San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
Horseback rides and massages are among the highlights of a relaxing stay in Belize
Awesome describes lodging, dining, caves, wildlife and laid-back cultural vibe in San Ignacio
I’ve never been one for commercial holidays, especially those involving red roses and Sweethearts candy with messages I would rather express than eat. After nine years of marriage, my husband knows romance comes in the form of wildflowers and spontaneous travel. Over the years, we’ve made a habit of escaping during these frenzied fetes with getaways to destinations we consider enchanting strangers.
Tethered to the 9-to-5 grind, our weekend wandering typically confines us to adventures within the U.S. or Mexico’s outlying frontier ... that is until Belize. In the past, we never would have considered traveling all that way for a mere blink in our lives.
But we did the math and found red-eye f lights for under $500. Outside San Diego, travelers can find deals from Houston, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale to Belize City for under $80.
So we booked it, aiming to put minimal effort into on-ground planning, which is why we headed straight to San Ignacio. Located in western Belize, this vibrant one-stop town is the core of the Cayo District, where all roads lead to awesomeness.
High on that sweet spectrum is San Ignacio Resort Hotel, our base camp for the next four days. Approaching its 45th anniversary, the hotel is cradled within a 17acre private reserve overlooking the Macal River. Between April and November, room rates sink to the $100 range, putting this deluxe jungle resort on a financial par with that of Motel 6.
The difference is just about everything, starting with airport transportation. Request Cruz, the driver who will greet you curbside
with Belikin beer and a smile. During the two-hour drive, he’ll share all there is to love about this Caribbean country on the northeastern coast of Central America.
With local knowledge at our fingertips, we pelted him with questions on Belizean history, starting with the Maya civilization in 1500 B.C., all the way through the rise and fall of the chicle industry that literally tapped out the sapodilla tree in the ’60s.
It wasn’t until 1981 that Belize gained its independence from the U.K., adopting English as the official language. Regardless of dialect ease, my husband and I opted to speak Spanish, the second most common language after Belizean Creole.
By the mid-90s, Belize hit the ground running with tourism, luring pale travelers to its shimmering offshore Cayes and Barrier Reef — the second largest in the world.
Back in 2004, I, too, had fallen victim to Belize’s aqua attractions, wearing a snorkel mask more often than not and heading home with tan lines like spaghetti on chocolate. But this trip would be different, one centered on mental recharge versus physical release.
As active explorers, our trips seldom veer from the beach or mountain. In San Ignacio, however, we were arriving as travelers — not vacationers — and with that comes fewer feet in the sand and more head in the game.
Unfortunately, we landed exhausted, telling ourselves that sleep was overrated and culture was king. So onward we went, to the Green Iguana Conservation Project tucked in the jungle of San Ignacio Resort Hotel.
Since 1996, this nonprofit has been protecting the threatened species teetering on the endangered list. There are more than 20 green iguanas in this enclosed habitat, waving in slow motion with their heads to the sun. Visitors are encouraged to “mingle” with these spiny microdragons that can grow up to 7 feet long.
I just waved back. And then we napped. There was something about San Ignacio that made us want to submit to the pace. The hotel’s 27 rooms almost demanded it, with exotic hardwoods, four-poster beds, and either jungle or garden views. We opted for seclusion in Room 132, a quiet river suite perched above the treetops in Macaw River Valley.
Post-snooze, we sat on the balcony, admiring angel trumpet plants dangling from thick canopies, each one begging to be played by hummingbirds. And played they were, overpowered only by the buzzing symphony of cicadas shaking their tiny maracas at dusk.
It’s in this rainforest valley that some 30 of Belize’s 600 species of birds congregate for morning theater. Even as non-birders, we got it — the stillness, silence and satisfaction that comes in spotting these flying thespians; the blue tanager, Aracari toucan, warblers, woodpeckers, blue-crowned motmot, and keel-billed toucan all made an appearance.
Playing a cameo role were pops of tropical plants growing like weeds. Pink ginger, bird of paradise and jungle vines crept into towering palms like unsuspecting thieves ready to steal coconuts.
Between bird-watching, medicinal trails, swimming pool, tennis courts, in-room massage and onsite restaurant and bar, there was little reason to leave the property. But we did, for dinner at Trey’s Barn and Grill.
Just 30 minutes from the hotel, this al fresco steakhouse is famous for its thick cuts, burgers, salads and knock-you-out cocktails. We popped in on Friday, which happened to be tapas night.
Croquetas, empanadas, stuffed mushrooms and other small bites primed us for “La Tabla” (grilled steak, homemade bread and chimichurri sauce.) My lips were glossed with grease and there was cilantro in my teeth, but I didn’t care.
It was that kind of night. Blame chef Trey, who’s notorious for convincing customers that scotch and coconut water pair well, claiming one cancels the other on the booze chart.
For our morning agenda, we turned to Cayo Gial Tours, the hotel’s onsite tour company. They offer a mixed bag of adventures like cave tubing, canoeing, zip-lining, waterfall hikes, conservation projects, cultural tours and horseback riding to Maya ruins.
When Cruz told us that Belize had the largest cave system in Central America, we opted for a canoe trip at Barton Creek Cave. Beyond orange groves and ceiba trees were dozens of caves in the Mountain Pine Ridge area, mouths agape, waiting to be explored. It was like a geological Swiss cheese, with Cruz vowing to take us to his favorite hole in the wall.
From the moment we boarded the canoe, I knew we were in for a wild ride. We nearly capsized before colliding with an underwater boulder. That’s when our guide announced, “This cave was considered the entrance to the underworld, and used for human sacrifices from 600 B.C. to 900 A.D.”
Well that’s comforting, I thought.
Pointing my flashlight into the shadows, I hunkered down as bats darted past my face. Glittering manganese and rose quartz towered 100 feet above, and then dropped to the point so we had to duck stalactites. Gliding a mile through the darkness, the only sound was our single paddle slicing water.
Within these burial grounds were 28 human remains discovered by researcher Barbara Macleod in the 1970s. Today, this archaeological site is just one of 300-plus caves that have been mapped across Belize, spanning 150 miles of underground passages.
So many caves; so little time. After a picnic at the Rio on Pools waterfalls, we headed to nearby Rio Frio Cave. Welcoming us was an impressive 65-foot arch draped with vines worthy of Tarzan. Inside the sunflooded grotto was a white sandy beach and river that spilled into Macal River.
By late afternoon, we were at neighboring Big Rock Falls, where a 150-foot waterfall plunged into tiered pools. Brave visitors launched off rocky cliffs, while my husband and I waded to the cascade for a neck massage, compliments of nature.
Back at San Ignacio Resort Hotel, we capped our night with dinner at Running W. This onsite restaurant treated us right with beef straight from the family ranch. Entrees like carne asada, pork chops and conch steak arrived with sides of market vegetables and coconut rice. From that meal onward, we were on restaurant repeat, returning to the same place, same table, for breakfast and dinner.
After a stellar Day 3, we were easy to please, starting with 7 miles of horseback riding to Xunantunich Maya ruins. Mounting at Hannah Stables, we trotted Cayo countryside along jungle trails framed by the Mopan River. At the Maya village of San Jose Succotz, we boarded a hand-cranked ferry, and then galloped from the riverbank to the archaeological site.
Occupied from A.D. 250 to 890, the ancient ruins house 32 stone structures, including El Castillo, a pyramid rising 130 feet, the second tallest structure in Belize. From the top terrace, our guide pointed out monkeys, iguanas and the Guatemala border less than a mile away. Back at the ranch, we devoured a traditional lunch of rice, beans and stewed chicken cooked with recado (annatto seed paste).
With one evening to spare, we spent it in the town of San Ignacio. Walking distance from our hotel, it’s the safest district in Belize, sweating with an infectious vibe that won us over with bustling markets and openhearted locals.
Residents were a mix of mestizos of Spanish and Maya descent, Garifunas (Afro-indigenous Caribs), expats and Mennonites living in the outskirts of town.
As a local landmark, the Hawkesworth Bridge connects San Ignacio with its sister-town Santa Elena, where budget travelers plunk down for bargain beds, street food and culture you can’t buy.
You can taste it, however, at AJAW Chocolate. This one-hour tour gives an inside look at the chocolatemaking process, from harvesting to hand-grinding cocoa nibs. The cacao wine might have come home with us.
On the return flight, we reflected on those three days far from candle-lit dinners, long-stemmed roses and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate.
In their place were torchlit caves, braided jungles and Maya chocolate sipped with honey. So maybe I missed out on the candyheart messages, but if Belize asked me to “Be Mine,” I’d boldly answer, “Te amo.”
Kast-myers is a travel writer based in Valley Center; marlisekast.com.