Belize's Daily Downpour: A Tropical Deluge

Belize is a bucket-list destination, with its lush rainforests, pristine waters, and vibrant cultures. This small nation in the heart of the Americas is the perfect playground for those seeking adventure and relaxation. From exploring ancient Maya cities and spotting wildlife in the jungle to diving into the Blue Hole and savouring delicious local cuisine, Belize offers a unique blend of history, outdoor thrills, and laid-back vibes. With its melting pot of cultures and contagious no worries attitude, Belize invites you to kick back, slow down, and embrace the local way of life. So, if you're planning your next vacation, consider adding Belize to your itinerary and get ready for an unforgettable journey.

Belize's Maya ruins

Belize is home to several Maya ruins, which are considered part of the southern Maya lowlands of the Mesoamerican culture area. The sites were occupied from the Preclassic period (2000 BCE–200 CE) until the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century and beyond.

Caracol

Caracol, which means 'the snail' in Spanish, is located in western Belize, near the border with Guatemala within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. It is considered the most historically important site and was the centre of one of the largest Maya kingdoms. It is the largest Maya ruin in Belize and was once home to about 120,000 people. The Caana pyramid is the tallest man-made building in Belize. The site contains the remains of thousands of structures, as well as five plazas and an astronomical observatory.

Lamanai

Lamanai is located on the New River in the Orange Walk District and is one of the oldest continuously occupied Maya sites in Belize. It is known for being the longest continually occupied site in Mesoamerica, with evidence of occupation from the Early Preclassic up until and beyond the Spanish colonisation of the area. During the Spanish conquest of Yucatán, a Roman Catholic church was established at Lamanai, but a revolt by the native Maya drove them away. The remains of the church still stand today. There are three Mayan temples in the Lamanai archaeological reserve: Mask Temple, High Temple and Temple of the Jaguar, as well as ball courts.

Xunantunich

Xunantunich was the first Maya ruin to be opened to visitors in 1950. It is located near San Ignacio and was once a prosperous city state during the Classical Maya era, with a population of 200,000 people. The site includes six plazas and remnants of over 25 palaces and temples. Visitors can take a ferry from San Jose Succotz village across the Mopan River to reach the site.

Cahal Pech

Cahal Pech is a smaller Maya site located just outside of San Ignacio in the Belize River Valley. It was originally built for the wealthy and includes several pyramids, residential buildings, and seven courtyards. The site consists of seven plazas and over 30 structures, including temples, residential buildings, ball courts, an altar, and a sweat house, all situated on just two acres.

Altun Ha

Altun Ha is the closest Maya ruin to Belize City and is easily walkable, with no steep hills. It includes two large central plazas and pyramids.

Lubaantun

Lubaantun is the largest Mayan site in southern Belize and is notable for being built without mortar. It includes 11 limestone pyramids, five plazas, and three ball courts.

Nim Li Punit

Nim Li Punit is a smaller Mayan site often combined with visits to Lubaantun. It is known for its large stone columns (stelae) intricately carved with Maya hieroglyphs and pictures.

Wildlife spotting

Belize is a haven for wildlife spotting, with its sparse human population, low-key human impact, and admirable conservation agenda. The country is home to a diverse array of wildlife, from majestic whale sharks and emerald-hued iguanas to the elusive jaguar. Here are some of the top spots for wildlife spotting in Belize:

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

Belize's first government-designated wildlife reserve is a vast wetland area with thrilling birdlife. The Jabiru Stork, with its impressive wingspan of up to 12 feet, is the most famous resident. The sanctuary spans 16,400 acres and includes lagoons, swamps, and marshes. It is home to crocodiles, iguanas, turtles, coatis, and the jabiru stork. The dry season, from November to May, is the peak time to spot some amazing birds, but you are likely to see 20 to 40 different species on any given day.

Gladden Spit Marine Reserve

During the season of March to June, divers head to Gladden Spit, located 30 miles east of Placencia, in hopes of catching a glimpse of the rare whale shark. These massive creatures can grow up to 60 feet in length and weigh 50,000 pounds. The reserve is also known for its spectacular underwater life, with huge schools of spawning fish.

Red Bank Village

During the months of November to March, the modest Maya Village of Red Bank comes alive with the presence of the rare and raucous Scarlet Macaw. These birds are a kaleidoscope of colour, with electric crimson plumage contrasted by yellow and blue tail feathers.

Shark Ray Alley

For an encounter with nurse sharks and southern stingrays, head to Shark Ray Alley in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Located just off the southern tip of Ambergris Caye, this spot offers the chance to don a mask and snorkel and get up close with these inquisitive predators.

Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary

This wildlife sanctuary, located a few miles off the coast of Belize City, is dedicated to the protection of manatees. These gentle giants graze on meadows of seagrass in the shallow waters of Swallow Caye. While it is illegal to interfere with manatees, you can observe them frolicking and playfully surfacing for air.

Rio Bravo Conservation Area

The Rio Bravo Conservation Area is a huge protected area encompassing 100,000 hectares of tropical rainforest. It is home to Belize's elusive wildcats, including the jaguar, puma, and margay. You are also guaranteed to spot deer and iridescent ocellated turkeys.

Community Baboon Sanctuary

This sanctuary, located in the village of Bermudian Landing, is home to thousands of howler monkeys. Spanning over 20 miles, the sanctuary includes over 200 private landowners in seven villages who have pledged to conserve their land for the protection of the Black Howler Monkey habitat.

San Ignacio Resort Hotel

The Green Iguana Conservation Project at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel offers an interactive and on-site experience with green iguanas. Visitors can mingle with and feed these timid lizards before their release into the wild.

Half Moon Caye Natural Monument

Half Moon Caye is home to the rare white-phase Red-footed Booby bird. Visitors can admire the stark white body and candy-red webbed feet of these birds as they nest in the thicket of orange-flowered Ziricote trees.

Cockscomb Basin Jaguar Preserve

The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is the only known jaguar preserve in the world. It is easily accessible off the Southern Highway in the Stann Creek district. While jaguars are elusive, your best chance to spot one is by going on an evening guided tour. The preserve is also home to other exotic animals, including pumas, ocelots, and tapirs.

Diving and snorkelling

Belize is known for its world-class diving and snorkelling sites along hundreds of cayes, atolls, and a 185-mile barrier reef – the second-largest in the world after Australia's. The country's diving and snorkelling spots are easily accessible and welcome enthusiasts of all experience levels.

Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley

Located in northern Belize, these are perhaps the country's most popular diving and snorkelling spots. Hol Chan opens to deeper waters beyond the reef, so divers and snorkelers will encounter an abundance of vibrant fish, nurse sharks, rays, turtles, and the occasional dolphin. The eponymous sharks and rays are the site's biggest draw, and you can even stroke the nurse sharks as they swim by (without touching the corals). Night dives offer a different experience, revealing bioluminescence and glowing green moray eels and parrotfish.

Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is the more relaxed cousin of tourist hotspot Ambergris. It offers solid snorkelling and diving sites like Coral Gardens, which are a short boat ride away. You can also visit a manatee habitat, although swimming with these gentle mammals is prohibited. This popular day trip typically includes snorkelling stops like Goff's Caye and a visit to the waist-deep waters and wildlife at Shark Ray Village, where you might even spot delicate seahorses entwined in the mangroves.

Turneffe Atoll

Turneffe is the largest of Belize's three major offshore atoll reefs and is home to perhaps the country's most diverse sea life. More than 200 nearby mangrove islands host species like the endemic whitespotted toadfish, reef sharks, morays, turtles, dolphins, rays, and jewfish. Even mantas and pelagic fish like tuna and sailfish make occasional appearances. Most Turneffe dive sites are at the atoll's southern end. Elbow, for instance, is known for its large fish, including giant groupers, mackerels, sharks, and barracuda, which swim against a backdrop of soft corals. Sayonara, a 1985 passenger boat wreck, is now adorned with starfish and clams and offers an easy dive for beginners.

Lighthouse Reef Atoll

Lighthouse Reef Atoll is home to dozens of Belize's best dive sites, including Lighthouse Reef itself, which is a popular day trip for divers and snorkelers. Other sites in the area include Aquarium, Silver Caves, and Tres Cocos. Eagle Ray Wall features a shallow, colourful reef great for snorkelers, while divers can descend along the wall to capture excellent photos of eagle rays.

Blue Hole

The Blue Hole is a perfectly circular limestone sinkhole measuring 400 feet. Studied by Jacques Cousteau, it is known more for its geological formations than for fish-spotting, though hammerheads and other shark species do visit. The Blue Hole is not for beginners, and even experienced divers can only briefly descend to a depth of 135 feet.

Glover's Reef Atoll

Belize's southern reefs, including Glover's Reef Atoll, are less frequented by northern dive operators, so crowds are fewer and biology more diverse, especially coral growths. Long Caye Wall, with its sheer drop of over 2,000 feet, is considered world-class snorkelling. Octopus Alley's invertebrates and crustaceans make for excellent night dives. At Pinnacles, you'll find 20- to 30-foot-tall coral towers, the only ones in Belize according to Toby Truelove, a divemaster with Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort in Dangriga.

Gladden Spit

Visit Gladden Spit between March and June to dive with whale sharks. These harmless creatures are the largest species of fish and love feeding in the Southern Belize waters east of Placencia. While not guaranteed, a whale shark sighting is probable for divers, and even snorkelers can enjoy seeing them as they feed near the surface.

Belizean food

Belizean cuisine is a melting pot of diverse cultures, ethnicities and histories, resulting in a wide spectrum of flavours. From hearty breakfasts to tasty snacks and sumptuous dinners, Belizean food is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters.

Breakfast

Belizeans often start their day with homemade bread, tortillas, or fry jacks, accompanied by various cheeses, refried beans, eggs, and tea or coffee. Fry jacks are deep-fried flour dough pieces that can be shaped like circles or triangles and are known for creating a smile in your tummy! They can be paired with refried beans, sausage, bacon, and eggs, or drizzled with honey or syrup.

Lunch and Dinner

When it comes to midday and evening meals, Belizeans enjoy a variety of dishes, including rice and beans, stew chicken, and seafood. Rice and beans, often considered the national dish, is a simple yet delicious combination of rice, red kidney beans, and coconut milk. It is usually served with stew chicken, ripe plantains, and salad, creating a true taste of Belize.

Belizeans also enjoy curries, soups, and vegetable dishes. One popular soup is chimole, also known as "black dinner," which draws on Mexican and Maya culture. It is a delicious chunky stew made with chicken, local spices, and achiote paste.

Seafood plays a significant role in Belizean cuisine, with fresh-caught seafood being a key ingredient in many dishes. Ceviche, for example, features conch, fish, or lobster marinated in lime juice, onions, garlic, and habanero peppers. It is the ultimate Belizean appetizer, perfect for a hot day.

Another popular dish is salbutes, tiny fried corn tortillas topped with cabbage, chicken, avocado, and locally-made hot sauce. Similar to salbutes are garnaches, where the tortillas are fried until crunchy and then topped with beans, cheese, and onions.

Belizean tamales, inherited from the Ancient Maya people, are also a traditional dish. They are made of corn dough filled with seasoned meat, steamed or boiled in plantain or banana leaves.

Snacks and Desserts

Belizeans also have a variety of tasty snacks and desserts. Panades, for example, are deep-fried corn tortillas folded in half with a smoked fish filling, beans, chicken, or cheese. They are topped with 'Cortido', a sauce made from white vinegar, onions, salt, and habaneros.

For those with a sweet tooth, Belize offers a range of desserts, including coconut pie, tarts, and trifle, often made with coconut milk and grated coconut meat.

Cultural Influences

Belizean cuisine is heavily influenced by the various cultures and ethnicities that make up the nation, including Mayan, Garifuna, Kriol, and Mestizo traditions. The Maya, for example, use recado, corn, and maize in many of their dishes, while the Garifuna favour seafood, cassava, and vegetables. The Kriols have a relatively balanced diet, with the bile up (or boil up) considered their cultural dish, combining boiled eggs, fish or pig tail, and various ground foods such as cassava, green plantains, and sweet potatoes.

Belize's culture and languages

Belize is a melting pot of diverse personalities and cultures, with a population of over 400,000 people. The country's culture is heavily influenced by its history, which includes inhabitation by the Maya for centuries, colonisation by English buccaneers, and its role as a refuge for escaped enslaved Africans.

The official language of Belize is English, making it the only English-speaking country in Central America. However, Belizeans also speak the Kriol language, and many are multilingual, speaking Spanish, Garifuna, Maya-Kekchi, Mopan, Mandarin, German, and Mayan languages. The country's diverse languages reflect its varied population, which includes Maya, Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, East Indian, Mennonite, Arab, and Chinese people, as well as expatriates from Canada, Europe, and the United States.

Belize's food is equally diverse, with influences from its history and cultural mix. A staple of Belizean cuisine is rice and beans, often served with meaty additions. Other dishes include stewed chicken, Chimole (or the "black dinner"), and Salbutes (tiny fried corn tortillas with various fresh toppings). Belize is also known for its seafood, with ceviche being a popular dish, and its national cocktail, Rum Punch.

Belize is a peaceful country with a laid-back atmosphere, inviting visitors to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of its beaches, jungles, and underwater world. With a mix of cultures and a rich history, Belize offers a unique and intimate connection to a variety of extraordinary experiences.

Frequently asked questions