- is there a bus from Cancun airport or bus station into Belize? and approximate cost? and duration of the ride?
The bus company, ADO, runs a bus between Cancun City and Belize City. It stops at Cancun airport on the BC to Cancun run, but NOT on the Cancun to BC run, so you will have to get a bus from the airport to either Cancun City bus terminal or Playa del Carmen Alterna bus terminal. Playa del Carmen has two bus terminals, so if you go to the 5th Avenue terminal in Playa, you'll have to change to the bus terminal at 12th & 20th to get the bus to Belize. To further confuse you, sometimes the airport bus will stop at both bus terminals. Here are the details...
In September 2011, the Mexican bus company ADO began two new daily services to Belize City – one from Cancún and one from Mérida. The ADO buses are first class with 44 comfortable seats, video, toilet and air conditioning that seems to have only two settings, off and freeze, so dress warmly. In Belize City, buses use the Belize City bus terminal (commonly known as Novelo’s) located on West Collet Canal. These buses do not go to Chetumal in either direction.
On the Cancún route, stops include Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Corozal and Orange Walk, but passengers are not allowed to use these buses to travel within Belize, for example, to travel from Belize City to Corozal. Passengers can board the bus at Orange Walk or Corozal only if their final destinations are in Mexico. On the Belize City to Cancún run, the bus stops at Cancún airport, but on the Cancún to Belize City run, there is no stop at Cancún airport.
Cancún to Belize City
Departs from Cancún bus terminal daily at 10:15 pm with stops at Playa del Carmen (11:40 pm), Tulum (12:45 am), Corozal and Orange Walk. Arrives in Belize City about 6:30 am.
Fares to BC (Jan 2013): MX$496 from Cancún; MX$460 from Playa; MX$400 from Tulum.
Trip time: 8:10 hours from Cancún.
Belize City to Cancún
Departs from BC bus terminal daily at 7:30 pm with stops at Orange Walk (9:00 pm), Corozal (10:00 pm), Tulum (4:00 am), Playa del Carmen (5:00 am) and Cancún Airport (6:30 am). Arrives at Cancún bus terminal at 7:00 am.
Fares (2012): BZ$55.00 to Tulum; BZ$63.00 to Playa del Carmen; BZ$79.00 to Cancún.
Information & ticket sales in Belize:
Belize City: 636-5256, 669-9683
Orange Walk: 624-8200, 302-2240
Corozal: the MCD Art Shop (opposite bus terminal) opens at 8:30 pm to sell tickets; tel: 663-3014.
If dialing from outside Belize, the country code for Belize is 501.
- I have 8-9 days. I want to do a few days by a beach, and a few days to explore the ruins, for the beach, Caye Culner or Ambergis? looking for a relax, backpackers beach scene
Caye Caulker is smaller, quieter, more laid-back, and more popular with backpackers. There are a few hostels on the caye.
- for the ruins, if Im only confining my vacation in Belize, (saving Guatemala for another trip) is Ignacio still a good base? and which Belize Ruins are worth seeing?
San Ignacio is a good base because of the good selection of accommodation, including hostels, for all budgets. The best site in the region is Caracol. Xunantunich and Cahal Pech are smaller but more easily accessible -- no tour guides/companies necessary. Another excellent site worth seeing is Lamanai, but it's not easily accessible from San Ignacio. Maybe you could see it while travelling between CC and San Ignacio. It's a full day trip that includes a trip along a river to get to the site.
- aside from beach and ruins, are there any spectacular, not miss, experience or place Ive missed?
Maybe the ATM cave or another cave trip. Some people want go to the Blue Hole.