We truly enjoyed our stay at Casa Santa Maria. Iris did an amazing job of keeping us fed and was a pleasure to talk with. We learned a lot about her life and family in Belize as well as things to do in and around Benque Viejo. We took in the Xunantunich Ruins and Chechem Ha Cave. Both are a must do while in the area. Do follow Jim's advise and rent a 4-wheel drive vehicle from Crystal Auto Rentals. You really do need it. The road from Benque had not been scraped in a while and it took a full 40min to get from the house into town so allow for time in your plans. The canoes and time on the river and exploring the waterfall and rapids (south down the river on the left hand side, look for the beach area) were a nice quiet break. Take a life jacket to the falls as well if you aren't a strong swimmer.