Cayo District & Caye Caulker, Belize · September 5 – 13, 2026
Belize 2026
A week split between the jungle and the reef. Maya caves, a 1,600-foot waterfall, rappelling in the rainforest, stingrays at sunset, and a car wreck on night one that somehow made us like the country even more.
The short version
We flew into Belize City on a Saturday, caught the tail end of Carnival, drove west to the Cayo District, and got hit by a pickup truck on the way to dinner. That set the tone for the trip in a way we didn't expect: everyone involved, from the kid who hit us to the police to the rental-car manager, was straightforward and honest with us. By the end of the week we were talking about coming back to buy property.
The first half was the jungle. We stayed at Villa Cayo in Santa Elena, just across the river from San Ignacio, and used it as a base for the ATM cave, the Xunantunich ruins, Thousand Foot Falls, Rio Frio Cave, and a day of waterfall rappelling that was the physical high point of the trip.
The second half was the beach. We took the water taxi out to Caye Caulker, dove the reef, fed stingrays at sunset, and ate at two little family restaurants where we got to know the people who ran them.
Day by day
| Day | Where | What we did |
|---|---|---|
| Sat, Sep 5 | Belize City → Santa Elena | Carnival, drive west, the wreck |
| Sun, Sep 6 | Cayo | ATM cave with Fernando, dinner at Crave with Kevin and Adrian |
| Mon, Sep 7 | Cayo / Mountain Pine Ridge | Xunantunich, Thousand Foot Falls, Rio Frio Cave, ice cream in San Antonio |
| Tue, Sep 8 | Cayo | Waterfall rappelling, then a night in the pool |
| Wed, Sep 9 | Belize City → Caye Caulker | Police stations, settling with Budget, water taxi to the island |
| Thu – Sat, Sep 10 – 12 | Caye Caulker | Scuba diving, Iguana Reef Inn, Chef RP's, Rocky's |
| Sun, Sep 13 | Home | Southwest mechanical, rebooked on United |
The people
This is the thing we kept coming back to. Belize is not a rich country, and a lot of the people we met are working hard with very little. But almost without exception they were friendly, direct, and honest with us. A shop owner ran out to wire our dragging bumper back on. A man outside a grocery store handed us star fruit and an avocado he'd picked from his own trees. Our tour guides were sharp and personable. The Budget manager, Alan, could have charged us for lost rental days and chose not to. Because everyone speaks English, we could actually connect with people, and we came home with a list of names we'd like to see again.
Coming home
Our Southwest flight broke, Cassie got us rebooked on United, and the agent who sorted it out turned out to be a Gillett too. That story is in Heading Home.
The trip, piece by piece
Tap any stop to see the story, photos, and videos from that part of the trip.
Carnival & the Wreck
Sat, Sep 5We caught Carnival, drove west, and got hit by a pickup on the way to dinner.
Villa Cayo
Sep 5 – 9An infinity pool in the rainforest, hosts Ken and Virginia, and a compound that was thought through down to the laundry baskets.
Santa Elena
Sep 5 – 9Where we slept, bought groceries, and made our first visit to a Belizean police station.
San Ignacio
Sep 6 – 9Dinner at Crave with Kevin and Adrian, plus the police station that had no receipt book.
ATM Cave
Sun, Sep 6Swimming and wading into a Maya sacrifice cave with Fernando, and meeting the friends we'd have dinner with that night.
Xunantunich
Mon, Sep 7A roadside bumper repair with baling wire, a guide who flagged us down, and a 130-foot pyramid.
Thousand Foot Falls
Mon, Sep 7A 1,600-foot waterfall in a pine forest that felt like California, and not another visitor in sight.
Rio Frio Cave
Mon, Sep 7A 90-foot-high cave mouth, walk-up stalactites, watermelon ice cream, and a man who gave us fruit from his trees.
Waterfall Rappelling
Tue, Sep 8Pool after pool, waterfall after waterfall, a termite snack, and the most exhausted and happy we were all week.
Caye Caulker
Sep 9 – 13Stingrays at sunset at the Iguana Reef Inn, dinners at Chef RP's and Rocky's, and a slow start that turned into a place we want to come back to.
Scuba Diving
Fri, Sep 11Sharks, rays, sea turtles, tarpon that hit your hand, and a cave John made it through twice.
Heading Home
Sun, Sep 13Southwest's mechanical problem, Cassie's rebooking hustle, and a United agent who shares our last name.