We are a family with 2 kids 9 & 13 who going to be in Belize for a short holiday (5 and a half days)in February. We get in at 11.30 and fly to Ambergris Caye. The first 3 days are going to be at the Xanadu resort outside San Pedro. I need assistance with the last two days. We need to be back at Belize airport by 3.30 pm on the last day for our 5 pm flight.
What would be a good place on the mainland to spend two days visting Maya ruins or other non ocean activities. I even thought of going to Tikal but the flights back from Flores do not allow us to make our connection. The key is fast, efficient connections from San Pedro and back to Belize airport, given our short time. How is the Dangrida area? Transfers seem efficient. I wanted to stay at Ian Andersons Caves Branch place but the transfer from San Pedro seems difficult given our short time.
Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

We liked San Ignacio. It is about a 90 minute drive from BZE airport. You can drive yourself or have your hotel arrange a pickup/drop off. There is a pretty big Mayan ruin just before the Guatemala border - Xunantunich. A smaller ruin - Cahal Pech - is just outside of town.

There are also a lot of outdoors activities around San Ignacio and in the mountain pine ridge area.

Tikal is a pretty amazing place - there are morning flights back from Flores but then you'd be stuck with a bunch of time at the airport or in Belize City between flights.

It appears that Caves Branch has a three night minimum stay.

That being the case, I'd also look at San Ignacio. Driving there from Belize City is pretty easy. You could fly to the municipal airport, take a cab to the car rental place and probably return your rental to the international airport. Or, if you use Budget, they may even pick you at municipal. I know when we dropped our car off there, they drove us to the municipal airport. (We picked our car up at BZE, but returned it to the location right in Belize City.)

Or stay closer at www.jaugarpaw.com. But you have time for the 1.5-2 hr drive between Belize City and the lodges in Cayo near San Ignacio.

What do you think of mama noots backabush. How far is it from Dangriga airport?

Dangrigia has a lot of garifuna culture you would learn about (Creoles). not much to do there, though.
Try to go to the Belize Zoo!! You will not be disappointed. Beautifully kept, great representation of the wildlife in Belize.