Sights in San Ignacio (Cayo)
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Cahal Pech
High atop a hill on the southern outskirts of San Ignacio, Cahal Pech is the oldest-known Maya site in the Belize River valley, having been first settled between 1500 and 1000 BC. Less impressive than Xunantunich and Caracol, it's still a fascinating example of Preclassic Maya architecture. It was a significant Maya settlement for 2000 years or more.
Cahal Pech (kah-hahl pech) is Mopan and Yucatec Mayan for 'Place of Ticks,' a nickname earned in the 1950s when the site was surrounded by pastures grazed by tick-infested cattle. Today it's a pleasantly shady site with plenty of trees and few tourists. Its core area of seven interconnected plazas has been excavated and…
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Green Iguana Exhibit & Medicinal Jungle Trail
On the lush Macal Valley grounds of the San Ignacio Resort Hotel, this program collects and hatches iguana eggs, raising the reptiles until they are past their most vulnerable age. The iguanas are then released into the wild, but not before giving guests a chance to get to know them. You'll get plenty of face time (and photo ops), as well as fun facts about iguanas. On the way back from the exhibit, learn about local herbs and plants on the medicinal jungle trail that winds through the forest.
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Xunantunich
Belize's most accessible Maya site of significance, Xunantunich (pronounced shoo-nahn-too-neech), is reached via a free hand-cranked ferry across the Mopan River at San José Succotz. Climb to the top of El Castillo, the largest structure set 40m (130ft) above the main plaza, to enjoy a spectacular 360-degree view.
Set on a leveled hilltop, Xunantunich may have been occupied as early as 1000 BC but was little more than a village until the 7th century AD, when the large architecture we now see began to be built. A good visitors center, between the ticket office and the hilltop ruins, explains Xunantunich's history.
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Green Hills Butterfly Ranch
Around 35 exotic and colorful butterfly species are bred here - at Belize's largest live butterfly display. On the tours, knowledgeable guides take you around and explain the insects' life cycle from egg to caterpillar to pupa to butterfly. Many have gorgeous iridescent colors which will both captivate and surprise.
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San Ignacio & Santa Elena House of Culture
Opened in 2010, this small museum displays works by artists from Belize as well as arranging performances, classes and interactive happenings (occasionally extending past normal operating hours). Museum curators are looking for a larger space, so by the time you read this the museum may be elsewhere in San Ignacio, but for now it's right underneath the Town Council building.
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Branch Mouth
Branch Mouth is the meeting place of the Mopan River, coming from Guatemala, and the Macal River, flowing down from Mountain Pine Ridge. The confluence of these rivers forms the beginning of the Belize River, which flows northeast to the sea.
The surrounding parkland is home to an abundance of birdlife as well as an iguana reserve. The confluence of these rivers forms a sweet swimming hole, which is an enticing prospect on a hot day. To get there, cycle or walk 1.5 miles north on scenic Branch Mouth Rd to the Hammock Bridge.
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