Belizean Honeymoon Part 1
When planning our honeymoon Brian and I had four things we wanted to check off our list:
We wanted to go somewhere neither of us had been before
We wanted to use our passports
We wanted to get there quickly
We wanted to relax, but also go on adventures
Unexpectedly, we decided on Belize. And truth be told, I'm unsure what research we did that lead us to Belize, but it couldn't have been more perfect. Neither of us had been there before, we needed to use our passports, it was a 2.5-hour flight from Dallas and it has beaches and Mayan ruins to explore. A few more pluses, but not necessities: most everyone speaks English and you don't need to exchange American dollars.
We decided to go for 9 days/8 nights and split our time between inland Belize and one of the Cayes. Part One post will cover the first 4 1/2 days/4 nights in the Cayo District of Belize.
Where to Stay
We spent the first half of our trip in Santa Elena right outside of San Ignacio at Villa Cayo. The place is owned by two expats from Texas and it is absolutely wonderful. It is remote enough without feeling too far removed. You do need a car or taxis are readily available for $5 American dollars.
Upon our arrival, Virginia drove us to town to shop for groceries since our unit has a full kitchen, and she took our groceries back to our unit so we could explore. The views from this place are amazing and so is taking in the wildlife.
What to Do
Explore the San Ignacio farmer's market and the best bread shop, The New French Bakery. This is where we picked up all of our groceries for the first part of our trip. Brian and I still talk about how amazing the fruit was in Belize. Nothing in the States compares.
While in San Ignacio we went on two Mayawalk tours: 1) horseback riding tour to Xunantunich and 2) the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave tour (cameras aren't allowed on the ATM tour so I don't have pictures to share). Both tours were wonderful with amazing tour guides. The views from Xunantunich do not disappoint and despite the rain on this day, I think this was my favorite excursion of the trip. The ATM cave tour was like nothing I've ever experienced and 100% worth being a tourist.
On our last full day in San Ignacio, Brian and I visited AJAW Chocolate & Crafts where we learned the history of traditional Mayan chocolate making. This mini-tour was so much fun. We learned how to make chocolate the Mayan way and tried several different Mayan chocolate drinks.
If you like spice, you cannot leave San Ignacio without stopping by the Marie Sharpe Tourist Center in San Ignacio. We didn't bring home many souvenirs from Belize, but we did come home with $49 Belizean dollars worth of Marie Sharpe hot sauce. We only purchased two when visiting the Tourist Center, but we loved the hot sauce so much we purchased additional bottle at the airport instead of exchanging our money.
A short walk from town will get you to Cahal Pech which isn't as breathtaking as Xunantunich. Brian and I explored the ruins earlier in the day to avoid the crowds and heat.
Where to Eat
San Ignacio is full of flavorful restaurants. One Brian and I kept coming back to was Ko-Ox Han Nah. The food here was amazing, the people were wonderful and everyone we knew who visited Belize couldn't stop talking about it. This place is always open and busy, but we never waited long for a table or our food.
Guava Limb Cafe is so cute inside but is definitely a bit more on the touristy and expensive side as far as restaurants in San Ignacio go. We ate here for lunch on our last full day in the area. Everything was so fresh and the upstairs patio has a great view of a local park.
Four our last dinner in San Ignacio we ate at Crave House of Flavor. It's very tiny, so Brian and I sat at the outside table to enjoy the weather and people watch. The food here was phenomenal.
Have you been to the Cayo District in Belize? If so, what did I miss? Keep an eye our for Belizean Honeymoon Part Two where we venture to Ambergris Caye for some much needed R&R.
Xx,
Linds
P.S. Please excuse the photo quality. These were taken when Just X's And O's was this thing I talked about.
