Belize - Cayo vs Toledo
 

I am in the very early stages of planning a week-long trip to Belize for next Jan/Feb and the more I read the more indecisive I become. My husband and I will be travelling to Cancun and will then either fly to Belize City or take the bus to Chetumal and then cross the border. Since we will also be spending a week in Mexico on the beaches we want to spend the majority if not all of our time, while in Belize, in the Jungle.

My question is should we choose Toledo or Cayo District?

In Toledo District we would look at staying at Hickatee Lodge while in Cayo District we are looking at Table Rock Jungle Lodge or Cohune Palms River Cabanas. I have also looked at Black Rock Lodge in Cayo district but find their activity rates to be rather high. Does anyone have any comments/opinions regarding these accommodation options?

Our interests include: hiking, vegetation, nature, visiting smaller communities, local markets, canoeing, river tubing, caves, and ruins. Cayo district seems to provide greater opportunities for different activities (correct me if I am wrong) but I find the “off the beaten track” Toledo district very appealing. One of our original must do’s was to visit Tikal, is this an option from Toledo? Is it too far to travel in a day? Lastly is heading to the Toledo district worth missing Tikal?

Some other general questions I have include:

How much on average to hire a taxi for the day?
Are taxis easy to find in some of the smaller communities (ie San Ignacio, Bullet Tree Falls, etc.)

You know you're going to love Belize and want to return, right? I'd save Toledo for another trip and head to the Cayo District this time.

Not sure on the taxi for a day price; we've been really surprised how expensive the shuttles and taxis are. We prefer to travel by bus but fill in with the above as needed for convenience. You won't have trouble finding them in Cayo.

Toledo is waaaaay too far from Tikal for a day trip. In fact, even from the San Ignacio area, an overnight is still the way to go imo. It's just amazing to explore the ruins and beautiful jungle in the cooler evening and early morning hours when wildlife is active and you practically have the place to yourselves. I've been 3 times so far and the highlight of my 3rd visit was an early morning tour with archaeologist/naturalist Roxy Ortiz who bases out of the Tikal Inn (my favorite hotel in the park) when she's not away on a dig.
www.tikalinn.com
[email protected]

Another highlight of inland Belize is the ATM cave; you hike to the mouth of the cave, swim in, and scramble up the river inside the cave until you get to the dry part. There you take off your shoes and walk in stockinged feet around 1000 year old Maya artifacts and the skulls and bones of sacrificial victims - amazing.
http://www.pacztours.com/actun-tunichil-muknal.html

There are other ruins in the area as well as additional opportunities for canoing and caving.

My photos, blogs, and travelogues are below including 2 trips to the Yucatán in the last 8 months and Tikal sets in the 2003, 2007, and 2009 collections. ATM cave is in the 2009 collection. Have a wonderful trip, whatever you decide!

Tikal is best done as an overnight or 2 night stay. Cayo makes more sense for the reasons you discussed.

We haven't been to Toledo, but we loved the Cayo District - easy access to Tikal, caving, etc. and very pretty.

Stick to Cayo this trip. Tikal can be a day or ovenright trip, depending on how much time you have and interest in the site. There is plenty to do in Cayo to keep you quite busy. Both Table Rock and BRL are good choices. BRL trips are a bit pricier because they are further from town on a particuarly scenic portion of the Macal River and in denser forest than TR.

Thanks for the great comments/suggestions so far.

hopefulist - I am sure we are going to love Belize but when I travel I like to go as though I may never return. My husband and I love to experience new places and are not at the stage yet of going back to the same place twice. I took a quick look at your 2009 report, which is fantastic and I will be going through it again in greater detail, thank you!

I am still going over the options. I will admit there is something about Toledo that is drawing me in. Maybe because I really value "off the beaten trail" and it seems like such an untouched area in regards to tourism. However all the positive reviews for Cayo District keeps it from being an easy decision!

Thanks again for the recommendations, the research continues!

I think focusing on Toledo would be a great idea, just not if you are prioritizing Tikal, the ATM cave, etc., since they're not really accessible from there. I'll probably get there someday!

After being in touch with Hickatee lodge the decision has been made and Toledo district here we come. I love the fact that it is off the beaten trail and my husband is happy that we will at least have 1 day to do some snorkeling and fishing. Tikal will have to be left for a future visit to Guatemala. Thank you for the input, I always value other travellers opinions and experiences when planning my own travels.

If anyone has any insight or experiences with Toledo district and Punta Gorda please share.

I am also wondering, since we may be getting into Belize City too late to catch the last flight to Punta Gorda, how the driving between the 2 places is (I understand it is all paved) and if it is safe to drive this at night?

Thanks again!

I would not recommend driving at night in Belize. How about a stay at the Tropical Ed Center near the zoo; you could even do a night tour, then head out early the next morning. It's ~45 minutes from the airport.
www.belizezoo.org
Another option is the Community Baboon (black howler monkey) Sanctuary which is less than half an hour from the airport. We stayed there in a cabin at the Nature Resort our 1st few nights in Belize in 2009; you can check it out in our blog.
[email protected]
http://www.howlermonkeys.org/

There are some good options in/near Belize City but I'm not familiar with them. Have a great vacation and please tell us all about it!

The Black Orchid Lodge is located near the airport. We stayed there last month when our flight got there in the evening. I too, do not recommend driving that kind of distance at night. It is amazing what happens on the roads at night--unmarked bicycles, lots of people out walking on the road; and maybe drinking and really out in the road. It would be very easy to run into something you're not supposed to. I believe Black Orchid does airport pick ups, or rent your car at the airport and just drive up there. It was an easy drive, was a pleasant place to stay, not really a destination, but nice and with good food right on site for a late dinner.

Hi, my friends and I just booked a trip to Belize and you may be interested in this groupon (see link below) since you are staying in that Toledo area! I am staying in Cayo area and I just googled to compare both cities since this Groupon came out today after we already decided upon Cayo.
http://www.groupon.com/ch/getaways/d...odge?c=all&p=0
It expires in 6 days....looks like a great place to stay.

rlk679,

Currently, the Maya Regional flights from Cancun to Belize City seem to have stopped. Keep in contact with them in case the flights return.

If you want to drive to PG, all the roads are paved but drive with extreme caution because there are always bicycles (no lights or reflectors) & pedestrians on the highway.

It's difficult to give a daily rate for a taxi because it depends on how many km you go. The driver will probably charge at least BZ$50 if just around town, and up to BZ$200 if exploring the region. Gasoline is currently about BZ$11.50 per gallon.