Aliana’s Charming House on the River in San Ignacio, Belize

Lush greenery, underwater caves, Mayan ruins, farm land, and friendly people. That’s what you’ll find when you visit the Cayo District in San Ignacio, Belize. San Ignacio offers a wide range of accommodations from luxury resorts to hostels and everything in between. For our visit, we used Airbnb and stayed at Aliana’s in San Ignacio, Belize.

Aliana’s San Ignacio, Belize

Living room and kitchen at Aliana’s in San Ignacio, Belize

We chose Aliana’s in San Ignacio, Belize because it was an ideal base to explore:

• St. Herman’s Cave
• Blue Hole National Park
• Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave (ATM Cave)
• Spanish Lookout
• Tikal National Park
• Green Iguana Conservation Project
• Cahal Pech
• Macal River
• San Ignacio Farmer’s Market

Renting a home was a lot cheaper than staying in a hotel. And we’d save money on meals.

Our 3 nights cost $278 including cleaning and service fees.

We rented a house for @ $93 a night.

Airbnb

This was my second Airbnb experience (my first was in Bend, Oregon) but Jeff and the boys first time using Airbnb. So I was a little nervous.

Not because it was Airbnb and we were in another country. Nope. Those things didn’t concern me at all.

I was nervous because I have teenage boys.

If you’ve got boys, you know what I mean. I love my boys, but boys are not always the cleanest children in the world.

And since we were staying at someone’s home, I was worried that they might feel too comfortable and treat it like our house.

But my worries were unfounded and the boys were amazing. While they did treat it like our house, they also respected the home and were quick to pick up their things.

Pro-tip: Save $40 on your first Airbnb rental when you use my Airbnb referral link.

The House

Aliana’s San Ignacio, Belize
Photo courtesy of Airbnb

We arrived in the early afternoon after a visit to St. Herman’s Cave and the Blue Hole National Park.

Suzie, who helps meet renters and can arrange tours, met us at Hode’s Place in town to lead us to the house.

It’s a short drive from town but the roads are dirt roads and not clearly marked. So we were grateful for the caravan. Once you know where you’re going, it’s easy to find.

Aliana’s is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath home on the Mopan River.

The tiled floor house has granite counters, mahogany cabinets in the bathrooms and kitchen, stainless steel kitchen appliances, satellite TV, full-size washer and dryer, Wi-Fi, and air conditioning in the bedrooms.

The satellite TV had great reception and several English stations. So we could keep up with the news in the morning and relax with a movie in the evening.

The boys loved being able to hang out by the river and play in the water. There’s plenty of room to play and the dog and cat are friendly.

We ate dinner out every night so didn’t use the outdoor BBQ or wood stove.

Kitchen

All the comforts of home

The kitchen was fully stocked with pots, pans, glasses, and utensils. There was a welcome basket of fresh fruit in a bowl on the kitchen island.

Next to the fridge was a bottle water dispenser with a 5-gallon jug of water.

The gas stovetop, oven, and microwave worked great.

Bedrooms

Master bedroom

Because we stayed in late July, the air conditioning kept us from melting. 🙂

Plus it drowned out the rooster’s crows in the early morning hours.

The bedrooms each had a Queen bed which was comfortably firm.

Because the boys didn’t want to share a bed, they alternated who got to sleep in the bed while the other slept on the couch.

Although the couch wasn’t a sofa bed, it was wide and long enough for a good night’s sleep.

The master bedroom also had a walk-in cedar closet complete with shelves and a built-in ironing board.

Cedar Walk-in Closet

Bathrooms

Chandelier in master bathroom

The bathrooms were well stocked with soap, small bottles of shampoo bottles, and towels.

It took a little while for the water to get hot but the water pressure was fine.

Washer & Dryer

Go back home with clean clothes

Having a full sized front loading washer and dryer was awesome. We were able to wash our clothes after our Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave (ATM Cave) tour.

There’s also a clothes line out in the back of the house to hang things to dry.

Conclusion

Aliana’s in San Ignacio, Belize, a cozy 2 bedroom home, is a charming alternative to a hotel room.

If you’re planning on visiting the ATM Cave and Tikal, you may want to stay in western Belize instead suffering through a long drive from the coast or flying in from one of the islands.

San Ignacio is ideally located near the attractions. And you can find many types of lodging options for all budgets.

We choose to stay in at Aliana’s, an Airbnb. It had everything we were looking for: 2 bedrooms, plenty of space, and a price that fit our budget.

If this is your first time booking through Airbnb, use my Airbnb referral link and save $40.

Since staying at Aliana’s in San Ignacio, Belize, I’ve used Airbnb in Berkeley, San Luis Obispo, Melbourne, and Perth.

We enjoyed our stay at Aliana’s so much that we plan on staying there again the next time to visit Belize.

Read other posts about Belize:

• All the Things You Can Do in Belize for 8 Days on the Cheap
• 5 Reasons Why You Should Visit Belize
• Hotels in Belize to Stay on Points

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