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Voykit pocket guide · Belize
San Antonio
Go for one night, not a base: a Mopan Maya village with a swimmable waterfall, reached by bus from Punta Gorda in about 1 hour for BZ$3.
San Antonio is the largest and most developed village in the Toledo District, founded by Mopan Maya who crossed from Petén in 1883. It is a village visit, not a resort: one guesthouse, no restaurant, a waterfall a mile west, and buses that run once or twice a day. Come for a night between Punta Gorda and the Maya sites, or as a half-day from PG if you have your own transport.
- Country
- Belize
- Best months
- Dec–May (drier roads and trails)
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (wet season; the inland road and falls trails get muddy)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BZD
- Money
- Currency is the Belize dollar (BZD, $), fixed at 2 to 1 US dollar; US dollars are accepted almost everywhere. Check which dollar a price is in.
- Daily spend
- Budget BZ$60–90 excl. bed · Mid BZ$90–140 excl. bed · High BZ$140+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Digi (Belize Telemedia) and Smart sell SIMs at the airport and in towns; bring your passport.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · Police (alternate) 90
- Plugs
- Types A, B, G · 110 V (some 220 V) · 60 Hz · US plugs usually fit.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: 10–15% if no service charge.; Tour guides and boat crew: BZ$20–40 per person per day.; Taxi drivers: Not expected; round up.
- Water
- Treated water in Belize City and San Pedro; most visitors drink bottled or filtered.
- Toilets
- Western toilets; bring paper for bus stops.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bus fare, Punta Gorda → San Antonio | BZ$3 |
| San Antonio Falls entry | BZ$2–5 |
| TEA guesthouse bed | about BZ$22 per person |
| Bol's Hilltop Hotel, shared bath | about BZ$15 |
| Meal arranged through the TEA guesthouse | BZ$6.50–8 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PND · Punta Gorda Airport
- About 40 km away by road; buses run from PG town, not the airstrip.About 25 mi away by road; buses run from PG town, not the airstrip.
- BZE · Philip S. W. Goldson International (Belize City)
- Domestic hop to Punta Gorda, then bus or taxi inland.
Typical fares
- Punta Gorda → San Antonio bus
- BZ$3, about 1 h
- San Antonio Falls entry
- BZ$2–5
Get around
The village is small and walkable end to end in about 15 minutes. The falls are about 1 mile (1.6 km) west on the road toward Santa Cruz; look for the sign on your right. No taxis, no car rental, no formal horse riding — some villagers keep horses and you can ask.The village is small and walkable end to end in about 15 minutes. The falls are about 1 mile (1 mi) west on the road toward Santa Cruz; look for the sign on your right. No taxis, no car rental, no formal horse riding — some villagers keep horses and you can ask.
See and do
Known for
- Mopan Maya village life
- San Antonio Falls (Noh-sus)
- Deer Dance at the Feast of San Luis
- Toledo cacao buying centre
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| San Antonio Falls (Noh-sus) | Walk about 1 mile west toward Santa Cruz; sign on the right | About 30 min each way on foot |
| Lubaantun | Bus or hired vehicle toward San Pedro Columbia, then walk | About 1 h |
| Punta Gorda | Chun's, Coc's or Bol's bus from the village | About 1 h |
Sleep
- TEA village guesthouse
- Purpose-built guesthouse run by the Toledo Ecotourism Association; guests eat and spend time with villagers but sleep separately. About BZ$22 per person; meals on request.
- Bol's Hilltop Hotel
- Rustic rooms with shared bath, about BZ$15. The only other listed bed in the village.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Buenos díasbweh-nos dee-as |
| Thank you | Bʼoʼtikboh-teek |
| How much is it? | ¿Cuánto cuesta?kwan-to kwes-ta |
| Where is the waterfall? | ¿Dónde está la cascada?don-de es-ta la kas-ka-da |
| Can I pay by card? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?pwe-do pa-gar kon tar-he-ta |
| Where is the toilet? | ¿Dónde está el baño?don-de es-ta el ban-yo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say 'good morning' or 'good evening' when entering shops and buses; avoid: Skipping greetings
- Pace: Relax; service is slow; avoid: Showing impatience
- Photography: Ask first; avoid: Photographing Mennonites and Maya villagers without consent
- Dress: Cover up away from the beach; avoid: Swimwear in town
Scams and watch-outs
- Buses run once or twice a day each way; confirm times in the village the day before you leave.
- There is no restaurant: arrange meals with the TEA guesthouse in advance or buy snacks at the small shops.
- The road in from the Southern Highway at Dump junction is unpaved; do not turn left at Mafredi (that goes to Blue Creek).
- Bring cash in Belize dollars — card payment is not reliable in the village.
- Trails above the falls are cut and maintained locally; ask before hiking after heavy rain.
A small, quiet village; the real risks are road conditions, thin bus schedules and walking the falls trail in wet weather. Standard Belize advice applies: use reef-safe judgement at the pool, keep valuables out of sight, and carry cash.
One and two days
No timed day plan for San Antonio yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mopan Maya village life
- San Antonio Falls (Noh-sus)
- Deer Dance at the Feast of San Luis
- Toledo cacao buying centre
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Belize Tourism Board: www.travelbelize.org/
- Toledo Ecotourism Association: www.teabelize.org/
- Wikivoyage: San Antonio (Belize), revision 4144062 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4144062
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
San Antonio
A esta dirección, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in San Antonio; the US, UK and other missions are in Belmopan or Belize City. Punta Gorda has a US consular agent (check).
Mopan Maya is the village language alongside English, Kriol and Spanish; a greeting in Mopan or Spanish goes a long way.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/san-antonio-belize). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.