History

El Cayo and Santa Elena were established in the mid 1860s as a baccadier or logging camp.

Before 1949 the only access to the two towns was by boat up the Belize River or in the later years by plane. There was an airfield where the Macal River Park is now located.

In 1881 the Western District (now Cayo) was formed and El Cayo was made the capital.^[1]

In the 1930s the construction of the Cayo Road was initiated, and by the 1940s the road had reached the twin villages. In 1949 the Hawkesworth Bridge was constructed, joining the two villages together. Thereafter the river traffic dried up and goods were hauled over the road from Belize City. In the 1980s the Western Highway was paved.

On July 16, 2021 the new Santa Cruz Government Preschool was inaugurated.^[2]

On March 19, 1963 these roads were declared to be MAJOR ROADS: Massiah Street: from its junction with the Benque Viejo Road to its junction with Hudson and Eve Streets, Hudson Street: from its junction with Massiah Street and Eve Street to its junction with Burns Avenue and Waight Street, Waight Street: from its junction with Burns Avenue to its junction with Church Street, Burns Avenue: from its junction with King Street to its junction with West Street, George Street: the whole length falling within the suburb of Santa Elena. At the same time these streets were deemed to be one-way streets with no waiting areas: King Street: from its junction with Burns Avenue to its junction with Wyatt Street, running East. King Street: from its junction with Burns Avenue to the western end of Columbus Park, running west. Burns Avenue: from Hawkesworth Bridge to its junction with King Street running North. Rectory Lane: from its junction with West Street to its junction with Burns Avenue, running east. George Street: from its junction with Waight Street to its junction with West Street was declared a quiet zone.

1978 - S.I. No. 47 Town boundaries defined.^[3]

1981, October 20 - New town boundaries defined with a total area of 33.64 sq. km.^[3]

2025, April 1 - all cities and towns in Belize had their boundaries updated. Santa Elena Town gave up some land to Cristo Rey on the east side of the Macal River and some borders in the Hillview area were slightly redefined. Meanwhile San Ignacio Town gave up land to Bullet Tree Falls and gained some land on the south west along the George Price Highway. In total the area was reduced by 2.3 sq km to 31.34 sq km.

Etymology

Father Andrew Bavastro S. J., a Catholic priest, named the area San Ignacio in 1870. But in 1881 the Cayo District was established and the village was gradually renamed to El Cayo. In the past a creek ran between the Macal River and Mopan River one mile west of San Ignacio Town. This creek fulfilled the definition of an island (cayo in spanish).^[4]

On October 19, 1904 El Cayo was officially declared a town as El Cayo Town.^[4]

El Cayo was renamed in 1960 to The Twin Towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena by the new mayor Hector Silva.^[5]