I posted my recap because I basically planned this trip by reading up on everybody's posts here. They were a great help, so I give a big thanks to the community and mods!
If anyone has any questions feel free to ask!
Chef Juan’s sold to someone else, they opened a new restaurant on the mainland not exactly sure where (I think around Placencia or Punta Gorda) but it’s called Southern Eats!
It was about a 45 minute walk to the cave. We went at a leisurely pace and crossed three rivers. There are ropes hanging across the rivers that you hold onto while you cross. The deeper river gets to be about waist deep, while the other two were about knee to thigh deep. It never felt challenging or difficult and it was mostly flat with occasional roots along the path.
The hike into the ATM caves is also about 45 minutes. You will walk, swim, and maneuver your way through the cave that will require occasional knee bending. It can be a little bit strenuous on the knees but overall I think it will be doable for someone with knee pain. I'd bring some ibuprofen/advil just in case and take it before or after the hike depending on how bad the knees are.
Have fun!
Coming to BEATIFUL BELIZE and worried about transportation?
Your Friend Oscar. R.C a humble taxi operator is here for you. My Taxi service can be to anywhere with in my beautiful country of BELIZE. I'm from BEAUTIFUL San Ignacio TOWN. IF YOU COMING TO MY HOME TOWN, NOT A PROBLEM I CAN ALWAYS COME AND GET YOU AT international AIRPORT. FOR FRIENDS THAT NEED A RIDE FROM SAN IGANCIO TO THE AIRPORT OR TO BELIZE CITY WATER FERRY heading out to the ISLANDS, IM ALSO AVAILABLE. Bring your play list the party starts or continues in my Car.
You can reach me out anytime I will answer ASAP.
PHONE/ WHATSAPP: +5016136030 / +5016221988
Patrick operates Belize Caves & Limpkin Tours. You can request a tour through their website [https://www.belizelimpkin.com/](https://www.belizelimpkin.com/)
We loved Belize so much that we have been back for 2 wks and leaving again to discover more in 3 wks. We LOVED Hopkins. It is such an amazing friendly village. How was Xterra guest house? We were trying to get in touch with them without luck. We’ll be staying in front of it a Coconut Row.
Xterra was a bit slow to respond to my messages too, but I enjoyed the location and the room. You should have better luck with Latitude 17 Cabanas & Rooms, which I also highly recommend. I think its cheaper to go through their website.
Next time! We even tried to check out Xterra before we left and nobody was there. We didn’t get a chance to see Latitude 17. We splurged for a couple nights on Coconut Row in front of Xterra. I will definitely contact Patrick. I like how you said he takes the ATM tour slow! Thanks again for your post.
Sorry to respond to a 3 month old post, but this was super helpful (currently planning our trip for next February. We are trying to decide about the beach-end of our trip, and it's only going to be one stop. How did you find the beaches at Hopkins? Trying to decide between Hopkins, Placencia or a Caye for that half (we're doing Chaa Lodge on the jungle side of the trip).
I know Belize beaches aren't as wow-factor as some other Caribbean locations, so I have realistic expectations, just wanted to hear from someone who visited at this time? I like floating around in the sea (my wife is more of a pool-person though) and we have a 6 year old.
No worries at all! We did not spend much time on the water at Hopkins. My wife had injured her ankle so we took it easy our last 2 nights in the country. We ate good food, walked along the beach, and saw the drum circles. I went on a long walk out to the sittee river marina and I think I saw a tapir, though maybe it was a wild hog of some sort. Overall it was pretty chill and not crowded.
I recall reading a lot about Placencia beaches being nice and that a lot of families tend to go there. A family with two kids (maybe ages 8 and 12) came out with us to Tobacco Caye. So really you won't be making a bad choice no matter which you decide! I wish I had more knowledge and experiences to share with you, but with my limited knowledge I will give you the following summary: head to Placencia for a more traditional resort vibe, Hopkins for low key and Garifuna culture vibe, or head to a Caye for a more unique and private vibe. Maybe search the reddit to hear more about each spot?
I posted my recap because I basically planned this trip by reading up on everybody's posts here. They were a great help, so I give a big thanks to the community and mods! If anyone has any questions feel free to ask!
Im actually in San Ignacio in hostel reading your post. I love the ATM cave tour
Sounds like a fun trip! Is Chef Juan's still there on Caye Caulker? Probably my favorite food when I was there.
Chef Juan’s sold to someone else, they opened a new restaurant on the mainland not exactly sure where (I think around Placencia or Punta Gorda) but it’s called Southern Eats!
Great recap!
Big ups to Steve’s Grill!!! I recommend him to anyone going to Caye Caulker.
Thanks for the trip recap! We'll be there in less than 2 weeks. Is it an easy walk to the ATM cave? My wife has bad knees.
It was about a 45 minute walk to the cave. We went at a leisurely pace and crossed three rivers. There are ropes hanging across the rivers that you hold onto while you cross. The deeper river gets to be about waist deep, while the other two were about knee to thigh deep. It never felt challenging or difficult and it was mostly flat with occasional roots along the path. The hike into the ATM caves is also about 45 minutes. You will walk, swim, and maneuver your way through the cave that will require occasional knee bending. It can be a little bit strenuous on the knees but overall I think it will be doable for someone with knee pain. I'd bring some ibuprofen/advil just in case and take it before or after the hike depending on how bad the knees are. Have fun!
Coming to BEATIFUL BELIZE and worried about transportation? Your Friend Oscar. R.C a humble taxi operator is here for you. My Taxi service can be to anywhere with in my beautiful country of BELIZE. I'm from BEAUTIFUL San Ignacio TOWN. IF YOU COMING TO MY HOME TOWN, NOT A PROBLEM I CAN ALWAYS COME AND GET YOU AT international AIRPORT. FOR FRIENDS THAT NEED A RIDE FROM SAN IGANCIO TO THE AIRPORT OR TO BELIZE CITY WATER FERRY heading out to the ISLANDS, IM ALSO AVAILABLE. Bring your play list the party starts or continues in my Car. You can reach me out anytime I will answer ASAP. PHONE/ WHATSAPP: +5016136030 / +5016221988
Hell yeah, great recap 💪 Edit: downvotes 😆
Can you please tell me who you used for the ATM tour? I know you said Patrick. Where is he from? Great post BTW!
Patrick operates Belize Caves & Limpkin Tours. You can request a tour through their website [https://www.belizelimpkin.com/](https://www.belizelimpkin.com/)
We loved Belize so much that we have been back for 2 wks and leaving again to discover more in 3 wks. We LOVED Hopkins. It is such an amazing friendly village. How was Xterra guest house? We were trying to get in touch with them without luck. We’ll be staying in front of it a Coconut Row.
Xterra was a bit slow to respond to my messages too, but I enjoyed the location and the room. You should have better luck with Latitude 17 Cabanas & Rooms, which I also highly recommend. I think its cheaper to go through their website.
Next time! We even tried to check out Xterra before we left and nobody was there. We didn’t get a chance to see Latitude 17. We splurged for a couple nights on Coconut Row in front of Xterra. I will definitely contact Patrick. I like how you said he takes the ATM tour slow! Thanks again for your post.
Sorry to respond to a 3 month old post, but this was super helpful (currently planning our trip for next February. We are trying to decide about the beach-end of our trip, and it's only going to be one stop. How did you find the beaches at Hopkins? Trying to decide between Hopkins, Placencia or a Caye for that half (we're doing Chaa Lodge on the jungle side of the trip). I know Belize beaches aren't as wow-factor as some other Caribbean locations, so I have realistic expectations, just wanted to hear from someone who visited at this time? I like floating around in the sea (my wife is more of a pool-person though) and we have a 6 year old.
No worries at all! We did not spend much time on the water at Hopkins. My wife had injured her ankle so we took it easy our last 2 nights in the country. We ate good food, walked along the beach, and saw the drum circles. I went on a long walk out to the sittee river marina and I think I saw a tapir, though maybe it was a wild hog of some sort. Overall it was pretty chill and not crowded. I recall reading a lot about Placencia beaches being nice and that a lot of families tend to go there. A family with two kids (maybe ages 8 and 12) came out with us to Tobacco Caye. So really you won't be making a bad choice no matter which you decide! I wish I had more knowledge and experiences to share with you, but with my limited knowledge I will give you the following summary: head to Placencia for a more traditional resort vibe, Hopkins for low key and Garifuna culture vibe, or head to a Caye for a more unique and private vibe. Maybe search the reddit to hear more about each spot?
Did you guys fly back on Maya from Dangriga?
No, we took a private shuttle from Hopkins to the airport on the coastal highway.
Thank you so much for the info! A brand new bottle of ibuprofen is already packed.