Before leaving from Belize City...
 

I will be travelling from Guatemala into Belize and eventually leaving for Canada from Belize City. I plan to include Tikal as part of the end of my stay in Guat. so will probably be coming from around that area. What would be the best/smartest way to get into Belize, considering that I'd like to visit Cayo district, Placencia and Caye Caulker and end up in Belize City? They all seem so far apart!

Any suggestions on how to save time/not back track too much (we will be travelling by bus/land)?

Any advice is much appreciated!

Not sure it matters much, but probably Tikal-Cayo-Placencia-Belize City-Caye Caulker-Intl airport for your flight home. You can also fly direct from Placencia to Intl.

There is a border crossing in Melchor de Mencos, Guatemala to Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize. That is where you enter the Cayo district from Tikal. You are at that point 11 miles from San Ignacio.

If you want to then go to Placencia, you'd head back toward BC, then head southeast on the Hummingbird Highway, then south on the Southern Hwy. If you have your own car, you can make stops along the way. I don't know about bus transport all the way but I know there is a bus that goes along the Hummingbird Hwy cause people have talked about it for visiting the Blue Hole and the caving outfit near there.

From Placencia, if you can drop your car there (talk to the agency before hand), you could fly back to BC then fly over to Caye Caulker for a few days and fly out of BC.

If you skipped Placencia, you'd just go right to BC from Cayo.

My brief trip report describes our trip which was basically BC to Cayo. Day trip to Tikal, back to BC to Caye Caulker.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34626172

If I could do this trip again though, I'd skip Caye Caulker and go to Placencia instead.

<font color=#990033>~gnr~</font>

I agree with Katie Valk. It doesn't make a big difference but I would skip Placencia and go to Caye Caulker or San Pedro instead.

Just wondering why you'd suggest skipping Placencia. Not worth the time? Better to spend the extra day or two in Caye Caulker?
Thanks

Because of sand flees and snorkeling too hard to get to. We found Caye Calker to be much friendlier than Placencia.
Tikal is amazing and I always recommend staying there at least overnight. We loved Cayo area but did not have positive experience when staying at Hidden Valley Inn. We loved Chaa Creek