
Although most people don’t know it, the official name of the old hand-cranked ferry on the way to Spanish Lookout is the Baking Pot Ferry. It was built by the Mennonites to connect Spanish Lookout to the Cayo side of the river, and was once the only access route.

To get to the ferry, you go east out of Santa Elena on the Western Highway about 6 miles, watching for a gravel road on the left with a hand-made sign which directs you to the ferry about a mile and a half to the north.
The road goes past a pig farm, then through some rolling pastures with herds of big white brahmas with their cattle egret buddies. About midway, there is an ancient tree, whose crown must be 100’ across. You could fit 15 of those brahmas nose to tail from side to side under the canopy. It’s magnificent.

During the rainy season, the Spanish Lookout ferry is closed due to high water, but unless the Mopan River rises enough to cover the Iguana Creek Bridge, you can continue east along the Western Highway for six miles to the roundabout and take the exit to Spanish Lookout.

When the river REALLY rises, you can only get to Spanish Lookout through Bullet Tree Falls, which is north and west of San Ignacio, and it’s a long, arduous trip on a rough road. In 2020, even that route was closed when the countryside flooded and water covered the road.

In normal times, the Macal River is about 150’ wide where the ferry crosses, and it takes about 8-10 minutes for the man cranking the wheel to make the crossing. (If you ask, he might let you crank. I cranked three cars across the Mopan all by myself in 2015.) Only three cars can fit on the ferry, cramped in nose to tail, so if your car is the fourth car to pull up in line, you’ll have to wait for the ferry to take the next three cars, then return for you. If you are one of the first three cars, you may get to Spanish Lookout, about 6 miles further down the gravel road, before someone taking the highway route. You can’t know ahead of time if anyone else will be ahead of you in line, but the ferry’s a lot more fun than the road around. On top of that, it’s free!
waiting in line boarding the ferry midstream

Passengers are supposed to walk onto the ferry while the driver of the car drives it into position. Once on, there’s plenty of time to lean on the railing and admire the little fish which apparently accompany the ferry back and forth all day long, enjoy the river flowing past, or watch the ferryman turn the crank. Just be back in the car and ready to roll when the ferry touches the far bank. Returning after your visit to Spanish Lookout, it’s the same thing in reverse.


A hand-cranked ferry also crosses the Mopan River to take you to Xunantunich, right across from Succotz between Benque and San Ignacio. And there is apparently another one near the Mexican border at Chetumal.
NOTE: If you have a low-slung car, there is a steep hill going down to the ferry slip on the San Ignacio side and your bumper could hang up on it. Just sayin.’