Guatemala & Belize

Overview

Where: Guatemala & Belize When: May 2026 Duration: 16 days Getting around: Shuttle buses, one internal flight, hire car, boats

Guatemala and Belize don’t always get mentioned in the same breath, but as a two-week trip they fit together almost perfectly. Two countries, completely different in character — volcanic highlands and Mayan ruins giving way to jungle rivers, caves, and eventually the reef. Jungle, ruins, reef. Hard to beat.

The trip splits naturally into three parts. Guatemala takes up the first week: Antigua as a gentle landing pad, Lake Atitlán for a couple of days on the water, then north to Flores and a full day at Tikal. From there you cross into Belize, pick up a hire car in San Ignacio, and spend several days on the Hummingbird Highway — one of the better decisions of the trip. The final stretch is Caye Caulker: small, unhurried, and a good place to finish.

May is the start of the rainy season in both countries. In practice this meant hot, sunny days — touching 35–40°C — with no rain to speak of until a brief downpour arriving into Flores. Off-season also means quieter sites and noticeably lower accommodation prices, particularly on Caye Caulker.

A word on pace: this itinerary moves. There are several early starts, a few long travel days, and a lot packed into each day.

Who it suits: People who like doing things rather than sitting by a pool. You don’t need to be particularly fit — nothing here is technically demanding — but you do need to be comfortable with an early alarm, a bit of heat, and the odd rough road.

The Trip at a Glance

The Route

Map to be added — Antigua → Lake Atitlán → Flores → Tikal → San Ignacio → Hummingbird Highway → Caye Caulker

Day by Day

Guatemala

Day 1 · Arrival in Antigua

Landed late and transferred straight to Antigua by private shuttle — around an hour from the airport, costing roughly £40 and booked in advance (Airport transfers) . There’s not much to say about a 9.30pm arrival other than: get to the hotel, get some sleep.

Day 2 · Exploring Antigua

Jet lag had us up early, which turned out to be no bad thing — We found Antigua is best in the morning before the heat builds. We were out by half eight and spent the next few hours working through the main sights. Our first stop of the morning was breakfast, we found Cafe Condesa right by the central park and they had a beautiful courtyard with water fountains to enjoy and an amazing breakfast.

Antigua is small. Genuinely small. Compact cobbled streets and beautiful colonial architecture — the buildings here are built around internal courtyards, which means stepping through an unassuming doorway and finding yourself in a peaceful, plant-filled seating area completely removed from the busy streets outside. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants doing exactly this, and it isnt difficult to find a nice spot for a coffee.

All the main sights are within easy walking distance of the centre — we worked through Parque Central, the Arco de Santa Catalina (admission fee applies), La Merced, and the Convento de las Capuchinas (admission fee applies) over the course of the morning. The ones with admission fees charge around £4 a head and none need more than 30–45 minutes. The market near the arch is worth a proper look if you’re after souvenirs — better than most of the gift shops dotted around town.

By early afternoon we’d seen what there was to see. So we grabbed some lunch at Ta’Cool we had some some good buriottos and amazing cocktails for a very reasonable price. After lunch we made our way back to the hotel.

We were staying at the Hotel Casa del Parque — well located right next to the central park, close to plenty of food options, and a genuinely comfortable bed. It also had a pool open until 10pm, which was exactly what we needed. We spent a couple of hours there, had a nap, and treated the second half of the day as a rest day. We also took this opportunity to book ourselves on to the Pacaya Volcano hike for tomorrow through our hotel reception. it cost around £15 per person and the hotel took payment for us and booked us in. There were two departures and we booked the early 6am departure to beat the worst of the heat.

Late afternoon went to a shop to pick up some snacks for tomorrow and then we walked up to the viewing platform — an easy 25-minute stroll — before then found a rooftop bar for a cocktail before an early night.

Day 3 · Pacaya Volcano

As already mentioned we booked on to the Pacaya Volcano hike yesterday through our hotel. We had read mixed reviews about how challenging this would be, so we werent really sure what to expect.

The shuttle picked us up at our hotel just after 6am, made a few more hotel pickups, then stopped briefly at a small coffee bar on the edge of town before an hour’s drive to Pacaya. Worth grabbing something here if you haven’t eaten and — there’s not much at the trailhead.

At the entrance to the national park there’s an additional fee of 100 quetzales per person on top of the tour cost. Our group was about ten people, all from the same bus, with one guide.

The walk itself is through trees for most of the ascent — a well-worn path, soft and loose underfoot in places but entirely manageable in a decent pair of trainers (We had read reviews saying hiking boots were essential, but we dont beleive this is the case at all). It took around an hour to reach the open ridge with views across the lava fields to Pacaya, we spent around 20 minutes here enjoying the view and taking pictures. From there the path continues through the lava fields to a lower crater, where the guides toast marshmallows over the residual heat. It’s a good moment. We descended via a different route to a second car park where the shuttle is waiting to take us back to Antigua. On the way back down we walked past the pizza place that gets a mention in a lot of reviews but for some reason there didnt seem to be an option for us to stop and get pizza if we wanted. the walk down to the car park took around 40 minutes. At the end as we were getting on the bus the tour guide was stood at the door expectant of tips - so be ready. There was a sign on the bus saying to tip the driver but when we were dropped off he didnt seem expectant at all. We were finally dropped off in Antigua around mid day in the central Park.

Honest verdict: the lava fields are genuinely impressive and standing in the centre of a crater with the edges rising up around you is pretty cool. But go in with realistic expectations — you’re not summiting Pacaya, you’re not getting panoramic views from the top, and a lot of the reviews make it sound more dramatic than it is. But still totally worth doing if you are looking for something less strenuous than the overnight volcano hikes.

Back in Antigua we grabbed some lunch in a local cafe and then used the hotel pool for the afternoon. We also took the chance to book the next morning’s shuttle to Panajachel from the hotel reception. 280 quetzales for two.

Day 4 · Travel to Lake Atitlán · San Marcos · San Pedro

The shuttle picked us up at 8.35am — bags on the roof, fourteen seats, all taken. A toilet stop at a garage after two hours, then into Panajachel by noon. We were staying at Hotel Tzanjuyú — only a few minutes’ walk from where the shuttle drops off at the boats, which made things easy. This is a genuinely beautiful building — colonial-era, with the character to match. The furnishings are a little dated and the rooms are fairly basic, which is a shame because it wouldn’t take much to turn this into a five-star resort. What it does have is an outdoor swimming pool with stunning lake views, a beautiful garden terrace, and really attentive staff. Worth it for the setting alone. It is also only a few minutes walk to the boats for exploring the other towns of the lake.

We caught the 1pm boat to San Marcos — 30 quetzales per person, about 35 minutes with a couple of stops. San Marcos is touristy and compact: a long street of food places and souvenir shops leading back from the dock. We found this area to be really busy so we mostly just rushed through, we eventually found the Hidden Garden for lunch, this was set back from the main touristy area around the boat docks but it is definitely worth the effort, it is made up of lots of hidden gardens and was much more peaceful than the hustle and bustle of the main street, and had a really good burrito here.

In the afternoon at about 2.30 we tried to visit the Cerro Tzankujil reserve — the spot with the cliff jumping and diving platforms — but arrived to find it already closing up despite the listed 4.30pm closing time. With limited options we jumped a boat to San Pedro instead (15 minutes; 50 quanzales for two people) but didn’t find much there worth lingering for. Had a beer by the lake and headed back to Panajachel by 4.30.

We didnt do much for the rest of the day other than have dinner in Panachajel.

Panajachel is the main interchange for tourists arriving at the Lake, it is the biggest town, there are lots of food options and seems very touristy without a whole lot going on. Its best just to use this as a launch pad for the rest of the lake and not spend too much time here.

Day 5 · San Juan · Swimming at San Marcos

We started today off by visiting San Juan first. We got to the boat docks and paid 30q per person for a single trip. We got on the boat at 0930am but had to wait a bit for the boat to fill up before leaving. You can get private boats at a cost but as there isn’t a huge amount to do here we weren’t in any particular rush and happy to wait. It took about 25 minutes for the baot to fill up and the boat left just before 10. There were a couple of stops on the way and we arrived at San Juan around 10.40am.

San Juan is the pick of the villages — more space, more colour, less tourist tat than San Marcos or San Pedro. From the dock it’s a walk up hill along a colourful street lined with shops and small cafes. We found a quiet spot called Maria’s for breakfast: two breakfasts with coffee and a smoothie for 140 quetzales. Had a wander around town then headed back to the boats.

From San Juan we took a boat back to San Marcos at 1220 to head to San Marco for swimming at the Cerro Tzankujil reserve.

Entry fee into Cerro Tzankujil was 40 quetzales per person. Spent a couple of hours there: trails, cliff jumping if you want it, and areas where you can simply climb into the lake. Good spot. Left San Marcos at 4.30 and were back in Panajachel by 5pm.

Day 6 · Atitlán Nature Reserve · Travel to Flores

Our flight from Guatemala City to Flores wasn’t until 9pm, so the morning was free — we checked out and walked over to the Atitlán Nature Reserve, about 25 minutes from the hotel. Entry was 80 quetzales per person. The trails take around 45 minutes to an hour and we got lucky with a group of coatis. There’s a zipwire at the end which we skipped. But we had a look around the butterfly house which was cool. A good way to fill a morning before a travel day.

The shuttle bus timetable didn’t work with our flight, so we booked a private taxi to Guatemala City — $100, picking us up just after 4pm. We arranaged this via whatsapp with the company that took us from the airport to Antigua in our first night. We arrived at the airport at 7.20pm; the flight left at 9.10pm and took under half an hour to reach Flores.

Outside the airport a shared shuttle to the island costs 25 quetzales per person. We hadn’t realised it was a shared vehicle until we got in, but it filled quickly and dropped us just the other side of the bridge — a short walk to the hotel from there.

Day 7 · Tikal

The shuttle for Tikal picks up at the bridge — the same spot where the shuttle from the airport drops you off. Flores is small enough that wherever you’re staying, it’s not far to walk. The bus left at 8.10am and we arrived at the park entrance at around 9am. This is where tickets can be purchased if you haven’t already got them — we’d bought ours online before leaving the UK and would strongly recommend doing the same. There are snack shops and a handful of souvenir stalls at the entrance, but don’t worry about the shops — you’ll be back here at the end of the day. The food isn’t worth your time; eat properly before you leave or bring your own.

We got back on the bus at 9.30am and it’s another 30-minute drive from the park entrance to the site itself. At the site entrance everyone queues to show their park ticket and collect a wristband. Our tour group ended up being ten people, and the guide was excellent — knowledgeable about Mayan history, archaeology, and the site’s ecology, and good at keeping things moving.

The walking part of the tour takes just over four hours and covers around six miles. It is hot, the temple climbs are steep, and the walk back to the entrance from the final site is 45 minutes. Bring plenty of water and sun cream — you’ll be exposed for most of the day. As well as the Mayan sites, we were lucky enough to spot a range of wildlife including toucans, coatis, howler and spider monkeys. No jaguars, but they have been sighted here if you’re lucky.

Visiting Tikal with a guide is essential. Without one you’d waste a significant amount of time trying to locate sites scattered throughout the jungle — there’s virtually no signage to tell you what you’re looking at or where to go next. We booked through GetYourGuide and it all went smoothly — good organisation, good guide, and easy to sort in advance.

One thing to be aware of: the itinerary implies you’ll be back in Flores by 3pm. You won’t. After the tour there’s a compulsory stop at the park entrance restaurant, which is a tourist trap with limited options and a tendency to drag on for close to an hour while those who pre-ordered food get seated. We grabbed sandwiches from a hatch and waited. We didn’t leave until 4pm and were back in Flores just before 5. This elft us a bit concerned because our itinerary meant we only had this one evening in Flores and we didnt want to spend it at a roadside cafe outside Tikal. Other people in our group also had flights to catch so had even more limited time than us.

Even though we got back to Flores a couple of hours later than we expected it worked out ok for us still. Flores itself is tiny — 20 minutes to walk the whole island. There’s not much to do but it’s pretty enough, with some colourful buildings and decent lake views. An hour or so to explore, a shower, sunset, and dinner was exactly the right amount. We’d nearly built in a full 24 hours here; glad we didn’t.

When planning the trip we’d tried to build in a full 24 hours in Flores after Tikal. Glad we didn’t — there are a handful of activities listed on various blogs, but unless you want to spend an entire day paddleboarding, a few hours is plenty. We wouldn’t have wanted to sacrifice time anywhere else on the trip for more time here.

Belize

Day 8 · Border Crossing · San Ignacio

An early start. The shuttle from Flores left at 6.10am — worth knowing that this service continues on to Mexico, which is why the departure time is non-negotiable, and there arent any later buses. It cost £15 per person and was noticeably more comfortable than the Guatemalan shuttles: a proper coach in a 2-1 seating formation rather than a crammed minibus. We considered using public buses (which does allow for later departure times) but given it only saved a small amount of money but had the potential to take much longer we took the more convenient option. We booked our Belize transfer tickets just a few days prior.

They hand out immigration forms on the bus. They do not hand out pens. Bring one.

We reached the border just before 8am. A man boarded the bus to give instructions and handle currency exchange — I dont think he worked for the tour company operating the bus service, but was just the first tout to spot the bus and take the opportunity to offer us a money exchange, not sure if this was the best rate available but no alternatives were immediately available, when we checked this later on it looked as though we were given a pretty good exchange rate anyway. From there it was a short drive to the crossing itself, where you collect your bags and walk through both Guatemalan and Belizean passport control. The whole process took around 25 minutes and was straightforward. The bus was waiting on the Belize side and left once everyone had crossed, departing around 9.10am. We were in San Ignacio by 9.30. we had quite a breezy border crossing, but I guess this can vary for everyone.

We left our bags at the shuttle office in town — the man there said he’d be around until 8pm — and headed out on foot to get some food before going to our hotel which was just outside of town.

After some food we decided to stay in town before going to our hotel. First stop was the Green Iguana Conservation Project, this is about a 20 minute walk from the main town up hill. Tours run on the hour, last around 45 minutes and cost around 20 Belizian dollars (BZD per person), and you get to handle iguanas that can’t be released into the wild. We found ourselves on the 11am tour and it was genuinely really good and the tour guide gave us lots of interesting information. The iguana center is part of the San Ignacio Hotel Resort so after our tour we had a drink at the bar there.

After the Iguana Center we walked another 20 minutes further up the hill to Cahal Pech. Entry was 20 Belize dollars per person. It’s a small site — a modest museum and a handful of ruins — but we had the place entirely to ourselves, which made it feel like a genuine find rather than a tourist tick. We even spotted toucans on the way round.

Back down to town took about 25 minutes via a more direct route. We grabbed a really filling lunch at Guava Limb, collected our bags from the shuttle office, and caught a cab to the hotel, checking in around 3.30pm.

Day 9 · Humming Bird Highway ·Blue Hole · St Herman’s Cave · Sleeping Giant

Today was the day we picked up the hire car, which immediately changed the feel of the trip — suddenly everything was on our own schedule. We booked the car back in the UK with Carlos Car Rentals (just google car rental San Ignaico and it will come up). The cost was good compared to other companies we checked and we handled the whole booking via whatsapp and everything went smoothly.

We hit the road about 10am First stop was the Lamanai Chocolate shop, but they don’t run tours on Sundays so we just had a drink and moved on.

We checked into the Sleeping Giant resort to drop our bags before heading out for the day. We wouldn’t normally stretch to somewhere like this, but accommodation on the Hummingbird Highway is either very basic or resort-level — there’s not much in between — so we went for the latter. It turned out to be one of the better decisions of the trip. The resort has a swimming pool, an excellent restaurant, trails and rope bridges through the grounds, river access with kayaks available free to guests, and bikes for exploring the area. It’s the kind of place that’s easy to fill an evening without ever needing to get back in the car.

After checking in and a quick wander round the resort we jumped back in the car and drove a few miles back the way we’d come to visit the Blue Hole — an inland natural swimming pool, not to be confused with the famous offshore one in northern Belize. We arrived at around 1pm. There are basic changing rooms right by the car park, then it’s a short walk down some easy steps to the water. There were only a few people there when we arrived and plenty of space to enjoy it. The water was a refreshing temperature against the jungle humidity and we stayed for about 30–45 minutes.

A few miles further up the road is the car park for St Herman’s Cave. Entry is 8 Belize dollars per person. There are two trail options — moderate (15 minutes) or easy (a few minutes shorter) — and we took the moderate, which had some roots and rocks underfoot but nothing that required anything more than comfortable trainers. The cave entrance involves a steep staircase down. You can explore the first 100 metres or so independently; beyond that you need to be part of a tubing group.

A note on torches: the ranger checks you have one before letting you through. We’d left our head torches in our bags at the hotel and got waved through on phone torches, but it wasn’t ideal. The cave is enormous and the phone light doesn’t do justice to the scale of it. If you can remember one thing from these notes, make it this: bring a proper head torch.

We were back at the Sleeping Giant by 3pm. The resort is a step up in price from where we’d been staying, but it earns it — pool open 24 hours, river access with kayaks, trails through the grounds, rope bridges. We had an early dinner at the resort around 4.30pm from the pizza restaurant, it was quite pricey with pizzas starting around £17 but it was really good. After food we then walked up to the hilltop gazebo to watch the light fade over the valley.

Day 10 · ATM Cave · Night Hike

The ATM Cave — Actun Tunichil Muknal — is the highlight of the Belize section and one of the best things we did on the entire trip. Book before you leave home. Numbers are strictly limited and it sells out.

We drove ourselves to Teakettle village to meet the tour, as arranged in advance. The bus stops there anyway for people to pick up water and snacks — the shop has crisps and not much else, so eat a proper breakfast before you leave. From Teakettle it’s around 40 minutes to the base camp, where there are changing facilities and groups are split up. Each guide takes six visitors.

It’s then a 45-minute walk to the cave entrance along an easy path with three river crossings, the deepest of which comes up to about waist height. At the cave entrance there’s a short swim to get inside — and from there the tour speaks for itself. You will be in the cave for about three hours, We won’t go into detail because the less you know going in, the better. This is quite an extrtaorindary trip, and I highly recommend it.

You can’t take your own camera inside, but you fill out a form at the start with your email address and they send photos afterwards.

We were back at base camp around 2pm. Lunch of rice and chicken is included, which was welcome after the morning’s exertion. Back at the hotel just after 4pm, swim in the pool, and then a night hike booked through the resort — departing at 7.30pm. The guide drove us a short distance then led a 45-minute walk through the jungle. We saw scorpions, plenty of other insects, and various nocturnal activity. No jaguars, but that was never a realistic expectation. Back at the hotel by 9.15pm.

Day 11 · Hummingbird Highway · Hopkins

We left the Sleeping Giant at 8.45am and headed south along the Hummingbird Highway, first stop the Toucan Trees café for a filling breakfast before continuing on to Billy Barquedier National Park, arriving just after 10.30am. It’s an easy one to miss so keep an eye out. There is limited parking, but luckily not many people seem to know about it. We signed in with the ranger and walked to the waterfall, an easy 15-minute stroll along a well-maintained path. We had the place entirely to ourselves and spent about half an hour swimming before heading back to the car. There’s also a longer Jaguar Trail up to a viewpoint — around an hour of steep climbing — which we skipped, but worth knowing about if you want more of a workout.

From there we continued down to Hopkins, about 45 minutes further south. Honest verdict: it wasn’t worth the detour. There’s a pleasant sea breeze which was welcoming after the time in the jungle and it’s nice enough to look at, but there’s very little to actually do there. We had a beer at the Jaguar Resort and a quick look round the supermarket, then left. Unless you have something specific planned save yourself the drive and spend a bit more time on the Humming Bird Highway.

On the way back up the highway we stopped at Mrs Bertha’s Tamales at around 2.30pm. Two tamales and a fresh pineapple juice for 10 Belize dollars — a small portion, which was perfectly judged after a big breakfast. Worth stopping for.

A few minutes further up the road is Country Barn, a small place selling homemade ice cream. We’d strongly recommend it. The chocolate chip was, without much exaggeration, some of the best ice cream we’ve had anywhere.

Back at the Sleeping Giant by mid-afternoon, we skipped the drive back to the Blue Hole and made use of the hotel’s river access instead — tubes and kayaks available free for guests, which was the right call after a day on the road.

Day 12 · Caracol · Rio On Pools · Big Rock Falls

A big day, and a good one. We were checking out of Sleeping Giant and dropping the car back of that evening but first we were going to make the drive to Caracol. Everything written online about the road to Caracol describes a rough dirt track — that information is now out of date. The road is fully paved and in excellent condition when we visited in May 2026.

We left the Sleeping Giant at 7.30am, reached the Mountain Pine Ridge checkpoint at 8.45am (rangers take your name and car details), and were at Caracol by 9.30am. The drive took two hours from our starting point on the Hummingbird Highway — further than San Ignacio, so allow slightly less from there.

Caracol is bigger than Tikal in terms of the original site, but far less has been excavated. There’s a tidy reception building, clean toilets, and a small museum at the entrance. There is no café, no shop and no tour guides available on site unless you’ve pre-arranged one. We had the place almost entirely to ourselves and spent around an hour and twenty minutes exploring before heading back to the car just after 11am. We’ve seen reviews suggesting people spend about three hours here - we cant quite see how. We had more than enough time to explore at a leisurely pace, have a sit down amongst the ruins, and still get back on the road with time for a few more stops on the way to San Ignacio. The site map below gives a sense of the scale.

Tikal is an absolute must if you’re in the area. If you feel you’ve had your fill of Mayan ruins after that, Caracol could reasonably be skipped in favour of spending more time at the various sites in the Mount Pine Rdige National Park.

Rio On Pools was our next stop — about 30 minutes’ drive back down the road. A short walk from the car park leads to a series of natural pools and small waterfalls. There are basic changing facilities on site. We spent an hour and a half here, working our way between pools, and had the place largely to ourselves. Left at 1.30pm.

Ten minutes further down the road is the turn-off for Big Rock Falls. From there it’s another ten minutes along a rougher track — fine in dry conditions, but you’d want a 4x4 if it had rained recently. From the car park it’s a steep five-minute descent to the bottom, where two large pools sit beneath a substantial waterfall. Deep enough to jump into. We spent about an hour there.

Rio On Pools and Big Rock Falls are completely different experiences and worth doing both if you can. Rio On is shallow and calm — good for lounging. Big Rock is deeper, and better for swimming and jumping. We were back through the Mountain Pine Ridge checkpoint by 3.30pm, stopped briefly at Martha’s for food just beyond the gate — a small roadside café with a few seats, the kind of place you’d drive past without a second thought. Worth stopping for though; we had burritos and they were excellent. A good spot to refuel before the final drive back to San Ignacio. you can find it here

One more stop worth mentioning along this road is Thousand Foot Falls — we didn’t have time to fit it in, but if you’re skipping Caracol that would free up enough time to include it.

We dropped the hire car just after 5pm and walked into town for a beer and dinner at the Guava Limbo café again — we’d eaten there earlier in the trip and it was just as good second time around. We spent the night in San Ignacio.

A few notes on the hire car decision: a lot of blogs recommend basing yourself in San Ignacio and doing everything from there. We’d push back on that. Having the car and staying on the Hummingbird Highway gave us somewhere genuinely nice to return to each afternoon, with the pool, the river, and the trails keeping us entertained in the evenings. San Ignacio is fine for a night or two but we wouldn’t want five days there.

Day 13 · Travel to Caye Caulker

Up early to catch the bus to Belize City and then the boat to Caye Caulker. We’d booked through (GetYourGuide)[https://www.getyourguide.com/en-gb/san-ignacio-belize-l32678/from-your-hotel-in-san-ignacio-to-caye-caulkervan-ferry-t554402/?ranking_uuid=c8566cbd-3078-4e31-b3b0-640b59f4dc87&referral_redirect=1&q=San%20Ignacio], which covered both the bus and the boat as one ticket.

The pickup was listed as 9.30am with a request to be in the hotel lobby from 9.15. We were collected at 9.40am, but the driver took us to the main office first to sign in before the actual departure — our hotel was only a few minutes’ walk from the office, so this was slightly unnecessary, but it wasn’t a big deal. We left San Ignacio at 9.45am and arrived at the ferry terminal in Belize City at 12.20pm. It was a pretty uneventful journey with a small stop just outside San Ignacio for 15 minutes or so to grab some snacks at a small supermarket if you need them.

The GetYourGuide ticket caused a small amount of confusion at the terminal. The driver escorted everyone to the ticket desk and then left — we appeared to be the only ones who’d already paid, and nobody offered guidance on what to do next. It took a bit of hunting to figure out that we needed to go to a small shop called Atlanta in the terminal to collect the physical tickets, then take those to the main office to get them stamped. Once sorted, luggage was checked in and we had about 20 minutes before the 1.30pm boat, which was enough time to grab something from one of the cafés inside the terminal.

We arrived at Caye Caulker at 2.30pm. Golf cart taxis outside the terminal quoted 20 Belize dollars to the hotel but we decided to walk instead, about 15 minutes. We were staying at Weezies, located at the far end of the high street, about a 15-minute walk from the ferry terminal and probably as far from the Split as you can get — though even that walk only took about 25 minutes. In high season Caye Caulker gets busy, so being away from the main drag is no bad thing if you’re after somewhere peaceful. Our bungalow had a sea view and a kitchenette. The hotel itself had a swimming pool and a private jetty to lounge on, restaurant and bar — we’d highly recommend it.

After checking in we went for a wander around the island and ended up at Steve’s Grill on the main high street for dinner. It’s got outdoor seating right on one of the busier junctions, which made for great people watching over a really good meal. We’d happily go back.

Day 14 · Snorkelling the Barrier Reef

We’d booked our snorkelling trip through the hotel on arrival the previous day. It was a little pricier than others we’d seen advertised around the island, but the convenience of being picked up directly from the jetty outside the hotel made it an easy decision. It wasn’t until we got on the boat that we realised it was actually a private tour — which explained the higher price. We paid around £145 per person for a five-hour trip including lunch and drinks, and it was worth every penny.

The guide picked us up from the jetty at 10am and dropped us back at 3pm. In that time we covered a serious amount of reef: sting rays, loggerhead turtles, green turtles, nurse sharks, and more fish than we could keep track of. There was a manatee in the area too — we anchored at a safe distance and swam slowly over to where it had been spotted. A boat from one of the larger operators came in far too close and spooked it before we got there. Frustrating, and avoidable.

For most of the spots the water was shallow, warm, and completely clear. The guide was in the water with us at some points, pointing things out; at others he stayed on the boat and let us explore. At no point did we feel rushed.

A note on confidence in the water: this tour works even if you’re not a strong swimmer. The conditions were calm and the guide was attentive. None of the spots were particularly deep.

Day 15 · North Island · The Split After breakfast we caught the water taxi across to the north island — 5 Belize dollars per person return, running back and forth every few minutes. The boat driver pointed us toward Kiki King beach: follow the signs for Bondi Beach Club, don’t go into the resort, and there’s a small free beach immediately alongside it with seating in the shade. We had it to ourselves. The north side is more sheltered from the sea breeze, which in the heat made it feel even warmer — we didn’t fancy doing much more walking and headed back to the south island around noon.

The afternoon was spent around the Split — swimming in the sea, lunch, and a wander over to Iguana Reef to look at the seahorse habitat. Worth managing expectations here; the seahorses are tiny and very difficult to spot. We’d read that stingray feeding happens around 4.30pm but there were already several rays in the water when we arrived, so we had a look at those and didn’t bother hanging around for the feeding.

By 3pm we retreated to the hotel pool, which had the considerable advantage of being shaded.

Final Thoughts on Caye Caulker:

Caye Caulker is small and easily covered in two full days, even at a relaxed pace — which is exactly how long we spent there. If you like to keep busy, two days is plenty. If you’re happy to go slow and spend time simply lazing around, you could stretch it further, but we wouldn’t have wanted more.

Day 16 · Departure We caught a ferry at 9.45am. The crossing to Belize City cost 36 Belize dollars per person.

We’d also pre-booked a shuttle from the ferry terminal to the airport — 15 USD per person via WhatsApp — but had booked it from the wrong terminal. The right terminal was only a four-minute walk away, but the boat had already docked at the other one and the shuttle had come and gone. A quick message on WhatsApp confirmed there wasn’t another one in time, so we grabbed a taxi instead at $25 for both of us. Arrived at the airport by 11am, through security with time to spare. Flight home at 1.30pm.

Practical Info

Getting There & Away

Into Guatemala: Flying into Guatemala City (GUA) is the standard entry point. A private transfer to Antigua costs around £40 and takes about an hour — bookable through your hotel or at the airport. Shuttle buses are cheaper but slower and less straightforward late at night.

Internal flight: We flew from Guatemala City to Flores with TAG Airlines. The flight takes under 30 minutes and costs around £50–60 per person booked in advance. There are shuttle buses from Antigua to Flores but they take the best part of a day — the flight is worth it.

Into Belize: The shuttle from Flores to San Ignacio costs around £15 per person and takes approximately three and a half hours including the border crossing. Comfortable, straightforward, and the easiest option. Bring a pen for the immigration form.

Home from Belize: We flew home from Philip Goldson International Airport in Belize City. The water taxi from Caye Caulker to the ferry terminal in Belize City is 36 Belize dollars per person. Allow at least two hours between the boat docking and your flight departing — the ferry runs late and the taxi from the terminal to the airport costs around $25 USD.

Getting Around

Guatemala: Shuttle buses between tourist destinations are efficient and cheap — book through your hotel reception the evening before. They fill up fast and popular routes run once a day. For Antigua to Panajachel, expect to pay around 140 quetzales for two people. Lake Atitlán villages are connected by regular boats — 25–50 quetzales per journey depending on destination.

Belize: Hire a car. Seriously. The Hummingbird Highway and everything along it — Blue Hole, St Herman’s Cave, Caracol, Rio On Pools, Big Rock Falls — is either very difficult or completely impossible without one. San Ignacio has several car hire options. A standard 4x4 is worth the extra cost given some of the tracks off the main road. Drop-off was straightforward with no issues.

Caye Caulker: Golf cart taxis are everywhere and quote around 20 Belize dollars for most journeys on the island. In practice, almost everything is walkable — the island is tiny. The water taxi to the north island runs constantly and costs 5 Belize dollars return.

Money

Three currencies across one trip, which sounds more complicated than it is in practice.

Guatemala: Guatemalan quetzales (GTQ). Cards are accepted in most restaurants and hotels in tourist areas, but carry cash for boats, entrance fees, shuttle buses, and tips. ATMs are available in Antigua and Panajachel; harder to find in Flores. At time of writing, roughly 10 quetzales to £1.

Belize: Belize dollars (BZD), fixed at 2:1 to the US dollar. USD is accepted almost everywhere and often preferred. Many prices — particularly tours and accommodation — are quoted in USD. Cards work in most hotels and larger restaurants; carry cash for smaller purchases, entrance fees, and transport.

Border crossing: There’s a currency exchange on the bus at the Guatemala-Belize border. We used it for convenience — not sure it offers the best rate, but it was the only option presented to us. Worth having a small amount of USD already on you before the crossing.

What to Book in Advance

A few things genuinely need to be sorted before you leave home:

ATM Cave — strictly limited daily numbers and it sells out weeks ahead, particularly in peak season. Book as early as possible. Don’t leave this one to chance.

Tikal tickets — available online and strongly recommended. The queue at the ticket office on arrival is long and it eats into your morning. Buy online, save the hassle.

Internal flight, Guatemala City to Flores — book ahead for the best prices and to guarantee your preferred timing.

Costs — Rough Guide

Accommodation varied considerably — from budget guesthouses in San Ignacio to the Sleeping Giant resort on the Hummingbird Highway, which is a step up in price but worth it for the location and facilities.

Tips & Things to Know

Bring a head torch. Specifically for St Herman’s Cave, but useful throughout. The ranger will check you have one. Phone torches technically pass but they’re not adequate for the scale of the cave.

Tikal takes longer than advertised. Factor in the compulsory post-tour restaurant stop at the park entrance — it added nearly an hour to our day. If you have onward transport or a flight, build in buffer.

The road to Caracol is now fully paved. Everything online says otherwise — ignore it. We drove a standard hire car without any issues. The track to Big Rock Falls is a different matter and benefits from a 4x4 if there’s been recent rain.

Hopkins isn’t worth a detour. Pleasant enough for a beer and a sea breeze, but there’s nothing to do there. Unless you’re specifically planning to stay overnight or have something organised, skip it and spend the time at Rio On Pools instead.

May is off-season. Quieter sites, lower accommodation prices, and hot sunny weather. It rained once — arriving into Flores. If you’re considering May, don’t let the rainy season label put you off.

San Juan is the best of the Atitlán villages. More colourful, more space, less tourist-oriented than San Marcos or San Pedro. Start there.

Book Caye Caulker transport carefully. There are multiple ferry terminals in Belize City and they’re not all the same. Make sure any pre-booked shuttle or taxi knows exactly which terminal your boat arrives at.