Mayan Ruins of Tikal across the Border and other San Ignacio, Belize Off The Beaten Path Tips

From San Ignacio, you are within an hour and a half of one of the most important Mayan cities of all. The impressive ruins at Tikal located across the border in Guatemala can be reached via an organized day tour from Eva's or Mayawalk Tours for $75 US. This includes transportation, a guide and lunch. However you are limited to only a few hours at the ruins.

I recommend staying overnight at or near the ruins so that you can spend as much time as you like exploring the site. You will also experience the cool of the early morning. The birds and monkeys of Tikal are more active at this time, and there will be less tourists about.

See my Tikal pages for more info and photos.

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Another great day trip from San Ignacio is a visit to the Belize Zoo. You can do this without a tour, simply by catching a local bus headed to Belize City. Ask to be dropped off at the zoo. The ride will cost 5BZ and take about an hour.

The Belize zoo features native birds and animals that have been rescued from the wild. It is very compact and is set in the jungle, be prepared for a few mosquitos. My favourite animals were the spider monkeys, you have a very close view of them without cages and they are very entertaining to watch. You will also see Belize's national animal, the tapir as well as Keel billed Toucans and jaguars.

Try to plan your visit for early in the morning or late in the afternoon since this is when the animals will be most active. The zoo is open from 9am to 430 pm and the cost of admission is $6.50 US.

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Website: www.belizezoo.org