Booked a quick 5 1/2 day trip to Belize for the first week of November. There is some great advice on Flyertalk (as usual), especially in this thread: Belize Value Tips.

I've decided that the majority of my time will be spent lazing on Caye Caulker. However, I'd like to see some Mayan Ruins as well.

Caracol seems the most impressive, so I was thinking of doing a night in San Ignacio, seeing the ruins the next day, and then going to Caye Caulker that evening. I was thinking of perhaps doing my first night in Belize at San Ignacio, therefore, BZE to San Ignacio at around 3:30 PM on Saturday.

I have a few questions, if people know...

What options are there for buses to and from Belize City to San Ignacio? Is there a schedule I can see online?

Can you get independently from San Ignacio to Caracol, or do you need to book a tour? Can these be booked on short notice in San Ignacio?

Conversely, is it worth instead going direct to Caye Caulker and just booking a day trip to one of the sites closer to the island?

Thanks for all your assistance!
Greg