Belize's Cayo District - San Ignacio and Santa Elena

Above: Xunantunich Maya Ruin, also known as Maiden Of The Rock, in western Belize.

Belizeans from western Belize are fond of boasting that "the west is best!" And they sure have a lot to be proud about. Besides being home to the nation's new capital of Belmopan, the Cayo District, covering some two thousand square miles of verdant landscape, has some of the most scenic attractions in Belize: clear, meandering rivers, lush jungles, green hillsides, thundering waterfalls, huge cave systems, two of Belize's most important Mayan ruins, and a pine ridge forest just waiting for you to explore and experience. It's rich with wildlife and a favoured destination for eco tourists.

The Cayo district is the Belizean frontier (you'll be able to do more horseback riding than in any other part of the country). It's reached via the Western Highway , which begins on the outskirts of Belize City at the intersection of Central American Boulevard and Cemetery Road. A one-hour ride from Belize City gets you to Belmopan , where the downtown market area is a pulsating, thriving hub with bus terminal with connections to every part of Belize, banks, restaurants, internet cafes and shops.

Between Belmopan and San Ignacio, you will pass the entrance to modern-day Mennonite settlement of Spanish Lookout. Both English and Spanish are widely spoken in Cayo, which is home to large populations of Latinos, Creoles, Chinese, Lebanese, Guatemalans, Mennonites and Mayas. As with every in Belize , smaller groups of all other ethnic groups live there, like the Garifuna and East Indians. It is the country's second largest district, with a population of some sixty thousand people.

West of Belmopan, the highway begins to climb out of the valley and the air gets noticeably cooler. It's a beautiful drive along rolling green countryside dotted with small, picturesque villages, with intriguing names such as Ontario,Central Farm and Esperanza (Hope), and, as you get further west, large tracts of cultivated farmland, many of which belong to the Mennonite community. You will also see fields of cattle grazing and several orange orchards.

Seventy-two miles from Belize city are the twin towns of Santa Elena and San Ignacio , separated by the Macal River and crossed via Belize 's only suspension bridge, the Hawksworth Bridge. Several bus companies make Hawksworth Bridge in Belize links the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena return trips to the San Ignacio and Santa Elena. The area is very popular with tourists and you can find many hotels, guest houses and backpacker hostels. The towns have an excellent nightlight, many stores, restaurants and cafes and is a staging ground for those planning to visit Tikal and other areas in Guatemala's El Peten region. An airstrip is located at Central Farm not far from San Ignacio and Santa Elena and this in itself has become a small tourist stop for those wishing to view the area by regular small aircraft or ultra lights. About twelve miles further West you can find the Mayan Village of Succoth with easy access to the impressive Xunantunich Maya ruin. Another three miles or so you are in Benque Viejo del Carmen town practically witching walking distance of Belize's western border with Guatemala at Melchor de Mencos.

Next: San Ignacio and beyond - Further West.

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Belize's Cayo District - San Ignacio and Santa Elena

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