nature Center, on Western Highway east of the ferry to Xunantunich, open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., US$2.50.
Benque House of Culture holds classes in art, music, and dance; sponsors forums on local history; and displays artifacts from early Benque. Housed in a former police station, the museum opens 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The 60-acre Poustinia Land Art Park, a few miles out of town on Arenal Road, makes a home for environmental art by Belizean and international sculptors. Thick with orchids, the park adds hundreds of new flowering, fruiting, and medicinal plants and trees each year to reforest the former cattle ranch.
Bird watchers love Cayo, where blue crowned motmots, rufus-tail hummingbirds, purple crowned fairies, green-breasted mangos and toucans fly freely. At Elijio Panti National Park, birders may get to spot elusive emerald toucans. Aguacate Lagoon, 20 minutes beyond Spanish Lookout, makes another good perch for birders. Avian books include Birds of Belize, by H Lee Jones, and a handy pamphlet called Birding in Belize - San Ignacio Area, by James H Schultz and Tom Chase.
Cayo makes a great place for horseback riding, and hotels can arrange it for US$45 per person. After a vigorous ride, loosen up with a sensuous spa treatment at the Lodge at Chaa Creek. Covered in fresh flower petals each day, the spa combines a misty view of the Maya Mountains with its long list of services.
Things to See and Do | Shopping | Dining | Accommodations
SHOPPING
Visitors searching for regional arts and crafts seek out ziricote wood carvings, black slate carvings, Guatemalan masks, hot sauces, jewelry, ceramics, glycerin soap, and embroidered Maya huipiles. Find the mother lode of such gifts at Caesar's Place (Western Highway mile 60), which also makes folding mahogany clam chairs, optimal for back yards and beaches.
The village of San Antonio has two prominent sources of goodies. Magana's Zaac-tunich Art Gallery features local wood carvings, and the Tanah Mayan Art Museum is famous for its black slate carvings of Maya gods.
Tiny Benque Viejo is home to Belizean music mogul Ivan Duran of Stonetree Records, whose CDs preserve traditional Maya and Garinagu music, sold through gift shops all around the country.
Things to See and Do | Shopping | Dining | Accommodations
DINING
San Ignacio's restaurants, great for local flavor at reasonable rates, include Erva's, Martha's Kitchen, Eva's, and Hode's Place. Hannah's offers Indian dishes. Sanny's Grill, in a quiet residential area, has an upscale menu. Tasty Sri Lankan dishes await at Serendib downtown. Try Maxim's for Chinese food.
Running W Steakhouse & Restaurant in the San Ignacio Resort Hotel prepares wonderful porterhouse steaks, Belizean fare, and Lebanese food like kibbi. Aguada Hotel offers Belizean, American, and Italian dishes. Cahal Pech Village resort serves up a lovely view of San Ignacio and Santa Elena. Don't miss the bread pudding at Clarissa Falls, or top off a meal with soy-based ice cream from Cayo Twist, open Thursday through the weekend, in town.
Nights can be lively or peaceful. The Stork Club at the San Ignacio Hotel features Thursday-night karaoke, live music on weekends (DJ or bands), and large-screen TV for sporting events. The Roomba Room is a new disco in town. Enjoy live jazz the first Saturday of each month at Caesar's Place. At the Princess Casino in the San Ignacio Resort Hotel, gamers play slots from noon to 4 a.m.
Things to See and Do | Shopping | Dining | Accommodations
ACCOMMODATIONS
Cayo's hostelries all have great personalities. Vacationers get back to nature - in the most luxurious way possible - at jungle lodges a few miles down Chial Road (off Western Highway mile 75). Trails, rivers, caves, and other forms of adventure surround the heavenly Black Rock River Lodge and wildly civilized Lodge at Chaa Creek, which has its own museum, butterfly farm, and world-class spa, plus camp sites for budget travelers.
Cahal Pech Village sits within walking distance of downtown San Ignacio. Maya Mountain Lodge, San Ignacio Resort Hotel (with a new look), and Windy Hill Cottages offer memorable stays and plenty of fun activities.
Final stops before the Guatemalan border, the quaint mestizo villages of San José Succotz and Benque Viejo del Carmen nestle along the Mopan River. In Benque on the river, convenient to nature trails, adventures, and archaeological sites, Mopan River Resort offers all-inclusive packages and a chapel for weddings.
Modest lodgings allow visitors to stay in town and on budget with rates from US$20 to $60 per room.
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