Dreaming of one week in Belize now that you know what a weird and wonderful place it is and 8 amazing things you can do there? Let’s dive into the details of planning your week-long trip to Belize!
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Travel Logistics
Let’s cover the basic travel logistics you will need to see all of sites in Belize!
Transportation
Flights
Visitors from the U.S. can fly to Belize in just a few hours. Even better, you can fly for free on Southwest! Travelers fly into Belize City from the U.S. You can spend a few days in Belize City if you like, but the real action in Belize is outside the city.
Rental Car
I recommend renting a car and driving directly to San Ignacio (about 70 miles) to begin your trip and continuing onto Hopkins (about 90 miles) later in your trip. Driving is safe and easy in Belize, but this article shares some best practices. The good news is that all of the sites near San Ignacio and Hopkins can be reached via well-maintained highways.
Ferry
You will go back to Belize City (about 85 miles) to make your way to Caye Caulker. Return your rental car and take a 45 minute passenger ferry to Caye Caulker. This part of your trip will be spent walking through the small island or via a golf cart or bicycles you can easily rent.
Rental Car Alternative
If you aren’t up for self-driving in a rental car, your best bet is to stay in Belize City and take day trips to all of the best sites to see near San Ignacio and Hopkins. Because Belize City is a cruise ship port, there’s no shortage of tours available. The disadvantage of this approach is that you will spend much of your time on a bus with a large group. You also will not have the luxury of enjoying the culture and vibe that the small towns of San Ignacio and Hopkins offer. Fortunately, you can still enjoy Caye Caulker without having to do any self-driving!
Accommodations
Belize City
If you are renting a car, there’s really no need to stay in Belize City. But if you want to see some of the sites or aren’t renting a car, I recommend the Best Western Plus Belize Biltmore Plaza. This hotel is relatively inexpensive, offers airport transports (for a fee), has a beautiful pool area and nice restaurant and bar.
San Ignacio
We stayed at the Cahal Pech Village Resort in San Ignacio. It was clean, comfortable, and extremely inexpensive. But it was also very basic. If you like posh hotels, this one is not for you! You may want to consider Ka’ana Resort or Black Rock Lodge instead.
Hopkins
In Hopkins, I recommend Hopkins Bay, a Muy’Ono Resort. You can book 1, 2, or 3 bedroom beach houses. The 2 and 3 bedroom options offer access to a full kitchen and living room. All rooms are nicely appointed and have views of the ocean.
Caye Caulker
Our accommodation in Caye Caulker was the Island Magic Beach Resort. The price was definitely right for this hotel, and each room included a full kitchen. It was definitely a downgrade after the Hopkins Bay Resort, but most Caye Caulker hotels seem to be of similar quality. It was clean, had friendly staff, and had everything we needed for our stay.
Meals
No matter where you stay, your hotel restaurant will offer great meals for surprisingly low prices. Expect delicious breakfasts with homemade on-site tortillas. Definitely try a stuffed fryjack. A fryjack is like a sopapilla but stuffed with eggs, cheese, veggies, etc. At dinner you will be offered a delicious array of seafood choices. All hotels will claim they have the “best piña colada in Belize” – feel free to try them at each place you stay. They are all different!
One thing you won’t see in Belize are fast food chains you recognize. But don’t hesitate to seek out local restaurants in Belize. One of my favorite meals was tamales from a roadside stand somewhere between Hopkins and Belize City! Another was tiny tacos (called salbutes) at a street market.
I had a delicious meal of shrimp in a spicy ginger sauce at the Guava Limb Café in San Ignacio. I also truly enjoyed the Garifuna shrimp I had at the Queen Bee in Hopkins. And if you are hungry when arriving to or before departing from the Belize City airport, don’t miss a stop at Di Bruwy for a some delicious bar snacks and a taste of the local beer.
One Week Itinerary
For one week in Belize, here’s the itinerary I recommend:
Saturday
On Saturday, take the relatively short flight to Belize City. Upon arrival, rent a car and drive the hour and a half to San Ignacio. Eat dinner at your hotel’s restaurant and go to bed early. You are starting a busy week!
Sunday
On Sunday, I recommend visiting the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins in the morning. It will take about half the day to fully see the site. Spend the afternoon cave tubing at Jaguar Paw Crystal Cave. Lunch is available at the place where you pick up your tubing gear. You can also book a tour (you can only tube with a licensed guide), rent water shoes, and get anything else you might need there.
You can self-drive to both of these sites, but you can book this tour if you prefer. If you have energy after this active day when you return to San Ignacio, eat at one of the many bright-colored restaurants in town.
Monday
I know we just arrived in Belize, but now it’s time to hop across the border to Guatemala. Our plan today is to visit the Tikal Mayan Ruins. If you have a rental car, technically you can drive yourself all the way there. But you have to have a rental car from a specific company, and you will have to manage border control on your own.
Instead, you can self-drive to the border and then book a tour to get you the rest of the way. It’s simple to pass through immigration from Belize into Guatemala – just don’t forget your passport! Or you can book a day trip from San Ignacio and not worry about any of the details.
Upon return to San Ignacio, check out another restaurant, and make sure to experience some nightlife in town!
Tuesday
No visit to Belize would be complete without a visit to the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave. You will need to take a tour to do it. Be sure to book early as they only allow 125 visitors in the cave each day. This is a full-day tour, and it’s definitely not for everyone. Avoid it if you are claustrophobic, afraid of heights, or not in condition for a challenging 45 minute hike. But if you aren’t plagued by these things, you will love the experience!
If this doesn’t sound like the tour for you, go to Hopkins a day early and enjoy another day of beach time. You won’t regret it.
Regardless of your choice, plan for an early night and enjoying the food at your hotel’s restaurant. I promise you won’t be sorry.
Wednesday
If you aren’t already in Hopkins, it’s time to go! Hop in your rental car and drive towards Hopkins. The drive will take you 2+ hours for the 90 mile journey. You will want to leave early so that you can fit in a tour at Marie Sharp’s Hot Sauce factory before lunch.
Feel the Heat!
Your first stop is Marie Sharp’s Hot Sauce factory. Factory tours are a great way to learn more about the culture and employment practices of the country you are visiting. This tour will take you through all of the phases of hot sauce production from processing the habanero peppers, aging the sauce, and then the bottling assembly line. Make sure to take some time to peruse the gift shop and sample some of the hot sauce varieties.
If you aren’t full of hot sauce samples (served up on saltines), stop for lunch at a place near the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary & Jaguar Preserve. You will definitely want to fill up for an active afternoon.
Admire the Stealth!
Upon arrival at the sanctuary, take the self-guided nature walk. It’s an easy hike of about 1.3 miles and will take about an hour. This is a great way to be introduce to the flora and fauna of the area.
Those who are up for another hike can consider taking a moderate trek on the Ben’s Bluff Trail. The entire trek is 2.5 miles in and back, but you can stop in about 45 minutes at a waterfall. Feel free to take a dip in the cool water and swim underneath the waterfall, but remember you will have to hike 45 minutes back!
Unfortunately, you probably won’t see a jaguar at your visit to the sanctuary. It’s a preserve and they are notoriously stealthy creatures. But there are some fun photo opps, and the preserve signage does a good job of explaining the importance of having a sanctuary for the animals.
After you finish up your hike, continue onto to your lodging in Hopkins. If you are up for it, take a walk down the beach and visit one of the beach front restaurants for dinner.
Thursday
Today is a “rest” day after four hard days of touring. You could choose to hang out on the beach and get an ocean-side massage. But many people will be interested in some water activities after so much time on land. If so, take a boat tour.
One option is to charter a boat. A boat charter will cost around $1,000 for a day. If you have a larger group, this is feasible. But if aren’t traveling with many others, it might be more cost effective to take a group tour. There’s a barrier reef snorkel option or snorkel and fishing combo.
Once on the ocean, you can enjoy a day of fishing, snorkeling, and the ocean breeze as you travel from island to island.
Your boating activities don’t end come sunset! You definitely don’t want to miss a bioluminescence boat tour to see plankton lighting up the water in Anderson Lagoon. This activity will take about two hours, so plan for an early or late dinner at your hotel restaurant that evening.
Friday
Today you travel back to Belize City in the morning. The drive will take about 2 hours. Once in Belize City, you may want to stop by and see the Belize Sign Monument for a cute photo opp. Then you will want to make your way back to the airport to return your rental car. Stop by Di Bruwy for lunch.
After you return your rental, take a taxi to the ferry terminal. Agree on a price in advance to avoid being cheated. Another option is to book a shuttle. The ride will take about 30 minutes. Once at the ferry terminal, you will take a 45 minute passenger ferry to Caye Caulker.
When you arrive in Caye Caulker, you will walk to your lodging from the ferry terminal. Take this into account when booking your hotel and when packing. It’s flat and there are sidewalks, but you definitely want a suitcase with wheels!
After settling into your room, wander out to explore the town. Caye Caulker is very small and walkable. My favorite first night activity is to walk to The Split to see the sunset, then finding a place for dinner on the way back. The Lazy Lizard is fun and popular, but it’s pretty expensive. Have a pina colada there, but if nothing on the menu appeals, there are many other options serving delicious food.
Saturday
If you love to snorkel, Caye Caulker is the place to do it. Spend the morning snorkeling through the various channels in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. If you want a more affordable option, you can rent equipment and walk back to The Split where you can snorkel for free.
Have lunch at one of the many restaurants located on the main street in Caye Caulker. This is also a great time to buy souvenirs as well. There are many stands and shacks selling native crafts, t-shirts, and other things tourists like to buy. Make sure to haggle!
In your final daylight hours on Caye Caulker, spend some time giving back to the community. Take the Ocean Academy’s Bike with Purpose tour and learn more about the community from a high school student. The tour raises funds the only high school on the island, and you will get to meet a group of very impressive students. Ask them for dinner recommendations and other ideas on how to spend your final hours on the island!
Sunday
Unfortunately, Sunday is departure day. Pack up and catch a ferry to Belize City. Again, you will want to taxi or book a shuttle back to the airport. Allow plenty of time for these activities. Best practice is to book an afternoon flight back to the U.S.
Are you ready to spend one week in Belize?
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