How to Get From Belize City to San Ignacio

Most people fly into Belize at the Philip Goldson International Airport in Ladyville, just a few miles north of Belize City. From there, it's relatively simple to get to San Ignacio, the country's second-largest urban area.

Flying 

Flying from Belize City to the airport outside of San Ignacio (called Maya Flats) only takes about half an hour, but the price of tickets is pretty steep. Furthermore, the planes are tiny "puddle jumpers" that only hold a dozen passengers. For flight information and schedules, contact Tropic Air or Maya Island Air.

Driving 

If you're driving your own car, simply follow the signs to take the George Price Highway (still widely known as the Western Highway) which goes straight to San Ignacio. The George Price Highway is a modern, two-lane roadway that has several gas stations and roadside restaurants along the way.

Once you get near San Ignacio, you'll have to cross a wooden bridge with just one lane. From Belize City, be sure to turn right and head downhill to cross the bridge into San Ignacio. If you miss the turn, don't worry! People in Belize are very friendly and will be more than happy to give you directions. When you're leaving San Ignacio to head back east, you'll need to take a different bridge, the Hawksworth Bridge, the only suspension bridge in the country. Assuming you don't make any wrong turns or stop to take photos along the way, it takes approximately two hours to drive from the Belize City airport to San Ignacio.

Taxis 

Taxis can be hired from the airport or anywhere else in Belize City, but the cost can be prohibitively expensive. All legal taxis have a green license plate and the name of their co-op (company) posted on the window. Be sure to negotiate the fare before you begin your journey!

Public Bus 

Belize has a nationwide network of public buses, affectionately known as "chicken buses" by the locals. The cost will be less than $10, but you'll have to deal with frequent stops, crowding, and no air conditioning. The trip will take about two and a half hours. The good news, however, is that you can catch a direct bus to San Ignacio from several different locations in Belize City.

Shuttles 

If you're looking for the fastest, most comfortable way to get from Belize City to San Ignacio, try Untame Belize Shuttles. Untame Belize offers prompt, professional door-to-door shuttle service to any destination in the country, including hotels, lodges, resorts, and Airbnb residences in San Ignacio.

All international flights into Belize land at the Philip Goldson Airport in Ladyville, located approximately nine miles north of Belize City. From there, a nationwide network of highways leads to all points on the mainland, making it easy to any destination.

The easiest, most comfortable, and often most affordable way to get around Belize is by shuttle. Untame Belize offers courteous, prompt, and professional door-to-door shuttle service to Placencia and more destinations in Belize, including Corozal, Orange Walk, Belmopan, San Ignacio, Dangriga, Hopkins, and Punta Gorda. Untame Belize also offers shuttle service to hotels, lodges, resorts, and AirBNBs as well as popular transportation hubs like the Belize City water docks and the bus terminal that serves Cancun, Mexico.

If you're heading to Placencia, travel time from Belize City is around three and a half hours. Travel time from Placencia to San Ignacio is around three hours. Attractions like Davis Falls, the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Monkey River Town, Dangriga, Hopkins, and Punta Gorda can be reached from Placencia in an hour or less.

All of Untame Belize's shuttles are spacious, modern vehicles equipped with the latest safety features and amenities, including icy cold air-conditioning and wireless internet. Shuttle vans are large vehicles that can easily accommodate groups and their luggage. Child car seats can also be provided free upon request.

Every shuttle driver working for Untame Belize is an experienced professional who has passed rigorous safety and background checks. Upon request, shuttle service can include stopovers at local restaurants, cafes, scenic overlooks, or attractions along the way such as the Belize Zoo. Shuttle service can also be booked for transportation to remote destinations such as wilderness sanctuaries, national parks, traditional villages, and ancient Maya sites.

Untame Belize offers very competitive prices for its shuttle services, and prices based on distance, meaning that larger groups can save substantially. Shuttles can also be booked from Belize to nearby resort destinations in Mexico such as Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Untame shuttles must be booked at least 30 days in advance and a 50% deposit is required.

If you're interested in visiting southern Belize, be sure to book your adventure tours with Untame Belize as well, including exciting off-road ATV expeditions, zip lining in the jungle, visiting a waterfall, and horseback riding. And be sure to book your lodgings at Davis Falls Inn, a locally-owned guesthouse offering clean, comfortable rooms and delicious, home-cooked meals.

Pronounced "keys," all of the islands in Belize are known as cayes. Harvest Caye is a privately-owned island located just a few miles offshore from Placencia in southern Belize.

All of Norwegian Cruise Line's routes to Belize include a port of call at Harvest Caye, where more than 400 NCL employees are on hand to ensure that passengers enjoy a wonderful time in the country. The island has its own lagoon (perfect for swimming), restaurant facilities, and a beautiful beach.

If you're coming to Belize on an NCL cruise ship, why not skip the crowds and enjoy a tour of the mainland? There is regular ferry service from Harvest Caye to Placencia on the coast, one of the most beautiful areas in the country. Placencia is both the gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Belize Barrier Reef, a mecca for snorkeling and scuba diving, and to popular destinations on the mainland like animal refuges, ancient Maya cities, and national parks.

Untame Belize, based in southern Belize, is a locally-owned and operated company offering a full range of tourism services. If you'd like to explore Belize, Untame Belize can meet you right at the Placencia docks and arrange for guided tours to some of the most exciting activities in Belize.

Because Belize is such a small country, cruise ship passengers docking at Harvest Caye can choose from popular activities like climbing ancient Maya pyramids, hiking through the Cockscomb Basin Wilderness Sanctuary (home to more than 200 jaguars), and boat tours of the well-named Monkey River. Other popular choices include zip lining through the jungle, cave tubing (floating down underground rivers), and horseback riding.

And, if you want to really get out and see the wildest, most untouched parts of the jungle, Untame Belize offers ATV tours. Using rugged, all-terrain vehicles, visitors can blast through jungle river crossings, zoom across enormous citrus orchards, and visit inaccessible sites deep in the rainforest such as the mysterious Lyman Prison. Now abandoned and considered by some to be haunted, Lyman Prison was once home to Belize's most hardened criminals.

Untame Belize also operates cultural visits to local villages where visitors can learn more about the traditional music, dances, and foods of the Garifuna and Maya people. Untame Belize also has guided tours to local chocolate factories and colorful, open-air markets where you can find authentic, homemade souvenirs.

If you're visiting Harvest Caye on your next cruise, be sure to book all of your activities with Untame Belize.