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During my recent trip around Central America I spent a month exploring Belize! It’s one of my all time favorites, especially in Central America and I decided to put together a guide on how to spend a week in Belize. You will get to relax on Caye Caulker and be adventurous in San Ignacio! The perfect combo!
Where to start this itinerary?
This itinerary will cover the island Caye Caulker mostly famous for its relaxing vibe and marine life, and San Ignacio where you will have less time for relaxing and instead go cavetubing and exploring ancient Mayan sites.
I’m starting this itinerary in Caye Caulker, but its up to you if you want to have the relaxing part in the beginning or the end. If you want to end your trip with a couple of relaxing days, then just flip this itinerary around and you’re golden.
Day 1-4 of your 7 days in Belize: Caye Caulker
Caye Caulker is Belizes Caribbean island, it’s laid-back, colorful, full of reggae rhythms, sandy streets, and hammocks to relax in. There are no cars, no stress, and no need to rush. Just bikes, beach bars, and some of the best snorkeling in all of Belize.
How to get to Caye Caulker
When you land in Belize City, grab a taxi to the water taxi terminal, and hop on the ferry to Caye Caulker (about 45 mins). Alternatively you can fly directly to the island with Tropic Air if your budget allows it. You can find more specific information on how to get there in my Travel Guide to Caye Caulker below.
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Best places to stay in Caye Caulker
You can easily find a great spot to stay for a couple of nights on Caye Caulker. Here you can read about the best areas to stay in and all my favorite Hotels on Caye Caulker or check out a couple of my favorites below.
Pro-tip: It’s a small island so if you’re traveling during peak season I do recommend booking a bit in advance to be sure to get what you want.
Day 1: Arrive + swimming at The Split
Check in to your hotel and head straight to The Split for some swimming and relaxing. It has probably been a long day of travel so a quick dip in the water probably sounds ideal!
Day 2: Relax at Bliss beach
Today I would rent a bike and head over to the northern side of the island and spend the day at Bliss beach. If you’re not up for biking, you can also rent a golf cart and drive over.
Day 3: Snorkeling tour
One of the most popular things to do on Caye Caulker is to go snorkeling! Book a half or full-day Hol Chan & Shark Ray Alley snorkeling tour. You can expect to see nurse sharks, rays, coral gardens, and so many colors. The prices may be a bit high, but its definitely worth it!
In the evening head over to Iguana Reef to watch the rays behind fed while the sun sets.
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Where to Eat and Drink in Caye Caulker, Belize: Best Restaurants, Beach Bars & Local Bites
Day 4: Last sunrise + ferry to mainland
Wake up early to watch the sunrise, grab a cinnamon roll from Ice & Beans, and enjoy your final hours in paradise. Then take the water taxi back to Belize City and transfer to San Ignacio. If you catch the early shuttle you will have time to explore some of San Ignacio in the evening. If so, head over to the local market or Cahal Pech, a Mayan ruin right in the city.
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The Best Things to Do on Caye Caulker that won’t break the bank!
Day 5-7 of your week in Belize: San Ignacio
San Ignacio is the adventure capital of Belize. The town itself honestly isn’t that interesting, but it’s the perfect base for all your adventures in the surrounding area. San Ignacio is placed in the middle of lush jungle, rivers, waterfalls and Mayan ruins.
How to get to San Ignacio
Take a shuttle from Belize City (about 3 hours). You can book with Belize Shuttle, or hop on the local bus for a budget option. For more information about San Ignacio and how to get there check out my San Ignacio Travel Guide below.
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San Ignacio Travel Guide: Best Things to Do, Where to Stay & How to Get There
Best places to stay in San Ignacio
There’s no lack of great accommodations in San Ignacio. You can easily find great Hostels if you’re on a budget, or if you want to splurge a bit there are lots of amazing jungle lodges in the area. You can find many different options on my San Ignacio Travel Guide, and below are some of my favorites.
Day 5: Explore a cave
There are lots of caves you can explore around San Ignacio. The most popular one is the ATM cave. You’ll hike through the jungle, swim into a cave, and explore ancient Mayan pottery and skeletons deep underground. If you’re traveling during high season I highly recommend booking this tour in advance to make sure you get a spot.
If this sounds a bit too much or if you’re claustrophobic, you can choose to go cave tubing in a bigger cave like the St.Hermans cave instead. If you choose this one I highly recommend exploring more of the Hummingbird Highway the same day.
Day 6: Explore the ancient ruins of Caracol or Tikal
If Belize is the only country you’re visiting on this trip then you might want to take a day trip to Tikal in Guatemala. If not, then head over to Caracol and explore the ruins there.
I’ve been to both and yes Tikal is bigger and more famous, but I absolutely loved Caracol as well and think its highly underrated compared to many other Mayan sites in the area.
Day 7: Time to head back to the airport
We’ve come to the end of the trip and unfortunately its time to head back to the airport, unless Belize is part of a bigger trip around Central America and you’re headed to Guatemala or Honduras. Take a shuttle straight to the airport or spend a night in Belize city if you need. The city in itself isn’t very interesting, but fun enough for one night!
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Top things to do in San Ignacio - the adventure capital of Belize
Alternative route?
Seven days go by incredibly fast and even though Belize is a relatively small country, there is lots to see and do. If you have more time, you can check out my 2 Week Itinerary to Belize.
If you feel like relaxing in Caye Caulker isn’t your thing, or maybe you’ve already seen a lot of Mayan sites and dont care to visit San Ignacio, I highly recommend heading to the Hummingbirg Highway in Belize instead. This is a hidden gem in Belize in my opinion, but might be hard to fit into a week in Belize.
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Travel Guide to The Hummingbird Highway - Including The Best Stops you don’t want to miss
Final Thoughts: Is seven days in Belize enough?
Honestly, Belize surprised me and even though seven days goes by very fast, you will be able to see so much and have so many amazing experiences, as well as have some much needed time to just relax.
If you have any questions about Belize or traveling in Central America in general don’t hesitate to reach out to me on social media. I would love to connect and help out!
-Ingrid
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Caye Caulker vs. San Pedro: Which Belize Island Is Right for You?
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