Cayo District Things to Do

The Palace

by Paul2001

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The Palace
by Paul2001
The view from the El Castillo
by Paul2001
Macal River [photo by Chris]
by toonsarah
Things to Do
by euzkadi
Things to Do
by euzkadi

Most Viewed Things to Do in Cayo District

12 Reviews One of our two prime objectives of staying in the San Ignacio area was to explore a Mayan cave. The particular one that we wanted to see was Actun Tunichil Muknal (known as ATM or 'Cave of the Crystal...

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Xunantunich San Ignacio

8 Reviews Xunantunich was one of my favourite Mayan ruins in Belize. Unlike most of the other ruins I was able to investigate this large ruin on my own, so I could climb up and down the large pyramids and tombs...

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Tikal San Ignacio

4 Reviews At Clarissa Falls, Mark will arrange the entire trip to Tikal--just tell him when you want to go---its about $100 per person. He drove us to the border, walked us over, and introduced us to the...

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Cahal Peche San Ignacio

7 Reviews I enjoyed Cahal Pech much more than I thought I would. It doesn't have the large, impressive looking structures like Xunantunich or Caracol, but it had several smaller structures and lots of hallways...

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Falls and Mountain Pine Ridge San Ignacio

4 Reviews This is believed to be the highest waterfall in Central America and is actually over 1,500 ft to the bottom. A viewing platform overlooks the falls. There is a short scenic trail around the escarpment...

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Tours San Ignacio

6 Reviews All of our tours in the San Ignacio area originated from Belize CIty. Prior to going to Belize I contacted pacztours and scheduled a trip to ATM for me and my family. Pacztours picked us up in Belize...

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Tropical Wings Nature Center San Ignacio

2 Reviews We have been to bigger and more inclusive types of butterfly places - in Costa Rica and in Key West. But this one does like the Belize zoo, and concentrates on Belize butterflies and plants. It made a...

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

St. Herman's Cave

by grandmaR

St. Herman's cave is part of the Blue Hole National Park. It is located 400 meters from the Hummingbird Highway. We elected not to walk from the Blue Hole. It is a large sinkhole, 60 meters wide, funneling to a 20 meter entrance to the cave. Concrete steps, constructed over the steps made by the Maya who used the cave during the Classic Period (0- 900A.D.), lead into the darkness. As the cave is approached, a surge of cool, damp air can be felt, contrasting to the high temperatures outside which fogged up my camera lenses and my glasses. St. Herman's Cave is a part of a lattice of sink holes, caverns and creeks that riddle the area. We used a dive light as a flashlight, but we didn't go back much beyond the entrance as we didn't have a guide. From the website: "The cave has archaeological importance. Pottery vessels, used for the collection of "Zuh uy Ha" or virgin water from cave...

St. Herman's Cave

by ymike2000

This cave is one of the highlights of the Blue Hole National Park. You can venture a good 1/4 mile into the cave on a clearly marked path. A small admission fee is charged at the entrance, and don't forget to rent a flashlight as well. The park is maintained by the Belize Audubon Society. It contains over 250 species of birds and other animals. Unfortunately one of those animals is the mosquito, so be prepared with insect repellent.Two trails lead up to the cave, the "high" and the "low". Neither is a very long hike. The high requires some climbing, but gives a much better view of the surrounding area. Take the high trail if it's been raining - the low trail is prone to flooding.When we arrived at the steps leading to the cave, a park employee was sweeping them. It's nice to see the admission fee was going right back into the park :-) You can also camp in the Blue Hole National Park, but...

Blue Hole National Park

by ymike2000

At the second entrance to the park (the first one leading to St. Herman's Cave) you find a stairway that will take you to the actual "blue hole". It's a pool, about 30 feet in diameter (9 meters). Most of the pool is very shallow, except for the collapsed sinkhole which causes the blue color. The hole is estimated to be 100 feet deep but the locals will swear it's bottomless, leading to caves that eventually empty out into the ocean 20 miles east. The water was perfect for a refreshing swim :-)

St. Herman's Cave in Blue Hole Nat'l Park!

by saraheg77

St. Herman's Cave is just a 10 minute walk from the visitor center at Blue Hole National park. But be SURE to wear mosquito repellent, as the walk is in the jungle, and there were lots of mosquitos! Also, be sure and take a strong flashlight if you want to go very far in to the cave. We went a ways in to the cave, but turned back when our flashlight stopped working very well!Last, but not least, be sure to wear good walking shoes with good traction to keep you on the trail inside the cave! =)

Rio on Pools - A break from the road to Caracol!

by saraheg77

Rio on Pools was SOOO wonderful and refreshing! It is a place you MUST stop on your way back from Caracol to the main road. The road is every so dusty and bumpy and takes about 3 hours, but if you stop at Rio On Pools, it will give you a nice break about halfway along that 3-hour trip! There is a little walk from the road to the pools, but it is worth it!

Photograph the Green Iguana

by Waxbag

Check out the enormous green iguanas along the Belize River. There is a small village next to the bridge to Xunantunich where a pair like to hang out and get free hand outs from the locals and tourist. They are vegetarian and are completely harmless. They let you get fairly close to photograhp but will run for the river and jump in if you get to close.

Blue Hole National Park

by grandmaR

The Blue Hole National Park, protected under the National Parks System Act of 1981, was established in December 1986.Adjacent to a parking area, steps lead to the pool that gives the park its name (not to be confused with the other Blue Hole on Lighthouse Reef. There were no changing facilities when I was there - I had to change in the bathroom. The water was COLD. Too cold for Bob - he didn't want to swim.The websites say that it is about 25 feet deep, but I could walk around in most of it only up to mid calf. Of course at the time it was the middle of a drought.The website says:If you have the time, catching a bus heading to Dangriga can be an inexpensive way to get there. If you go by bus, be sure and check bus schedules for return times.

Plan Plenty of Time to Explore!

by saraheg77

Caracol was a bit difficult to get to, due to the bumpy, non-paved road, but it was definitely worth the trip! It is the largest Mayan ruin... and was first occupied in 1200 B.C.The entrance fee is $10 and it is opened 7 days a week. There is a small museum at the entrance.I especially enjoyed the fact there there were lots of little rooms here and there to explore... lots of steps and things to climb. If you like exploring, you will love Caracol!

Fish in the Hole

by MrRandMcnally

When we came to the inland blue hole I could see little fish swiming around in it so I stuck my waterproof camera in the water and snapped a picture, I got these great images of the fish swiming around in the cenote.

Cahal Peche

by grandmaR

Cahal Peche is a small Mayan site right in San Ignacio at the top of a hill. It has 34 buildings on a bit over 2 acres. It is unusual in that it has the finish on the masonry which would have been there when the site was in use, and the brickwork is not all exposed.The name derives from words meaning "Place of Ticks" because the area had been used as a cattle pasture, and cattle pastures are notorious breeding grounds for ticks.After some looting was done between 1970 and 1985, the local people became concerned. In 1988 a formal large scale excavation was started which continues today.