Destinations: San Ignacio, Placencia

Duration: 8 days

*Price Range: $$$

*Rates inclusive of full vacation experience – hotels, tours, domestic transfers, and tax (excluding international airfare).  Actual price based on length of travel, number of travelers/rooms, seasonal rates (high, low, peak), number of tour activities, and mode of domestic transportation.

$$$: At or under $1,200 per person

$$$: $1,200 – $1,800 per person

$$$: $1,800+ per person

1. Day 1

   Fly into Belize Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport (BZE). Outside the airport you’ll find your private driver who will be holding a sign with our logo and your name on it.  They will then assist with your luggage and drive you from Belize City to San Ignacio.  Feel free to stop at anytime during your private ground transfer for photo opportunities, restrooms, lunch, or to simply stretch your legs.  A stop at the Belize Zoo is a must if you’ve arrived to Belize by early-afternoon.  The zoo is a conservation achievement with over 170 animals representing 45 different species native to Belize.  After you’ve arrived to San Ignacio, check into the luxurious Ka’ana Resort and review your itinerary while seated in their 1000-bottle wine cellar.  Enjoy a delicious gourmet dinner at La Ceiba Restaurant, which utilizes ingredients from their on site organic garden.

2. Day 2

   Enjoy a fresh breakfast on your room’s terrace or in La Ceiba Restaurant.  Today’s adventure will start at Hanna’s Stables where you’ll be suited with one of 15 well-trained horses.  You and your horse will cross the Mopan River together on an old cable-winched ferry and continue onwards until you reach Xunantunich, or “the Stone Maiden”.  Discover Maya temples and climb atop the second highest Maya structure in Belize for stunning panoramic views.  Enjoy a picnic lunch alongside the Mopan River before riding back to the stables.  For some lovely souvenirs, stop at Succotz market to shop for local artisan crafts on your return to Ka’ana.  Enjoy a cocktail at Wallace Bar during happy hour before dinner again at Ka’ana or sample one of the many local restaurants in San Ignacio..

3. Day 3

   Today, choose between one of the two most impressive Mayan sites for a full day of adventure.  Visit the largest Mayan city in Belize, Caracol, with the largest structure in the country, Caana, standing over 140-feet above the rainforest canopy.  While at Caracol your private guide will show you ancient courtyards, ball courts, residential remains, and an astronomical observatory.  On your return trip to Ka’ana, stop at Big Rock Falls for a swim in a 150-foot waterfall.  Alternatively, you could head to the famous Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave to see the skeletal remains of a sacrificial adolescence along with various artifacts that can been seen in their original context.  Return to Ka’ana in the mid-to-late afternoon and relax sore muscles with a massage in their spa.

4. Day 4

   Today you’ll travel from Western Belize to the white sandy shores of Placencia.  Choose between a domestic flight, a private ground transfer with optional stops along the way, or (our favorite) a tour transfer that allows you to experience cave tubing, zip-lining, and/or rappelling in route.  Once you’ve arrived to Placencia, you’ll check into the splendid Itz’ana Resort with accommodations on both the Caribbean and lagoon sides of the peninsula.  Instead of happy hours, sample Latin America’s finest rum in Itz’ana’s Rum Room before a delicious seafoord dinner at Limilia.

5. Day 5

   Awaken to sunrise yoga over The Great Room with panoramic ocean views and Caribbean Sea breezes.  After a delicious and fresh breakfast, continue your day of wellness by visiting one of five treatment rooms in The Spa.  Choose between a number of head-to-toe treatments that use local rainforest botanicals and Mayan inspired techniques.  Spend the rest of the day by the pool or in the calm, clear Caribbean waters.

6. Day 6

   Walk over to Itz’ana’s 18-slip full service marina for a day on the water.  Journey 10-miles offshore to the Barrier Reef for some of the world’s best scuba diving.  Snorkelers can hop aboard a 40-foot catamaran to experience the second largest barrier reef in the world.  Have a gourmet hook-to-fork dinner overlooking the Caribbean at Limilia Restaurant or head into town.  You’ll find a number of delicious restaurants to choose from as you walk up and down the beachside boulevard in Placencia.  Save room for dessert with gelato from the famous Tutti Frutti.

7. Day 7

   Enjoy your last full day in Belize with a sailing trip to Itz’ana’s private island.  Have a picnic lunch on powdery white sand and return to the resort in time to catch the sunset.

8. Day 7

   Take a 30 minute domestic flight back to Belize City for your international flight home.