Family Accommodations Recommendations
San Ignacio Resort – we stayed at San Ignacio in their Family Suite. 2 queen size beds in one room, a pull out sofa and a roll away bed in the other room allowed the kids to have each a bed of their own and sparing us from listening complaining about the bed sharing. I didn’t love the room layout – it was a bit tight and dark, but for the price, I thought it was a good deal. San Ignacio Resort is a short walk from town and is convenient if you don’t have a car.
Other hotels/resorts to consider
Kaana Resort – a luxury resort, offers villas or Casita Suites for families. Casita Suites have 2 queen beds each. There are two units that share the same space, but neither are inter connected and each has their separate entrance.
Black Rock Lodge – about 30 min. drive from San Ignacio town, an eco “off grid” lodge in a gorgeous setting. No A/C, no TV, no WIFI in the rooms. The electricity is supplied by a hydro and solar power. It’s place to get away from it all.
Gaia River Lodge another luxury lodge, but doesn’t accept children under 15
Blancaneaux Lodge is located in the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve, the resort is owned by Francis Ford Coppola. Offers 2 bedroom villas for families, or more affordable Family Cabanas.
Cha creek – Belize luxury resort which is reflected in the price. Enough said. A few options for families – cottage, villa or suites.
Hidden Valley Inn – is about 13 mi. from the town of San Ignacio, a private nature reserve set on 7,200 acres of wilderness in the Maya Mountains of Belize. For larger families, they offer an option of 2 adjoining suites.
Activities in the Cayo District
Barton Creek Cave – great for younger kids or less active adults.
ATM (Actun Tuninchil Muknal). They do not take kids under 8 and I would suggest making reservations in advance with a reputable tour company, as the groups don’t take more than 8 people.
Xunantunich Mayan Ruins
Tikal National Park
Iguana Hatchery
Horseback Riding
Other activities that we didn’t do, but are for consideration are zip lining, Mountain Pine Ridge reserve, tubing, Belize Zoo.
Tour Companies that we used
Pacz Tours easy email communication, hotel pick up, payment on site after the tour. We booked Pacz for ATM and Barton Creek, and had no complaints.
Hanna’s Stables offers half-day horseback riding tours to Xunantunich Mayan ruins. Santiago, who is an owner, led our private tour of 5, with Antonio. Great way to spend a half-day.
Gem Trips is a local Guatemalan company that leads tours to Tikal. Marlon, the owner, was great with all e-mail communications. We had a car with a tour guide and a driver waiting for us at the Guatemala/Belize border and we were dropped off at the same location after the tour. We had a terrific time with them.
Transportation
Teddy Bear Shuttle Company – Teddy drove us RT to and from Belize City, and drop off/pick up at the Guatemala Border for our Tikal Trip. Love that guy!
Restaurants
Authentic Belize food is simple comfort fare. Belize typical food is rice, beans and meat (usually chicken), ceviche, and some simple creole stews. Most restaurants are casual with outside seating and slow service. If you are looking for more refined options, I would suggest trying luxury resorts.
A more comprehensive list of restaurants can be found on line. I only list the ones that we either tried or were recommended to us.
W Steak House at San Ignacio hotel is what it is, a Steak House. It has a nice selection of meat dishes and burgers come highly recommended by my Burger tasting team. There are a few fish and vegetarian options.
Ko’ox Han Nah Restaurant – an iconic establishment which was unanimously recommended, but unfortunately fully booked for the New Years Eve night, so we didn’t get to try it. Lamb is the specialty, however.
Eva’s – another local joint, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. Service is slow, like everywhere in Belize. Stopped there for lunch. Good, but nothing to rave about.
Pops – a breakfast restaurant that came highly recommended by our driver, Teddy. But since our breakfast was included with the stay, we didn’t get to try this.
Hode’s Place – a short walk from the center of town. Has a large outdoor seating area, serves great margaritas and huge portions of everything from salads to burgers, quesadillas and chicken wings. There is something for everyone here.
Erva’s – in town, across from Eva’s. A little restaurant serving local cuisine.
Indie Vacation 