Local market days are great opportunities to experience Belizean life and color, and this is certainly true for Cayo where every Saturday the market area comes alive with its own multicultural blend of colors, sounds, flavors and foodstuffs. This is the day when farmers and almost everyone comes into San Ignacio town to buy, sell, trade, gossip and generally catch up. If you want to experience real Western Belize life, this is the place, and what a pleasant, heady experience it is.
In addition to local market staples such as fruits and vegetables, there are also dried fruits, homemade cereals and condiments, Maya herbal remedies, arts and crafts, clothing and tropical plants to be found. A number of local restaurants, bars and shops are all nearby, so this is the perfect opportunity to shop for a variety of things while absorbing the local color and discovering for yourself the easy-going friendly warmth of Belizeans.
Vendors from nearby and remote communities contribute to the melodic mix of Maya, Creole, English and Spanish while Mennonite farmers can be heard conversing in German.
A local musician playing the flute to entertain market day goers. He does this for free; be nice and leave him some change!
Natural Fruit Juices are found all over the market! On a hot sunny day, a Dragon Fruit Juice seen here drops heavenly! You can also find tambran, horchata, soursop, and sorrel juice just to name a few.
If you like organic produce, you will love San Ignacio’s Market Day! While some produce are imported, a lot of them are grown in the surrounding towns & villages. Colorful, fresh & tasty – guaranteed!
You cannot attend Market Day in San Ignacio and not eat PUPUSAS; It is a heavenly delight for many market goers. Pupusa is a traditional Salvadoran dish made of thick corn tortilla that is usually filled with cheese, cooked pork meat (called chicharon), beans or a mix of all. Do not miss this!
Not to mention – have your camera handy to get awesome shots of classic Belizean faces.
Looking for gifts or accessories to take back home with you? Market Day in San Ignacio is short of none! There are cool handmade chains, bracelets, anklets & more!
We all know what it’s like to be walking around on a hot summer day without rehydrating. What better way than to do so with fresh, cold Coconut Water! Besides being refreshing, it holds a lot of nutritional benefits for our bodies!
There are over a hundred stalls you can buy from. You can find fruits, veggies, electronics, clothing, meats, food, gardening, hardware, & much more on Market Day in San Ignacio!
Other than having organic produce – market day in San Ignacio is also home to many exotic fruits you need to try. Guava, Starfruit, Caymito, Pitaya & more!
All in all, the San Ignacio Farmers' Market is where you want to be on a Saturday morning if you wish to witness the harmonious intermingling of Belize's multiple cultures validating why Belize is knows as a "melting pot of cultures".
Chaa Creek blog
Saturday Farmers market in San Ignacio Belize
People, Market and Love
The San Ignacio market is a must for everyone who lives in Belize and for those who visit us. Its situated literally in down town San Ignacio, left of centre of town and right next to the Macal river which was a cornerstone of the transportation and communication industries of western Belize.
This market is incredible. Its small and there are stalls that are open every day serving fresh fruit and vegetables. Then something incredible happens starting Friday afternoon. More and more tents start going up, meaning more and more opportunities to get you something that perhaps would not be there between Snday and Friday morning. Certainly, to know what ‘that’ is you must go to market. We suggest Saturday morning.
The San Ignacio market is a place of culture. A place where one can see the interesting multi ethnicity of the country of Belize. One can see the differences in the faces of the people or, in the multitude of different food that are being prepared and the languages and accents attached to the different languages.
At the end of the day, the market is a place to get your produce fresh. Belizeans support their market. This is a great place to come closest to the western culture and at the same time pick up your fruits and vegetables for the next few days. One very popular thing for visitors to San Ignacio, who travel to the islands, is to stop at the market and pick up the fresh produce they may not be able to get fresh (enough) on an island or next destination.
The San Ignacio market on Saturdays specifically, turns into a fresh fruit and produce centre and flea market! Anything and everything can be found there on a Saturday. From used clothes and new clothes; shoes, old tools, puppies, chickens, plastics and hand craft.
Its an interesting place to buy gifts and that ‘one thing’ you never thought you would need. Its amazing that now you can also get your heat “cured” plantain leaves where your delicious tamales will be wrapped for cooking.
Don’t forget to go to the San Ignacio market when you are in western Belize. If nothing else, its a great pace to begin your immersion into the multi ethnic world of Belize and the place where you can first test your palate. We think you will get both and perhaps even go back for more!
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