We stayed at Cahal Pech Village Resort during our 2 weeks in San Ignacio. Set at the top of a very steep hill, it overlooks the entire town.
And is minutes stroll to its namesake archeological site of Mayan ruins.
We stayed in one of the thatch- roof cabanas which offer more space and privacy than their hotel rooms. (sorry for the less than stellar photo)
The resort has a restaurant and bar, two swimming pools, laundry service (a must for us on our long stay and with a toddler in tow), gift shop, tour services and more. They do special events too- how nice would it be to have a party here?!
We walked everywhere the entire trip and loved each quad burning minute of it. It’s not the distance to town it’s the hills that make hoofing it around San Ignacio a workout. We were only able to cover the ground we did because Mitch was still in a stroller. Gosh I miss those days of freedom! That Jeep jogger must have covered WELL OVER 500 miles before we gave it up. Just a few minor repairs along the way.
If you’re staying in the area and you need a “down day” from hiking, biking, caving, rappelling, zip lining… whatever you’re doing… then I recommend a stop in to the Rainforest Haven Inn hotel. It has a Travellers rum tasting room AND a Marie Sharps tasting center.
Travellers is a big name in Belize- they make all your favorite rums. One barrel, 3 barrel, 5 barrel- all the barrels! White, dark, gold, coconut, creams! They even make local wines. You know what’s a totally unique souvenir? Cashew wine. Give a bottle as a hostess gift at the next dinner party you’re invited too.
Marie Sharps is an even bigger name in Belize. Ever household probably has at least one Marie Sharps product- namely her hot sauce which is gaining world renown. She makes dozens of sauces ranging from sweet habanero to “comatose heat level” as well as seasonings, juices, chutneys and jams. She’s an inspiring woman, a titan of industry that deserves her own write up. We loved tasting all the products and reading the historic timeline on the wall- Tabasco was threatened by her growing success in the market and tried to edge her out by slapping her with copyright violations but she didn’t bow down to big business, she fought. What was even more exciting to me than the vast array of hot sauces was the life-size cut out of Marie… we’re the same exact size!
Who’s who?!? It’s like we’re twins!
Placencia Pro Tip- pour a bottle of Marie Sharps sweet habanero over a block of cream cheese for an easy appetizer or pair the green mango chutney with sharp cheddar and crackers
