Backpacking San Ignacio: COMPLETE Guide! 2023
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Backpacking San Ignacio? Yay! Whilst backpacking Central America, San Ignacio in Belize was one of our favourite places, and it is so underrated!
San Ignacio is one of the most common places to stay in Belize before crossing the Guatemalan border. It’s easy to reach from Belize City or Caye Caulker, and is only a short 2-hour journey from most backpackers’ first stop in Guatemala; Flores.
In this post, I outline everything you need to know about backpacking San Ignacio. From safety, to where to eat, how to get there, where to party, how to make friends and where to travel to after.
So, let’s get planning and get you to this jungle paradise in Belize!
Other Belize posts:
- Backpacking Caye Caulker: Everything You Need To Know
- Belize City To Caye Caulker: Complete Guide
- Caye Caulker To San Ignacio: Backpacker Guide
- Where To See Stingrays in Caye Caulker: Complete Guide
Backpacking San Ignacio: A Summary
When researching San Ignacio before our trip, a lot of blogs and websites said to briefly stop for one or two nights before heading into Guatemala. We decided to go against this advice (as we always do), and really give San Ignacio a chance (we stayed for 8 nights!)
This was one of the best decisions we made in Central America, as San Ignacio has so much to offer. From dense green jungle to delicious food, friendly locals and Mayan ruins, there’s enough to keep a backpacker busy for at least 4 days!
For backpackers, there are plenty of cheap and free activities to do in San Ignacio, and the town is entirely walkable. There are some fun and social hostels (although very little nightlife), cheap restaurants and easy access to shuttles and buses to depart to the next location.
Wifi is strong in most hostels, accommodations and restaurants, so you can even take your laptop to do a bit of work for a few hours.
⮕ BOOK THE BEST SAN IGNACIO HOSTEL NOW!
Where to stay in San Ignacio as a backpacker
There are a few main hostels with good locations in San Ignacio for backpackers. We heard good things about all of the hostels I’ve recommended below, but make sure to do your own research too and check out the latest Hostelworld reviews (as things in hostels can change quickly!)
My biggest piece of advice is to book hostels in advance. We sadly missed out on some of the best hostels in Central America as they fill up quickly – so get booking!
- Old House Hostel (9.6, superb): This is the hostel most backpackers stay in when visiting San Ignacio. It’s right in the centre of town, has a good social scene and has exceptionally low prices. ⮕ BOOK THIS HOSTEL HERE!
- Yellow Belly Backpackers (9.4, superb): Another hostel that we had friends stay in whilst in San Ignacio. A great social vibe for solo travellers, easy access to town (although a little further out than Old House), and is right next to the Cahal Pech Mayan ruins. ⮕ BOOK THIS HOSTEL HERE!
- Bella’s Backpackers (8.2, fabulous): Another hostel situated in the middle of San Ignacio town which has mixed reviews, but is a great option if you’re on a budget. ⮕ BOOK THIS HOSTEL HERE!
Fancy staying somewhere a little different? Check out this list of beautiful jungle resorts close to San Ignacio!
BACKPACKING BELIZE? You might also like my detailed guides on San Ignacio, Caye Caulker, and my overall guide to backpacking Belize!
How to get to San Ignacio
This depends on where you’re coming from. A popular backpacking route is travelling south through Central America from Mexico to Panama.
If you’re coming from Mexico, you have two options. You can either get the boat over to Caye Caulker (from Chetumal, Mexico), or fly directly to Belize City and get a shuttle. I recommend the first option, as Caye Caulker isn’t a place you want to miss out on!
If you need a reputable company to use and you’re already IN Belize/Guatemala, I highly recommend Mayan Adventures. We used them all over Belize and into Guatemala, and they were reliable and reputable.
🦉 TOP TIP: I only recommend using Mayan Adventures if you are IN Belize/Guatemala whilst reading this blog post. If you would like to pre-book online beforehand, I recommend one of the following shuttle companies:
They’re often the same shuttle buses anyway, and using a third-party website gives you a little more insurance than emailing a random person and confirming a shuttle online!
Alternatively, if you’re arriving in Belize from Guatemala, you can book a shuttle that takes you directly from Flores to your San Ignacio hostel. This takes under 3 hours, including the border crossing and immigration process.
Visas and requirements for entering San Ignacio
If you are a UK or US resident, you will automatically get a 30-day visa when entering Belize. This means you do not need to apply for any other visa.
San Ignacio daily costs
We found San Ignacio to be reasonably priced and well within our backpacker budget. It was a lot cheaper than Caye Caulker, and even staying in private rooms, it averaged to under £40 a day in accommodation (per room), and £20 a day for food (per person).
| Accommodation (per night) | Food (per day) | Activities | |
| Low-budget backpacker | Shared dorm: £8-15 | £15-20 | £0-50+ (some activities are free!) |
| Mid-range backpacker | Private room: £30-50 | £15-40 | £0-100 (again, some activities are free) |
⮕ BOOK THE BEST SAN IGNACIO HOSTEL NOW!
Bucket list experiences in San Ignacio
We spent 8 nights in San Ignacio and absolutely loved the activities we did there! We still didn’t have enough time to see everything.
Some epic bucket list activities in San Ignacio include:
- Visiting the only Iguana Sanctuary in Central America
- Hiring a 4×4 and driving the Hummingbird Highway or visiting Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve
- Delving into Mayan history at the Cahal Pech Ruins and the Xunantunich ruins
- Experiencing the ATM cave with a guide and tubing along the cave waters
Looking to plan your Belize trip? Check out my post full of all the best things to do in San Ignacio here!
Free and cheap things to do in San Ignacio
San Ignacio was a lot cheaper than Caye Caulker, but some of the activities did cost a little more. If you’re on a budget, here’s a guideline of the things you can do for free (or cheaply).
- Visit the Iguana Sanctuary (roughly £9/$10 per person)
- Walk around the San Ignacio market (free)
- Explore San Ignacio town (free)
- Drink a beer at Tandoor, overlooking the square (£2/$3 per beer)
- Visit the Cahal Pech ruins (£3/$4 per person) which is walkable from the main hostels
- Explore the Xunantunich ruins, although you will need to hire a car or grab a taxi to reach them. They’re around a 10-minute drive from San Ignacio’s main town.
- Hike through the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve – but again, you will need either car or a tour to reach the reserve. Cars start at $65 USD per day.
For more ideas on what to do, check out my post on the best things to do in San Ignacio here!
Where to eat in San Ignacio on a budget
The food in San Ignacio was incredible. We had so many amazing meals on a budget, and never spent over £15 per person on a meal (and that was an expensive night!)
My top recommendations of restaurants in San Ignacio include:
- Hode’s: really, really cheap food with a big beer garden and bar. A lot of locals eat here too!
- Lola’s: which is next to Cahal Pech ruins, so you can pair the two!
- Ko-Ox (known as ‘Hanna’s’ by the locals): again, cheap and has good Belizean food.
- Cucina 1904: has a big beer garden with delicious pasta.
- Erva’s: a local favourite and is known for its Belizean food.
- Yoli’s pizza: is on the main square and perfect for a cheap pizza lunch.
- Tandoor: which is great for evening beers and overlooks the main square.
- The New French Bakery: does the best Nutella + pineapple pastry I have ever tasted!
- The Spot: for smoothie bowls and coffee, and also a great place to work if you’re a digital nomad!
Check out my detailed guide to the best restaurants in San Ignacio here.
Local foods and drinks in Belize
FOOD
The national dish of Belize is rice and beans. This is served with most meals, especially if you get a BBQ meal in a restaurant or Belizean stew chicken in a restaurant.
Other common foods in San Ignacio include Belizean stews, coconut rice, fry jacks, classic American dishes like hamburgers and fries, and even Mexican burritos!
DRINK
Belize’s national drink is rum punch, but we weren’t able to buy this in most places in San Ignacio. Whilst there were cocktails, we found it was easier to just by a Belikin beer, with is Belize’s national beer (which is super cheap).
How to get around San Ignacio
San Ignacio is a walkable town, and most of the major attractions are within walking distance to the main hostels (such as the Cahal Pech ruins and iguana sanctuary).
However, if you want to explore the national parks or the Hummingbird Highway, you will need to rent a car or book a tour, as they are 1-2 hours from San Ignacio.
The three main ways of getting around San Ignacio are:
- By foot and walking
- Hiring a 4×4 or car to explore the surrounding areas
- Taxi
We found the taxis to be safe and the drivers were friendly. There’s a main taxi rank next to the San Ignacio market. Just be sure to check the taxi has green license plates – this means they are registered.
Do not get into a taxi that has the word ‘taxi’ painted across its windscreen – you are just likely to be overcharged and scammed.
Can you walk around San Ignacio?
Yes, you can walk around San Ignacio. There are some major tourist attractions that are in town (such as the Cahal Pech ruins and iguana sanctuary). All of the restaurants, bars and cafes are within walking distance of the main hostels.
However, if you want to explore the national parks or the Hummingbird Highway, you will need to rent a car or book a tour, as they are 1-2 hours from San Ignacio.
Hiring a car in San Ignacio
If you want to make the most out of trip backpacking San Ignacio and explore the surrounding areas (such as the Hummingbird Highway and the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve), you will need to hire a car.
We hired a 4×4 because the roads within the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve can be bumpy, and it had been raining the day before so some of the side roads were quite muddy. However, the main roads in Belize are smooth, easy to drive on and safe.
If you’re hiring a car in San Ignacio, we used Matus Car Rental. We had a great experience with them, found the owner to be super helpful and loved our 4×4. If they don’t have availability, there is also Caye Auto Rentals.
Prices for car rentals in San Ignacio start at $65 (USD) per day.
Taxis in San Ignacio
As we stayed out of the main town centre of San Ignacio, we sometimes needed a taxi to get around when we didn’t have a car. There is a main taxi rank in the town centre next to the market, but our accommodation recommended us an excellent driver, and he was our taxi driver all week!
His name is Teddy, and he is well-known in the San Ignacio area. He was excellent at giving us tips and telling us all about San Ignacio and what we could do there. He also offers shuttles all over Belize and into Guatemala.
If you want to book a taxi with Teddy, his contact details are:
- Teddy: +501 600-2695
You can either call him or text him on Whatsapp!
If you’re in town and you are looking for a taxi, we did find the other taxis to be safe and have friendly drivers. There’s a main taxi rank next to the San Ignacio market and by the main roundabout near Hanna’s.
Just be sure to check the taxi has green license plates – this means they are registered.
Do not get into a taxi that has the word ‘taxi’ painted across its windscreen and no green license plates – you are just going to be overcharged and scammed.
Wildlife in San Ignacio
Similar to the rest of Belize, we saw so much wildlife in San Ignacio! Especially at the national parks and the Mayan ruins.
When backpacking San Ignacio, you can expect to see:
- Gibnuts – especially around the Mayan ruin sites
- Howler monkeys – we spotted lots of monkeys in the trees at the Xunantunich ruins
- Tapirs – we saw tapirs in both Mountain Pine Ridge and the Xunantunich ruins!
- Hummingbirds
- Iguanas (and lots of them)
- Geckos
- Wild dogs
Making friends in San Ignacio as a backpacker
As a backpacker, you’re going to want to make friends to make the most of your experience in San Ignacio. Unfortunately, as there isn’t the craziest nightlife, it’s a little harder than in somewhere like Caye Caulker.
Here are my best tips for making friends whilst backpacking San Ignacio, regardless of if you’re travelling in a couple, solo, with friends or you’re a bit of an introvert (like me!)
- Stay in a hostel (even if it’s a private room). Old House and Yellow Belly Backpackers are two of the main hostels in San Ignacio, and they often run group tours and activities.
- Have a beer in Tandoor, in the middle of San Ignacio town. We found a lot of other backpackers drink here during the day.
Where to party in San Ignacio
Bad news for those backpacking San Ignacio, there are little to no places to party. Unfortunately, the town still hasn’t picked back up after 2020, when most clubs and bars shut down.
The streets, restaurants and main square of San Ignacio are empty by 9 pm. If you’re desperate to party, your best bet is your hostel common room.
Where to go after San Ignacio
If you have just come from Guatemala, your next location will be either Caye Caulker (the most common option), Hopkins or Placencia. Hopkins and Placencia tend to be quite pricy, so most backpackers skip them and go straight to Caye Caulker. Of course, if you have the budget and the time, they’re definitely worth checking out!
San Ignacio is the gateaway to Guatemala, so most backpackers spend a couple of nights here before heading into their next country. It’s an easy land crossing from San Ignacio to Flores (Guatemala).
Need help getting from Caye Caulker to San Ignacio? Check out my post: Caye Caulker To San Ignacio: Backpacker Guide!
If you are visiting San Ignacio after Guatemala and BEFORE Mexico, I recommend travelling to Bacalar (Mexico) after Caye Caulker. Some backpackers make a 2-3 day stop in San Pedro, but this again is a pricier town, and you might want to do your research into whether you’d like it or not first.
Bacalar is easy to reach from Caye Caulker. You’ll board the water taxi, then it’s only a 30 minutes bus away from Chetumal (the location where your water taxi drops you off in Mexico).
It’s a popular destination in Mexico due to it’s brightly coloured blue lakes and party atmosphere. All information about the boat between Belize and Mexico can be found here: How To Get From Chetumal To Caye Caulker (Belize).
How many days should you spend in San Ignacio?
If you’re visiting San Ignacio for the first time, I recommend spending at least 3-4 days there. There’s a lot to do, and it’s the perfect place to immerse yourself in Belizean culture and spend time in nature. We actually stayed for 8 days and still didn’t have time to do everything!
Is San Ignacio safe for solo female travellers?
Yes, San Ignacio is a safe place for solo female travellers to visit. Throughout the entire time I spent in San Ignacio, I felt safe. This includes on my own during the day and at night.
The locals were kind, welcoming and friendly. Yes, you do get a bit of heckling and asking whether you’d like a rum or other suspicious items, but it’s nothing harmful.
In fact, backpacking San Ignacio was where I felt safest throughout our Central American travels.
But everyone’s experiences of San Ignacio are different. What might feel safe to me, might not feel safe for you. But in general, I found there to be no issues or problems in San Ignacio, no immediate threat of danger and most importantly, the people were kind!
As always, make sure you have travel insurance to have extra peace of mind. As a previous solo female traveller myself, I always use SafetyWing for insurance. They have the best cover for backpackers, and signing up is easy! You can check out their cover here.
What are the other best areas in Belize for backpackers?
Looking to backpack Belize? So many backpackers skip Belize entirely but that is such a big mistake! It’s one of the most beautiful countries we have ever travelled to, and I cannot recommend it enough.
If you’re looking at where most backpackers travel to in Belize, this is a common route and Belize itinerary (which can also be followed the other way round).
- Chetumal (Mexico) > Caye Caulker
- Caye Caulker > San Ignacio
- San Ignacio > Flores (Guatemala)
Other locations some backpackers stay in whilst visiting Belize include:
- Caye Caulker: a tropical Caribbean island (and my personal favourite place in Belize)
- Hopkins: a beachside, sleepy town
- Placencia: a resort, holiday-like town
- Belize City: although it’s not a popular choice with most backpackers
- San Pedro: another Caribbean island
- Dangriga: where the Ragga Sailing tour ends from Caye Caulker
- Tobacco Caye: another island but on a much smaller scale
- The Hummingbird Highway: an epic jungle road from Dangriga to San Ignacio. You can stop off along the drive to hike through the jungle and visit the caves and watering holes.
- Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve: a large national park that can be accessed from San Ignacio.
More on all of these locations coming soon!
How to get from San Ignacio to Flores, Guatemala
Getting from San Ignacio to Flores is easy. It’s a 3-hour journey (including the border crossing and immigration) on a shuttle, which is full of other backpackers!
You will also need 40 BZ ($20 USD) at the Belize border. This is to cover departure tax. It can be paid in Belizean dollars, US dollars or on card.
Other Central American backpacking locations
If you’re backpacking Central America, go you! It’s such an incredible part of the world to travel, and I’m so glad you’re here, reading this and considering it.
Not sure what route to take? You’re in the right place! This blog is full of Central America backpacking advice.
If you’re not sure what other countries to visit in Central America, this is the most common route backpackers take:
- Mexico
- Belize
- Guatemala
- El Salvador
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Costa Rica
- Panama (ending with the San Blas Island trip to Colombia)
How long you stay in each location is down to you, but if you need more information about any of these locations, sign up to my newsletter and keep an eye on the blog for when they’re published!
Best backpacker travel insurance for Central America
If you’re visiting Central America as a backpacker, or even for a short vacation, it is so important to have travel insurance. And if you ended up on a post that’s called ‘epic party tips’, you know (just as well as I do) that you definitely need travel insurance.
Personally, I recommend SafetyWing. As a digital nomad and world traveller myself, I can confirm it is the best travel insurance out there. And one of the cheapest – they have deals that start at just $42 USD per month.
I know, I know, you’re thinking ‘but I can’t afford that!’. I was the same! It’s tough to fork out $42 a month on something ‘you might not need’. But what if something DOES happen? That extra Mezcal shot results in you falling down the stairs, or you eat something dodgy from a street food van.
If you need medical help at any point whilst in Central America, you need travel insurance.
With SafetyWing, you’re covered on travel emergencies, basic medical costs and medical expenses throughout your trip, so you can travel without worry (at a backpacker’s price!)
Don’t even think twice about getting travel insurance for Central America. Trust me, I have heard enough horror stories about backpackers who haven’t had insurance and have ended up in a lot of debt. Don’t be that person!
If you’ve been putting the job off because it takes a lot of time and effort to research the best travel insurance companies, I understand. That’s why I’ve done the hard work for you. Sign up for SafetyWing, and the job is done!
Backpacking San Ignacio: In a Nutshell
So, there you have it!
Nearly 4000 words later, and you should know everything about backpacking San Ignacio! Phew, if you’ve got this far, I’m impressed!
When you’re planning a trip to Belize, make sure you let me know over on Instagram or in the comments below. I’d love to know about your experience in San Ignacio and if you found it as fun as I did!
If you haven’t come across my blog before, I write informative and honest posts directly aimed at backpackers. Researching and planning your trip whilst backpacking can be so overwhelming, so I’m here to make it as easy as possible!
I’m currently backpacking Central America with my boyfriend (read more here!), whilst creating guides and itineraries for you to follow our footsteps!
Keep an eye out for more Belize content, all written from a personal and realistic point of view. You can sign up for my newsletter and juicy travel updates here!
As always, thanks for reading and supporting the blog!
Happy travelling 🙂
Jennie x
MEET THE AUTHOR!
Hi! I'm Jennie! As a part-time travel blogger based in London, I'm using my 10+ years of travel expertise to encourage & inspire you to step out of your comfort zone through sustainable, mindful and purposeful travel.
If I'm not writing, I'm either reading, drinking coffee or taking a wild swim (all at the same time if I'm feeling impressive).
