Most visitors treat the George Price Highway as a transfer: airport to Cayo, two hours, done. That is a waste of a good road. Between the Belize City turnoffs and the Belmopan roundabout the highway crosses pine savanna, broadleaf forest and the Sibun River, and Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary sits right in the middle of it. With your own vehicle you can break the drive into three or four stops and still be checked into your hotel in San Ignacio before dark.
This guide covers Monkey Bay itself, the other wildlife stops along the corridor, and what the driving is actually like.
What is Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary?
Monkey Bay is a privately protected area and field station on the north side of the highway, roughly around the Mile 31 area, where the land runs down to the Sibun River. It was set up as a conservation and education property, and it hosts student groups, researchers and volunteers as much as it does casual day visitors.
That matters for planning. This is not a drive-up attraction with a ticket window and a car park full of tour vans. Trails, river access, camping and bunkhouse space are usually arranged in advance, and the sanctuary is sometimes full with a visiting group. Contact them ahead of your trip and confirm what is possible on the day you want to come, including any day-use or guide fee.
Across the river lies Monkey Bay National Park, a government-protected block of savanna and forest. It is far less developed than the private sanctuary, with no real visitor infrastructure, so most people experience it as the wild green backdrop on the far bank.
What wildlife can you see at Monkey Bay?
The draw is habitat variety in a small area. Within a short walk you move from open pine savanna into gallery forest along the Sibun, and the bird list reflects that mix. Expect to be looking for:
- Savanna specialists such as jacanas, kingbirds, hawks and the occasional aplomado falcon over the open ground
- Parrots and toucans moving between forest patches, loudest in the early morning
- Iguanas on the riverside branches and, with luck and quiet feet, howler monkeys calling at dawn
- Morelet's crocodile in the river, usually seen as a set of eyes rather than a whole animal
- Butterflies and dragonflies in large numbers after rain, which is genuinely one of the best parts
The Sibun is also a swimming river in the dry months, shallow and clear over limestone and gravel. Water levels rise fast after upstream rain in the Maya Mountains, so check conditions before you get in.
Which other wildlife stops are on the George Price Highway?
The corridor between the airport junction and Belmopan packs in more than people expect.
The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center, around the Mile 29 area, is the obvious one and deserves its reputation. Every animal there is a rescue, rehab case or born on site, and the enclosures are built into the native savanna rather than cleared of it. It is the most reliable place in the country to actually see a jaguar, tapir or harpy eagle. Entrance fees and opening hours are posted at the gate, so check the current rate when you arrive rather than relying on an old blog figure.
Guanacaste National Park sits at the junction with the Hummingbird Highway just outside Belmopan. It is small, flat and easy, with short loop trails, a huge namesake guanacaste tree draped in epiphytes, and a swimming spot where Roaring Creek meets the Belize River. Half an hour here is a good leg-stretch; two hours with binoculars is better.
The Sibun River crossings and savanna pull-offs between Mile 28 and Mile 35 are unofficial but productive. Hawks perch on roadside wires, and the open ground is good for scanning at first light.
Roadside food is easy along this stretch. There are long-standing restaurants around the Mile 31 to 32 area and more options in Belmopan if you want a proper sit-down lunch.
Two detours branch off this same highway and work well as separate days. The Burrell Boom cutoff near the airport leads to the Community Baboon Sanctuary at Bermudian Landing, where villages co-manage howler monkey habitat along the Belize River. Further west at La Democracia, the Coastal Road runs south toward Gales Point Manatee and eventually Dangriga, which is a very different landscape of lagoon and mangrove.
Is the drive from the airport to Cayo difficult?
No. The George Price Highway is paved, two lanes most of the way, and generally in decent condition. It is the main artery west from Belize City to Belmopan, San Ignacio and the Guatemalan border at Benque Viejo. Allow roughly two hours airport to San Ignacio without stops, longer if you are stopping properly, and longer again if there is road work.
Things to drive for:
- Speed bumps through every village, often unpainted and arriving without much warning
- Cyclists, pedestrians and school children on the shoulder, especially at the start and end of the school day
- Roundabouts in Belmopan and on the Belize City approaches, where the local convention is to go slowly and watch everyone
- Tractors and cane or citrus trucks that move well below the limit
- No street lighting outside towns, which makes night driving genuinely harder than it looks
Fuel is available at Hattieville, Belmopan, Santa Elena and San Ignacio. Fill up before any side trip down an unpaved road. Our Belize travel information page covers licences, insurance and the general rules of the road if this is your first drive here.
Plan for the day
- Binoculars, and a bird guide or app if you care about names
- Insect repellent, which matters more in savanna than people expect
- Swimwear and a quick-dry towel for the Sibun or Guanacaste
- Cash in Belize dollars for entrance fees and roadside food
- Water, more than you think, and a hat
- A downloaded offline map, since mobile signal dips between towns
What vehicle suits this route?
The highway itself is fine in anything. The reason to take an SUV is everything that branches off it: the Monkey Bay access, the Coastal Road, and the unpaved village roads around Burrell Boom, all of which turn rough after rain and sit low enough that clearance helps.
A five-seat small SUV such as the 2016 Jeep Patriot or the 2015 Jeep Compass handles a couple or a small family with luggage comfortably. Families travelling together with gear usually prefer the extra space of a seven or eight seater, and the full list sits on our fleet page with current daily rates. Weekly rates drop, which suits anyone basing in Cayo and driving out most days.
We are a family run business on Benque Viejo Road in San Ignacio, and we deliver and collect anywhere in Belize, including the international airport. That means you can pick the vehicle up at arrivals, drive the George Price Highway at your own pace with the stops above, and hand it back wherever your trip ends.
When you know your dates, send us a reservation request and we will confirm availability and price by phone or email. No online payment, no booking fee, and a real person on the other end.
Frequently asked questions
Can you visit Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary without booking ahead?
It is better to contact the sanctuary in advance. Monkey Bay is a private protected area and field station that regularly hosts student and research groups, so day access, trails and any accommodation depend on what else is happening that week. Ask about day-use arrangements and any fee when you get in touch.
How long does it take to drive from the international airport to San Ignacio?
Roughly two hours without stops, along the George Price Highway through Hattieville, the Belize Zoo area and Belmopan. Allow extra for speed bumps through villages, slow trucks and any road work. If you plan to stop at the zoo, Guanacaste National Park and Monkey Bay, treat it as a full half day or more.
Do you need a 4x4 for the George Price Highway wildlife stops?
The highway itself is paved and any vehicle will manage it. The side roads, including access tracks and the Coastal Road turnoff at La Democracia, are unpaved and can be rough after rain, so an SUV with decent ground clearance is the more comfortable choice for a trip that includes those detours.
Can Cayo Auto Rentals deliver a vehicle to the airport for this drive?
Yes. We deliver and collect anywhere in Belize, including Philip Goldson International Airport, Belize City, Belmopan and our San Ignacio office on Benque Viejo Road. Send a reservation request with your dates and flight details and the family will confirm availability and price by phone or email.
