San Ignacio

Actun Tunichil Muknal

usually abbreviated to "ATM"

A Mayan sacrificial burial site near San Ignacio. The site is contained entirely within a cave system, and access to the relics is gained via some 500 m of climbing over rocks, wading and swimming through water that is at times over 1.5 m deep. The cave was a sacred site for the Mayans and it contains many examples of pottery, ceramics, and stoneware, as well as several sets of human sacrificial remains, one of which (known as the "Crystal Maiden") has been almost entirely covered in limestone crystals by the water in the cave. The site is a 45-minute drive from San Ignacio, and, due to the caving aspect, it may only be visited when accompanied by an official guide (who will provide appropriate safety equipment) and you can't take photos inside. Most tour companies in San Ignacio are able to offer officially guided tours.

Belize Botanic Gardens

Drive as above, but turn right at the fork. This will take you to a botanical garden with a walking path of about 3 km. Here you can also find an interesting lodge (see Sleep below).

Branch Mouth

About 20 minutes walk from downtown along Branch Mouth Road. The confluence of the rivers Macal and Mopan, forming the Belize river. In addition to the natural attraction, there's the low-hanging Hammock Bridge (not for people who're afraid of heights), and a small park with a picnic area and a beach.

Cahal Pech

The main attraction in the town. Cahal Pech is a smallish set of Mayan ruins that were abandoned around 800-900 AD. There is an indoor museum displaying artifacts, a site plan, and information on the ruins in a regional context. There are, allegedly, guided tours, but these are unneeded, as the site is easy to traverse. The entire site should take 1-2 hours at most for a thorough exploration. Once at the ruins, the site is fairly flat, but Cahal Pech is at the top of the hill overlooking San Ignacio. The walk uphill to it from the main town is quite exhausting and is difficult even from the San Ignacio Resort Hotel on the hill. If you have any disability, or are in poor physical condition, you will want to drive.

Daily during daylight hours·Admission is BZ$20 (US$10) for foreigners, BZ$10 (US$5) for residents

Caracol

Biggest ruin in Belize, once inhabited by 140000 people and biggest city to exist in today's Belize. Yet partially unexcavated, so you really feel like you are in a national park on a ruin. Ca'ana, place of the sky, is one of the biggest and most massive temples in the Mayan world. Definitely a must see ruin, and it comes with stops at Rio On Pools and Rio Frio Cave too.

Chaa Creek

Follow the Old Benque Road towards the border and then turn left on the Chial Road, drive for 5 km past the airport, and turn left at the fork to get to Chaa Creek. Here you can find two interesting lodging options (see Sleep below), the Rainforest Medicine Trail and the Chaa Creek Natural History Center & Butterfly Farm.

Green Hills Butterfly Ranch

See 30 different butterfly species in a large flight area, as well as local birds and plants.

Hawksworth Bridge

This is the only suspended road bridge in Belize and connects the twin cities. It was built in 1949 and named after the then-governor. It's a one direction bridge going towards Santa Elena – traffic to San Ignacio goes along the Wooden Bridge further north.

Iguana Hatchery

Visit the Iguana Conservation Project and the interpretive Medicinal Jungle Trail at the San Ignacio Hotel. Ranked as one of the best family excursions in San Ignacio.

tour daily at 9AM, 11AM, 1PM and 3PM·US$11.25 pp

Xunantunich

Maya Ruins

Wear good shoes, bring water and plan to spend about 3-4 hours. There is a free hand-cranked ferry in Succotz over the Mopan River. From there you can easily walk the 1 mi (mostly uphill) to the site. As of Oct 2025, the main Visitor Center near the entrance is closed indefinitely. There's a small Education Center (with a few info boards) and a small Visitor Center (displaying stelae) further up the hill, adjacent to the ruins.

BZ$25 for foreigners; BZ$10 for residents

Medicinal Jungle Trail

Educational path in the jungle with around 70 different plants, moreover you may see some animals. Walking the path isn't too challenging and will take some 45 minutes. The path is south of town near Buenavista Road.

Tipú

The remains of the former Mayan city, around 8 km south of San Ignacio, close to the Negroman village.