Cayo District

The Cayo District is the largest district in Belize and continues being a leading destination for birding as several rare or high target species are found here that are very difficult to find elsewhere. It borders Guatemala to the west. The nation’s largest protected areas lie south and east of this district. Although a multitude of forest variants are found within the district, for this report, they will be summarized into 5 broad ecosystems. These are:

Lowland Pine/Oak Savannah
Submontane Broadleaf Forest
Submontane Pine Forest
Agricultural Lands
Freshwater Lakes

The larger urban settlements in the Cayo District are:

Belmopan
San Ignacio
Benque Viejo del Carmen
Spanish Lookout
Valley of Peace

Top 10 Birding Destinations in Cayo District

Caracol & Chiquibul
St. Herman’s Blue Hole Nat Park
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
Green Hills and Mountain Equestrian Trails
Belize Botanic Gardens
Spanish Lookout and Aguacate Lagoon
Che Chem Ha & Vaca Forest
Xunantunich Archeological Reserve
Chalillo Lake
Eligio Panti National Park

Cayo District Hotel/Lodge List
Establishment

Black Rock Lodge
Hidden Valley Inn
San Ignacio Hotel
Cave’s Branch Adventure Lodge
Pook’s Hill Lodge
Mountain Equestrian Trails

A total of 467 bird species have been reported for the entire district from all the above habitats and locations. The top District specialties include: