Driving the Hummingbird Highway in Belize

Since we can’t resist a good road-trip, we decided to rent a car to drive along the most scenic road in Belize: the Hummingbird Highway. This 86 km stretch of road offers panoramic views of the Maya Mountain Range, and passes a few national parks, rivers and scenic viewpoints. We even drove slightly further to enjoy a little taste of the Caribbean Sea breeze in Hopkins at the end.

Below we’ll share our experience, including all the beautiful stops along the way, entry and other costs, as well as the time it takes to drive the Hummingbird Highway.

If you’d like to see us driving down the Hummingbird Highway in Belize then make sure to watch our dedicated YouTube video. (We’ve been getting plenty of love on it from Belizeans)!

What is the Hummingbird Highway in Belize

The Hummingbird Highway is one of four main highways in Belize. It’s an 86 km (53 miles) long road that connects Belmopan, the capital of Belize, with Dangriga, which is located on the Caribbean Coast. This two-lane highway was first paved in 1994. It looks more like a rural road than a traditional highway or motorway you might drive on in the USA or UK, which makes it one of the most scenic drives in the whole country.

The Hummingbird Highway passes through the Maya Mountain Range, some small villages, national parks and orchards, all the while offering panoramic views for those driving along it.

How to Experience the Hummingbird Highway

The best way to enjoy the Hummingbird Highway is to rent a car and drive along it. This is because there are only a few day tours you can take to visit certain spots located along its length, and they’ll likely add up to more than the cost of hiring a car for a day. Whilst you can take some public buses, they are irregular and won’t give you much chance to enjoy the incredible scenery.

Hiring a car on the other hand gives you the freedom to stop wherever you wish and spend as long, or as little, as you want at each spot. Since the road is in good condition, if you only plan on driving the Hummingbird Highway you don’t even need to rent a 4×4. However, if you want to visit other places by car, such as the Caracol Ruins, then you’ll need a 4-wheel-drive to handle the road conditions.

We spent a week in San Ignacio, so hired a car from there. However, you can also start your drive from Belize City too. Read our detailed guide if you want to learn more about renting and driving a car in Belize.

Scenic Stops Along the Hummingbird Highway in Belize

Below we’ll list all the places we managed to stop at. Note that we only had one day to drive to and from San Ignacio, so the below itinerary is completely doable in just one day. You can always take it slower and spend longer at each location if you want to do the drive over multiple days.

St Herman’s Blue Hole National Park

The first place we stopped at was St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park which is located to the south of Belmopan. It’s a stunning tropical rainforest that’s home to many birds, wildlife and natural attractions. The park is managed by the Belize Audubon Society. It has been used recreationally since 1965, however in 1986 it was formally established as a protected area.

Entry fee to the national park is 8 BZD (4 USD) per person which grants you access to St Herman’s Cave and the Inland Blue Hole. (Note that you’ll need to pay extra if you opt for a guided tour). This national park is one of the few places along the Hummingbird Highway that you can visit as part of an organised tour. Check out these different tours departing from San Ignacio that either include the Crystal Cave or other activities such as birdwatching.

There are three main attractions within the national park:

1. St Herman’s Cave

It’s one of the most accessible caves in Belize, as you can visit without a guide up to a certain point. Beyond that you’ll need to hire a guide though, which you can do at the entrance.

There is a free car park, a picnic area and toilets. At the ticket booth we had to pay the national park entrance fee and, since we only wanted to visit the cave on our own, the staff member made sure that we had a flashlight with us. A phone’s flashlight was sufficient, but we could also rent a flashlight for 5 BZD (2.50 USD) if we wanted to.

From there we had to walk for about 15 minutes along a jungle path to get to the entrance of the cave. We could then walk for about 180 m (200 yards) into the cave from the entrance without a guide. It was pretty dark in there, so the flashlight was indeed needed. We arrived to a big sign indicating where the path that you can do on your own ends. You can also do a tubing tour through the cave, which again requires a guide.

2. Inland Blue Hole

The next attraction within St Herman’s Cave National Park is the Inland Blue Hole. It’s a small sinkhole surrounded by lush jungle where you can go for a refreshing swim to cool off. Whilst it’s not as impressive as the Great Blue Hole, which is located off the Caribbean Coast, it’s still worth checking out.

To get there, drive 2 minutes down the road to the dedicated car park from St Herman’s Cave. There’s a short trail and some steps leading down to the pool from the car park. Alternatively, you can also walk to it from the cave, which takes about 45 minutes. We didn’t have that much time so just decided to drive between the two car parks.

There are changing rooms and toilets here too. Make sure to keep hold of your national park entry ticket, which you’ll have to show to a member of staff upon entering the car park. The sinkhole itself was really pretty, with the water being very clear and blue. You can go for a swim here or just relax before heading back to your car.

3. Crystal Cave

Lastly, if you want a slightly more adventurous activity then you can also go on a tour of the Crystal Cave. It’s actually a bit similar to the ATM Cave tour, which means that it’s a challenging activity and you can only do it with a guide. Since Jon did the ATM Cave tour, we didn’t feel the need to pay for a very similar activity.

Billy Barquedier National Park

Another national park we visited along the Hummingbird Highway was Billy Barquedier National Park (BBNP). It is home to Belize’s national mammal, the tapir, as well as many other animals such as howler monkeys and jaguars. There were also warnings about different snakes, including the venomous coral snake, which hide under the leaves and rocks. So definitely watch your step when walking around. We actually came across a coral snake hiding under the leaves on the path when hiking San Pedro Volcano near Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. It still gives me shivers thinking about nearly stepping on the poor thing.

Entry fee to the national park is 10 BZD (5 USD) per person. There’s a very small car park at the entrance which we nearly missed. Make sure to watch out for the small sign and driveway on your left if you’re coming from Belmopan.

Luckily, we were the only ones there at the time, as this park isn’t as popular because the day trips from San Ignacio don’t stop there. We had a good chat with the park ranger, who told us more about the park and its habitats.

Below are a few attractions within the national park that you might want to check out:

1. Billy Barquedier Waterfall

The easiest activity is a 15 to 20 minute hike following the creek through the jungle, which leads to a lovely waterfall.

The waterfall was nice but, since it was the end of the dry season, it wasn’t very powerful. Big Rock Waterfall within the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve was definitely more impressive. However, it was still refreshing to go for a quick dip in the pool after the short but sweaty hike. There is also a small observation deck where you can sit and have a bite to eat.

2. Observation Tower

If you’re up for a quick challenge, you can also hike along the ‘Jaguar Trail’ that leads up to the Observation Tower. The viewpoint is located at an elevation of 375 m (1,230 ft). It takes at least 45 minutes to get up there and the trail is pretty steep. At the top you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of the Maya Mountains and the Valley of the Stann Creek District. Apparently, on a clear day you can even see Victoria Peak, the second highest point in Belize, and the Caribbean Sea.

We gave this hike a miss as it was too hot on the day of our visit, and even the park ranger suggested not to do it in that heat.

Lookouts, Bridges, and Small Towns

Of course driving the Hummingbird Highway is an attraction in itself. Along the way we drove through small towns, crossed bridges and enjoyed scenic views of the lush jungle and mountain range surrounding us.

We could pull over in a few places, but for the most part we just drove at a leisurely pace so Jon could also enjoy the views as the designated driver.

Adventure Spots Along the Hummingbird Highway

If you’re more into adventurous activities, then you should consider stopping at the following places:

• Angel Falls has the best ziplining and rappelling experience in Belize. The tours usually last for 2 hours, so you would either need to set off early or spend a night somewhere along the Hummingbird Highway to fit all the attractions in in just one day. Learn more about the tour on the official website.
• Dreaming Giant waterfalls for a challenging all day hike that passes multiple waterfalls. Note that the tour starts at 8 AM and takes quite a few hours, so you could only really fit this activity in in one day. Learn more about the tour on the official website.
• Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch for some more exhilarating caving adventures. Check out the website for all the cave tours they offer. You can also consider staying at the Ian Anderson Caves Branch Jungle Lodge.

Hopkins

Although it’s not along the official Hummingbird Highway, we recommend driving to Hopkins if you have time. Just before you reach Dangriga, turn onto the Southern Highway and then onto Hopkins Road.

It’s a relaxed seaside town were you can even spend a night before driving back along the Hummingbird Highway the next day. There wasn’t much going on at the time of our visit, however we enjoyed taking a stroll along the beach and the main street. At the Coconut Husk Restaurant we also had a delicious late lunch before heading back to San Ignacio.

How Long Do You Need to Drive Along the Hummingbird Highway

Without stopping, the Hummingbird Highway takes about 1.5 hours to drive one way from Belmopan to Dangriga. Unless you start your journey from either of those places, you’ll need to add an additional 50 minutes if coming from San Ignacio, or 1 hour and 15 minutes if travelling from Belize City.

Of course, you’ll also want to stop and spend some time at most of the places we’ve mentioned above. Therefore, you’ll need to allocate at least one full day for driving along the Hummingbird Highway.

If you have longer to spare, then we recommend splitting your journey up and doing the drive over 2 days or more. Below are a few accommodation options along the route that you could consider booking a night at:

• Ian Anderson Caves Branch Jungle Lodge
• Jaguar Creek
• The Banks at Sleeping Giant
• Sattva Land
• Hummingbird Estate Cabanas
• Hopkins

Final Thoughts on Driving the Hummingbird Highway in Belize

We really enjoyed driving along the Hummingbird Highway in Belize. This was our first time hiring a car in Central America, so having all that freedom made the experience even better. Whilst we didn’t have time to stop at all the attractions in just one day, the drive itself was totally worth it and we highly recommend doing it even if you can only spare one day.

Have you ever been to Belize and driven along the Hummingbird Highway? What was your experience like? If you’re just planning your trip to Belize, would you allocate a day to this scenic road trip after reading our guide? Let us know in the comments below.