If you’ve read my previous blog posts about my road trip around Belize and the self-drive to Caracol, you already know that Belize is a country full of DIY adventures. Barton Creek Cave is another remote site, at the end of a bumpy dirt road, that we visited independently in our rental car. In this post, I’m sharing all you need to know before driving to Barton Creek in your own vehicle.
A visit to Barton Creek Cave is the prove that ruins are not the only places where you can explore Mayan heritage in Belize. The cave systems, once used as burial sites or for ceremonial purposes, are equally interesting. Barton Creek Cave must be visited in a canoe with a guide, which makes for a relaxed experience. The drive was barely half the distance compared to Caracol, but the conditions were even more rugged. When navigating the rocky road, rickety bridges and even making a river crossing, I was grateful that we rented a sturdy car. Our go-to rental car broker is Sunny Cars, because of their easy, all-in formula.
TIMINGS & ROAD QUALITY
Unlike the drive to Caracol, the drive to Barton Creek is not very long. From tourist hub San Ignacio, driving to Barton Creek takes just over an hour for under 30km. Since our accommodation, Black Rock Lodge, was located off a dirt road outside San Ignacio, the total driving time was close to two hours. We started early, aiming to visit the cave before lunch, but timing is flexible since you can’t book the visit. Just make sure to leave enough buffer to be off the roads by sunset as the potholes and fellow drivers with no lights are rather dangerous.
I expected the road to be in somewhat better condition compared to the Caracol road, but the opposite was true. We pushed the limits of our car (a sturdy all-wheel drive) on the steep, rocky road to Barton Creek. Albeit remote, the road to Barton Creek is not deserted. We passed several farms and saw people at work in the fields and orchards, so we were not worried about being stranded in case broke down.
DIRECTIONS TO BARTON CREEK
The most straightforward way of driving to Barton Creek is to follow Chiquibul Road. This dirt road is a turn-off from the Western Highway in Georgeville (12km from San Ignacio). On this road, you have to take one more left turn onto Upper Barton Creek Road (7km off the Western Highway). The entrance to this road can easily be missed. It is hidden behind trees and very narrow – we hesitated for a moment thinking it was a farm track – , but a wooden signpost to “Barton Creek” confirms it is the right direction.
In case you miss Upper Barton Creek Road, you can keep going for another 5km until the turnoff to El Progreso Road. This will also take you to Barton Creek. The entrance to this road is much more obvious, but we were told it is even steeper than Upper Barton Creek Road. If you’ve already visited Caracol, like us, route finding won’t be an issue since the first part of the drive on the Western Highway and Chiquibul Road overlaps and you’ll already be familiar with it.
Either way, the rest of the drive is simple: follow the road until it ends. You will see a few other small sideroads (mostly leading to farms), but it is always obvious where the main road goes. There were also a couple of signs to Barton Creek confirming we were still on track.
At the end of the road you will find Mike’s Place. This guesthouse – restaurant – tour operator cannot be missed as it’s the only house in the area. You can park the car here, have a bite to eat and plan your visit.
MENNONITE COMMUNITIES IN BARTON CREEK
Don’t be in a hurry though to reach Barton Creek. Upper Barton Creek Road makes for a beautiful, exciting drive and you might be lucky enough to get a small peek into the local Mennonite community.
Indeed, the few people we saw on the way to Barton Creek were part of the Mennonite community. An estimated 12000 Mennonites live in Belize, the majority around San Ignacio. They are a traditional, conservative community of descendants of Dutch anabaptists. They make an extraordinary sight in the streets of Belize with their blonde hair, blue eyes and traditional clothing. Despite their simple lifestyle, many Mennonites of Belize have adopted modern techniques to optimise farming, but the families around Barton Creek run their farms the traditional way. Modern Mennonite life is most visible in Spanish Lookout, a village packed with industrial farms and wholesale stores we visited on the way back to San Ignacio. The paved, well maintained roads leading to Spanish Lookout were a huge contrast with the rest of the day! Spanish Lookout is also home to what probably is the best ice cream shop of Belize!
VISITING BARTON CREEK CAVE
The drive aside, visiting Barton Creek Cave is easy. The entrance to the cave system is right next to Mike’s Place. Belgian-Canadian immigrant Mike provides canoes and guides for a tour of the cave. Even though the tour was pricey (60 USD per person), the experience was worth it.
The tour covers 1 – 2 kilometres of the 7 kilometres long Barton Creek Cave (depending on water levels). After that, the cave becomes too narrow and low for a canoe to pass. We were lucky to have an enthusiastic, talkative guide who pointed out rock formations, pottery and even human bones. Gory stories about Mayan blood offers and other painful rituals come free as a bonus!
After the visit, we had lunch at Mike’s Place – burritos and fresh lime juice. Top tip: unless you are extremely hungry, take a portion to share. The amount of food we got was huge.
Are you up for driving to Barton Creek after reading this post? Don’t forget to also check out my 10 day itinerary with other sites to visit in Belize and places to stay.
