San
Ignacio

Xunantunich, the guided caves and the parks near Belmopan

Before you go, understand the place.

San Ignacio, in the Cayo District, gathers the Maya sites of Xunantunich, Cahal Pech and El Pilar and the caves of Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM), Barton Creek and Nohoch Ch’een, run by the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) and visited only with a guide; towards Belmopan lie St. Herman’s Blue Hole and Guanacaste, two Belize Audubon Society parks.

By Asesordeviaje.com Editorial Team · updated October 5, 2026

Destination map

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Status unconfirmed

Groups: the number in the middle is the total of places; the ring shows their statuses. Open a group to see the breakdown.

The “Open and seasonal” filter covers open (0) and seasonal (0) places.

Themed guides

Places grouped by theme, to plan your day.

NICH Maya sites
Tickets for Xunantunich, Cahal Pech and El Pilar are sold in NICH’s shop. None of the three has a confirmed status.
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Guided caves
NICH only allows visits to Actun Tunichil Muknal, Barton Creek and Nohoch Ch’een with a guide. Their status is unconfirmed.
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Audubon parks near Belmopan
The Belize Audubon Society manages St. Herman’s Blue Hole and Guanacaste, whose status is unconfirmed.
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Plan your visit

The practical information you need to plan your visit

The essentials

Best time to go: The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November, although a cyclone can form outside that period (Government Press Office, 28 May 2026). Follow the warnings from the National Meteorological Service of Belize and the NEMO emergency agency. The rainy season runs from May to November, with flooding that can cut roads and flooded temporary bridges in the south, particularly in Stann Creek and Toledo.
Getting there: Buses on the western route link Belize City, Belmopan, San Ignacio and Benque Viejo del Carmen, according to the timetables published by Belmopan Online. For Guatemala, the crossing managed by the Border Management Agency is the Western Border, in Benque Viejo del Carmen; the Border Management Agency says taxis are available at the borders. The Border Management Agency identifies four entry points it manages: Northern Border in Santa Elena (Corozal); Western Border in Benque Viejo del Carmen (Cayo); San Pedro in Ambergris Caye; and Punta Gorda in Toledo. This is the agency’s list, not an inventory of every entry point in the country. Its FAQ lists 24 hours for the northern and western land borders and 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. daily for San Pedro and Punta Gorda. Current hours are unconfirmed and secondary sources give different times. These are not boat schedules.

Tips and precautions

NICH tickets are paid in Belize dollars; each is valid for a single visit to the site named, within six months of purchase, and is non-refundable; NICH only considers exchanging it for another site or date in case of closures due to bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances, according to its terms.
At ATM, Barton Creek and Nohoch Ch’een visits are always guided, according to NICH, which requires ATM to be booked in advance with a licensed operator and contradicts itself on where its ticket is sold.
To reach Xunantunich you cross the Mopan River on a hand-cranked ferry; a travel blog (8 Sep 2026) says it is free, takes a couple of minutes and that there are no guides in the park: you hire one in the ferry queue.
Belize Botanic Gardens, 4 miles down Chial Road, opens every day from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; its day pass costs BZ$25 or US$12.50 per adult and BZ$10 or US$5 per child, free up to age 4, and it offers a shuttle from the San Ignacio Welcome Center with advance booking, according to the gardens.

Safety and precautions

The United Kingdom (June 2026) notes that Belize has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world and that gang violence is concentrated in Belize City, particularly south of the Haulover Creek (Southside); tourists are not normally the targets, but anyone nearby could be affected. It warns of theft from tourists in San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia and San Ignacio, and of armed criminals in remote forested areas near the border with Guatemala, which are patrolled by the Defence Force, with no reported incidents involving tourists.
Canada (15 June 2026) advises a high degree of caution throughout Belize due to high levels of violent crime and to avoid non-essential travel to Southside Belize City, south of the Haulover Creek, due to gang and drug-related violence. It notes higher crime in border areas such as Melchor de Mencos and Chetumal, and near the Caracol ruins, close to the border with Guatemala.
Spain (update of 19 May 2026) recommends travelling with extreme caution and avoiding certain areas: the adjacency zone with Guatemala and the border crossings with Mexico, because of organised crime; and strongly advises against using the Flores–Belize road at night.
If you cross a land border, Canada advises using only official crossings, allowing for delays and not travelling after dark.
Emergencies: 911 (Belize Police Department); 922 for anonymous reports. The United Kingdom also lists 90 for ambulance, fire and police.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the entry to Xunantunich?

According to NICH’s official shop: non-residents BZ$25 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents BZ$10.

Where do you buy the ATM ticket?

NICH contradicts itself: its shop says only licensed operators sell cave tickets, and its terms say they are bought in advance at the Cahal Pech ticket office or on its sales website. Either way, the visit is booked with a licensed operator.

Can I enter Barton Creek or Nohoch Ch’een without a guide?

No: NICH requires every visitor to its caves to go with a guide, at most 8 per guide.

How much is St. Herman’s Blue Hole?

BZ$8 per day for non-nationals and BZ$2 for nationals, according to the Belize Audubon Society; a travel blog from September 2026 gives BZ$10 for tourists.

Sources

Information checked in October 2026. Prices, hours and rules change: confirm them with the official source before you travel.

Everything you can do

Closed or restricted places are included and flagged, so you know what to expect.

Sort

Showing 8 of 8 · 8 unconfirmed, flagged

Nature and jungle · 5

Photo: Antti T. Nissinen · CC BY 2.0
Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM)
AdventureStatus unconfirmed
A 3.13-mile cave the ancient Maya used for rituals from the Early Classic Period (A.D. 300–600), with ceramics, stoneware and skeletons still in place; it is reached after a 45-minute hike through the jungle with several river crossings, according to NICH.
Status unconfirmed: NICH publishes hours, fees and conditions, and contradicts itself on where the ticket is sold.
Practical details and sources
Entry
BZ$60 for non-residents and BZ$30 for residents, per person, according to the data of NICH’s official shop (the cave’s sales page is not public).
Hours
Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour is at 2:00 p.m. and entry to the cave is not allowed after 3:00 p.m., according to NICH.
Booking
According to its terms, NICH requires every visit to be booked in advance with a licensed tour operator. It contradicts itself on where to buy the ticket: its shop says only licensed operators sell it, and its terms say it is bought in advance at the Cahal Pech ticket office or on its sales website.
Source
NICH – Actun Tunichil Muknal (13 jun. 2024) · 2024 · +4
Tip: According to NICH, you must go with an ATM-certified guide (at most 6 visitors per guide), be at least 40 inches tall, be in good physical health, be able to swim, wear a life vest and a helmet with a light, and hand in a signed liability release before the tour. NICH prohibits cameras and any recording device inside the cave.
Nearby: Barton Creek Cave (7.5 km) · Green Hills Butterfly Ranch (12.5 km)
Sources: NICH – Actun Tunichil Muknal (13 jun. 2024) · NICH – Actun Tunichil Muknal, datos de la tienda oficial: entrada de no residente · NICH – Actun Tunichil Muknal, datos de la tienda oficial: entrada de residente · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita · NICH – Tienda oficial de entradas
Near Teakettle Village, Cayo District, according to NICH. The pin is the natural monument in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.7.7 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Photo: Tom Eppenberger Jr. · CC BY 2.0
Barton Creek Cave
AdventureStatus unconfirmed
A cave in the Cayo District that NICH lists among its cave sites, always visited with a guide. NICH’s shop describes it with the same text as Nohoch Ch’een, so it gives no description of its own for this cave.
Status unconfirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop.
Practical details and sources
Entry
BZ$20 for non-residents and BZ$15 for residents, per person, according to NICH’s official shop.
Hours
Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour starts an hour and a half before closing and entry to the cave is not allowed after 4:00 p.m., according to NICH.
Booking
NICH says group visits to its caves should be booked in advance with a licensed operator.
Source
NICH – Barton Creek, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · 2026 · +1
Tip: According to NICH, every visitor must go with a guide (at most 8 per guide), be in good physical health, be able to swim and wear a life vest and a helmet with a light.
Nearby: Green Hills Butterfly Ranch (5.1 km) · Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) (7.5 km) · Big Rock Falls (10.1 km)
Sources: NICH – Barton Creek, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita
Cayo District. The pin is the cave mouth in OpenStreetMap; it is not the visitor entrance.7.8 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Nohoch Ch’een
AdventureStatus unconfirmed
A cave system along the Sibun River explored along the water among geological formations, with trails and up to four stops; its amenities include tube rentals, according to NICH.
Status unconfirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop.
Practical details and sources
Entry
BZ$20 for non-residents and BZ$15 for residents, per person, according to NICH’s official shop.
Hours
Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour starts one hour before closing and, after 3:00 p.m., access is allowed to the first cave only, according to NICH.
Booking
NICH says group visits to its caves should be booked in advance with a licensed operator.
Source
NICH – Nohoch Ch’een, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · 2026 · +1
Tip: According to NICH, every visitor must go with a guide (at most 8 per guide), be at least 40 inches tall, be in good physical health, be able to swim and wear a life vest and a helmet with a light.
Nearby: St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park (6.6 km)
Sources: NICH – Nohoch Ch’een, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita
Eastern Cayo District, according to NICH. The pin is the «Nohoch Che’en Archaeological Reserve» in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.26.1 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park
NatureStatus unconfirmed
A 575-acre national park with St. Herman’s Cave and the Blue Hole, a pool joined to the cave by an underground stream; Mountain Cow Cave (Crystal Cave), explored with a guide, is also inside, according to the Belize Audubon Society.
Status unconfirmed: Audubon publishes fees and hours, and a 2026 blog gives a different fee.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Non-nationals BZ$8 per day and nationals BZ$2, according to the Belize Audubon Society. A travel blog (11 Sep 2026) gives BZ$10 for tourists.
Hours
Every day, including weekends and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to the Belize Audubon Society.
Source
Belize Audubon Society – St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park · 2026 · +2
Tip: You can walk 200 yards into St. Herman’s Cave without a guide; going all the way through needs a guide, and Mountain Cow Cave is a guided exploration. Buses on the Hummingbird Highway can stop at either entrance, according to Audubon.
Nearby: Nohoch Ch’een (6.6 km)
Sources: Belize Audubon Society – St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park · Belize Audubon Society – Protected Areas, preguntas frecuentes · Thoroughly Travel – St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park (blog; 11 sep. 2026)
On the Hummingbird Highway, 12 miles south-east of Belmopan; it has two entrances with parking, according to Audubon. The pin is the park in OpenStreetMap; it is not either of its entrances.22.7 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Photo: Myusername432 · CC BY 2.0
Guanacaste National Park
NatureStatus unconfirmed
A national park that keeps the area’s remaining riverside forest, with views of the Belize River, large guanacaste trees and wildlife such as howler monkeys, iguanas and agoutis, according to the Belize Audubon Society.
Status unconfirmed: Audubon publishes fees and hours.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Non-nationals BZ$5 per day and nationals BZ$1, according to the Belize Audubon Society.
Hours
Every day, including weekends and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to the Belize Audubon Society.
Source
Belize Audubon Society – Guanacaste National Park · 2026 · +1
Tip: Buses stop right outside the park, according to Audubon.
Sources: Belize Audubon Society – Guanacaste National Park · Belize Audubon Society – Protected Areas, preguntas frecuentes
Less than two miles from Belmopan, where the Hummingbird and George Price highways meet, according to Audubon. The pin is the park in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.15.5 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Living culture · 3

Xunantunich
CultureStatus unconfirmed
A Maya site dominated by the 130-ft El Castillo pyramid, with carvings and ceremonial architecture; the visit includes crossing the Mopan River on a hand-cranked ferry, according to NICH, which runs the site.
Status unconfirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Non-residents: BZ$25 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$10, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
Hours
Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour starts one hour before closing for visitors arriving by vehicle and an hour and a half before for those on foot, according to NICH.
Source
NICH – Xunantunich, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · 2026 · +2
Tip: On arrival at the ferry, all passengers must get out of the vehicle; inside, NICH asks for footwear for rough ground, to stay on marked trails and not to jump on the monuments, and each guide takes at most 15 visitors.
Nearby: Cahal Pech (9.5 km)
Sources: NICH – Xunantunich, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita · Thoroughly Travel – Xunantunich (blog; 8 sep. 2026)
Near San José Succotz, Cayo District, according to NICH. The pin is the archaeological site in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.27.4 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
Photo: Denis Barthel · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cahal Pech
CultureStatus unconfirmed
A Maya site above San Ignacio, in the jungle, with a series of connected structures that show how Maya architecture evolved over centuries; its name means «place of ticks», according to NICH.
Status unconfirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Non-residents: BZ$20 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$10, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
Hours
Every day, including Sundays and public holidays: 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from April to October and 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from October to April (the page names October in both periods); the last tour starts one hour before closing, according to NICH.
Source
NICH – Cahal Pech, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · 2026 · +1
Tip: NICH asks for footwear for rough ground, to stay on marked trails, to use the handrails and not to jump on the monuments; each guide takes at most 15 visitors.
Nearby: Xunantunich (9.5 km) · Green Hills Butterfly Ranch (11.9 km) · El Pilar (14.2 km)
Sources: NICH – Cahal Pech, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita
Above San Ignacio, about a 10-minute walk from the centre, according to NICH. The pin is the «Cahal Pech Archaeological Reserve» archaeological site in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.18.8 km in a straight line from the regional map centre
El Pilar
CultureStatus unconfirmed
A sprawling Maya city with more than 25 plazas, most of whose structures remain unexposed for conservation, and a forest garden showing traditional Maya farming, according to NICH.
Status unconfirmed: NICH publishes its hours and fees in its shop.
Practical details and sources
Entry
Non-residents: BZ$15 (the «minor» category too, with no age given) and free for children under 5; residents: BZ$5, free for children under 12 and for Belizeans aged 65 or over, according to NICH’s official shop.
Hours
Every day, including Sundays and public holidays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the last tour starts one hour before closing, according to NICH.
Source
NICH – El Pilar, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · 2026 · +1
Tip: The site is on the border with Guatemala: read this guide’s safety notes on border areas first. Each guide takes at most 15 visitors, according to NICH.
Nearby: Cahal Pech (14.2 km)
Sources: NICH – El Pilar, entradas y horario (tienda oficial) · NICH – Condiciones de venta y de visita
About 12 miles north-west of San Ignacio, straddling the Belize–Guatemala border, according to NICH. The pin is the locality named «El Pilar» in OpenStreetMap; it is not the entrance.27.4 km in a straight line from the regional map centre

Before you go, understand the place.

Themed guides

NICH Maya sites

Guided caves

Audubon parks near Belmopan

Plan your visit

The essentials

Tips and precautions

Safety and precautions

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Everything you can do

Nature and jungle · 5

Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM)

Barton Creek Cave

Nohoch Ch’een

St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park

Guanacaste National Park

Living culture · 3

Xunantunich

Cahal Pech

El Pilar

Keep exploring Belize