San Ignacio, Cayo District

The Cayo District is 2,061 sq. miles, and with a density of about 19 persons per sq. mile. It's a friendly area where tourists are welcomed. English and Spanish are spoken and the small town atmosphere is pleasant for visitors from all over the world.

Cayo has beautiful hills and tropical forests. The Mountain Pine Ridge preserve is home to many tourist destinations such as The Thousand foot Waterfalls and Caracol which is the largest Maya site in all of Belize. The twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena are divided by the Macal River and together are the second largest trade area in the country. The Mopan and Macal rivers join to form the Belize River at an area called Branch Mouth which is a quite lovely 20 minute walk from downtown San Ignacio.

Adventure tours are plentiful in the Cayo area. You might explore the ruins of the ancient Maya or go for a hike in the jungle, swimming is a frequent pastime with crystal clear rivers and creeks flowing down from the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve. The Rio On pools and the Rio Frio Caves offer spectacular experiences with nature. The impressive 1,000 Foot Falls is a worthwhile site to visit as well as Big Rock Falls with its huge granite rock formations.

Many Mayan Ruin sites dot the countryside. Inside the town limits of San Ignacio is the major Maya ruin of Cahal Pech, 10 miles to the west is the ruin, currently under excavation, of El Pillar, south to into the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve is Caracol (the largest Maya structure) and one mile from the Village of Succotz is the popular ancient astronomical observatory of Xunantunich and hundreds of minor Mayan structures are scattered around the area. The Maya site of Tikal in Guatemala is easily accessible from this area with a day trip. Tikal is the premier site of all the Maya ruins.

The Western Highway is the main artery of transportation in the Cayo District. Belmopan is only thirty minutes to the east. The market is open 7 days a week with Saturday having the largest number of vendors. Fresh fruits and vegetables are available on a consistent basis, together with seasonal and wild produce making the market here a very healthy place to shop. Come and enjoy the Cayo experience. It is a wonderful place to live.