Belize: Americans' Tropical Vacation Paradise

Belize is a small Central American country known for its diverse natural beauty, from its turquoise and coral reefs to its lush rainforests dotted with ancient Maya temples. It is a popular vacation destination for Americans, offering a unique blend of history, culture, and natural wonders.

Belize has something for every type of traveller. Its largest island, Ambergris Caye, attracts the most visitors with its vibrant beachfront and lively nightlife. For those seeking a more relaxed island vacation, the tiny island of Caye Caulker offers a hip, low-key Caribbean vibe and easy access to the nearby reef. Inland, San Ignacio is a hub for eco-tourists, with its incredible rainforest adventures and cultural attractions.

Belize is also known for its delicious food, friendly locals, and laid-back atmosphere. It is a great choice for Americans looking for a tropical paradise with the convenience of using US dollars and English as the official language.

Belize's beaches

Secret Beach, Ambergris Caye

San Pedro on Ambergris Caye is Belize's top tourism destination, and Secret Beach, a formerly local spot, has been developed into a popular and accessible beach destination. The beach is calm, clear, and shallow, making it great for snorkelling and other water activities. It can be a little rocky, and stingrays hide in the seagrass, so it's best to bring waterproof footwear.

Placencia Beach

Placencia Beach is the longest stretch of beach in mainland Belize, dubbed "barefoot perfect". It stretches across three villages: Maya Beach, Seine Bight, and Placencia Village. Placencia Village has a tourist strip with bars and restaurants along its golden sandy coastline, while Seine Bight and Maya Beach offer quieter, fine, white sand beaches. Placencia also boasts top-notch food, accommodations, and nightlife, as well as a decent mix of travellers and locals.

Turneffe Atoll Resort

Belize is home to three of the four atolls in the Caribbean Sea, and Turneffe Atoll offers some of the best beaches among them. The resort is a top destination for fishing enthusiasts and adventurous divers, with a long stretch of beach on the east side of the island. The beach is great for swimming, and there are lounge chairs and hammocks for guests to use. Plus, there's a bar on the beach!

Hopkins Village Beach

Hopkins Village Beach is located in the eastern Garífuna village of Hopkins, a 40-minute drive south of the town of Dangriga. This uninterrupted, quiet 5-mile beach is lined with coconut trees, colourful guesthouses, and local eateries. The water is clear and refreshing, though not as crystal clear as the barrier reef. Visitors can experience Garífuna culture, try local dishes like hudut, and take drumming lessons.

The Split, Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is a backpacker's favourite, with the motto "go slow". The island is split in two by a channel called The Split, which offers free access to the water for swimming and snorkelling. The Lazy Lizard bar and restaurant always have reggae music playing, creating a fun and relaxed atmosphere. The beach has a cement barrier to prevent erosion, and access to the water is easy. The ocean drop-off is gradual, making it perfect for activities like snorkelling and floating on inner tubes.

Big Rock Falls, Cayo

Not all of Belize's swimming destinations are coastal. Big Rock Falls, deep in the Cayo District, is a popular spot with a huge waterfall surrounded by giant boulders. It can be reached by car, horseback, or tour, but getting there requires a steep descent down a rickety set of stairs. It's rarely crowded, making it one of the most photogenic beaches in Belize.

Belize's Mayan sites

Belize is a popular vacation destination for Americans, with its beaches, nightlife, snorkelling and scuba diving, rich history, diverse culture, and incredible food. It is also home to a plethora of Mayan sites, with over 600 Mayan temples across the country, making it the highest concentration of Mayan temples in Central America.

Caracol

Caracol is located in the Cayo District, within the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, and is Belize's largest Mayan site. Once home to over 140,000 people, the site covers 25,000 acres and includes the tallest man-made structure in Belize, the Canna ("Sky Palace"), which rises 143 feet into the air. The site also includes ball courts, an astronomic observatory, altars, reservoirs, and hieroglyphics.

Lamanai

Lamanai is located in Orange Walk and is one of the largest Mayan sites in Belize. To get there, visitors take a scenic boat ride where they can spot exotic wildlife. The site includes a range of beautifully preserved Mayan ceremonial buildings, including the High Temple, the Jaguar Temple, and the Mask Temple. Lamanai also has the remnants of two Spanish churches that date back to the 1500s, as well as an old sugar mill from the 1860s.

Xunantunich

Xunantunich is located near San Ignacio and is surrounded by lush jungle. To get to the site, visitors must cross the Mopan River via a hand-cranked ferry. The main temple, El Castillo, rises over 40 meters above the ground and offers spectacular views of the surrounding villages and Guatemala. Xunantunich is believed to be one of the oldest Mayan sites, with some experts estimating that people lived there as far back as 3,000 years ago.

Cahal Pech

Cahal Pech is located in San Ignacio and is surrounded by thick jungle foliage. The site was first settled around 1200-1000 BC and includes the remnants of a royal palace. Cahal Pech is a great example of the ancient civilization's complex residential architecture, with two ball courts and around 34 structures linked by a series of interconnected plazas.

Altun Ha

Altun Ha is located near Belize City and is one of Belize's most visited sites, often frequented by cruise passengers. It is a major ceremonial centre during the Classic Period and is home to the largest Maya-carved jade object discovered, the Jade Head. Altun Ha is also a great spot for birdwatching, with over 200 species of birds.

Lubaantun

Lubaantun is located near the Mayan village of San Pedro Columbia Village in Toledo. It is unique in that it is constructed of cut stones laid and fitted without mortar. Lubaantun is also known for the famous Crystal Skull, which was allegedly found there in 1926.

Cerros

Cerros is the only Mayan site in Belize located along the coast. Several of the structures at Cerros have been submerged due to rising sea levels, but there are still some fascinating remains, including a 72-foot-tall funerary building. Cerros also has an extensive canal system and stucco-facade buildings.

Nim Li Punit

Nim Li Punit is a small Mayan ruin located near the village of Indian Creek in the Toledo District. It is known for its large number of stelae, or stone slabs, with carvings that offer clues about the social lives and politics of the ancient Maya community. The site also includes a ball court, several palaces, and a long terrace.

Belize's food and drink

Breakfast

Eggs are a common breakfast item in Belize, often served scrambled with diced tomatoes. Beans are also a staple, and breakfast is typically served with either tortillas, johnnycakes, or fry-jacks.

Lunch and Dinner

Rice and beans is the national staple in Belize, and it's usually served with grilled fish or meat. The rice and beans are sometimes cooked together in coconut milk with mild spices, or the beans may be cooked separately in a spiced stew and served on top of the rice.

Chicken is the most common meat, often found in stews or burritos. However, seafood is a highlight, given the country's Caribbean coastline. Look out for grouper, red snapper, shrimp, and conch, best enjoyed grilled on a beach barbecue.

Lobster is a delicacy in Belize, with a season running from mid-June to mid-February. Lobster festivals are held in San Pedro, Caye Caulker, and Placencia to celebrate the start of the season.

Belize also has a variety of multicultural dishes. In the south, you'll find Maya staples such as caldo (a spicy meat and root vegetable stew), cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork flavoured with recado), and ixpa'cha (fish steamed inside a leaf), typically served with fresh tortillas.

In Garifuna regions, a must-try dish is hudut, a fish stew or whole fish preparation served in a coconut milk broth with mashed ripe and green plantains.

Drinks

Belize has a variety of unique drinks to offer. Fruit juices are widely available, with popular options including watermelon, papaya, mango, and lime.

For something stronger, Belikin is the national beer of Belize, with several varieties such as lager, stout, and premium. Rum is also a popular choice, with the country's oldest distillery, Travellers Liquors in Belize City, producing the well-known Travellers One Barrel since the 1950s.

For something truly unique, try a seaweed shake, made with dried seaweed, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ice, sometimes with a kick of rum or brandy.

Where to Eat

Belize has a range of dining options, from casual eateries to upscale restaurants. Ambergris Caye, the top destination for visitors, is known for its vibrant town of San Pedro, where you can find some of the country's best restaurants, along with excellent nightlife and shopping.

San Ignacio, a town on Belize's western border, also offers a variety of dining options, including wood-fired pizza at Guava Limb Cafe and breakfast fry jacks at Pop's Restaurant.

Caye Caulker, a small island off the coast of Belize, is another great option for foodies, with spots like Pasta per Caso, an Italian-owned restaurant with handmade pasta.

When to Visit

If you're planning your trip around the lobster season, keep in mind that it runs from mid-June to mid-February. This period overlaps with the rainy season, which offers the advantage of lower prices, abundant wildlife, and flowers in bloom. However, rain tends to be heaviest in southern Belize and the jungle areas.

Belize's islands and atolls

Belize is home to hundreds of islands and atolls, known locally as cayes. The largest of these is Ambergris Caye, which is 40 kilometres long and nearly two kilometres wide. Ambergris Caye is a symphony of white sandy beaches, mangrove swamps, and prehistoric rock that rises from the ocean floor. The island is home to a wide variety of tropical plants and is a popular destination for tourists looking to enjoy the beach and explore the nearby Hol Chan Marine Reserve. San Pedro, the main town on Ambergris Caye, is known for its laid-back atmosphere, stunning views, and lively bars and restaurants.

Another popular destination is Caye Caulker, a small coral island located off the coast of Belize. Caye Caulker is less commercialised and urbanised than Ambergris Caye and offers a more affordable tropical island experience. The island is known for its relaxed atmosphere and is a haven for scuba divers, snorkelers, and sun-seekers.

For those interested in birdwatching, Half Moon Caye National Monument is Belize's oldest protected wildlife site. The island is home to a large number of boobies and is designated as a United Nations World Heritage Site.

Turneffe Islands Atoll is the country's biggest atoll, spanning 30 miles long and 10 miles wide. The atoll is known for its "wall diving" spots and shallow water sea gardens, making it a prime spot for world-class snorkelling, diving, and fishing.

Glover's Reef Atoll, named after the infamous English pirate John Glover, is a popular destination for boaters, campers, kayakers, and biological research teams. The large lagoon harbour is home to more than 750 different colonies of coral, and the area beyond the atoll features deep drop-offs filled with hundreds of shipwrecks.

Belize's safety

Belize is known for its biodiversity, with beaches, mangrove swamps, rainforests, and mountains. It is also home to the longest cave system in Central America. The country has a unique history as the only country in Central America that was colonized by the British, making English the official language.

Belize is a relatively safe place for tourists, but there are some areas that should be avoided. The U.S. State Department, for example, has issued a Level 3 advisory for Belize City, recommending that U.S. citizens avoid the area due to violent crime and gang-related activity. Southside Belize City, in particular, has been associated with gang and drug-related violence, including murders and shootings. The Government of Canada has also advised against non-essential travel to this area.

Violent crime, such as sexual assault, home invasions, armed robberies, and murder, is common in Belize, even during daylight hours and in tourist areas. A significant portion of this crime is gang-related. Local police often lack the resources and training to respond effectively to serious criminal incidents, and most crimes remain unresolved and unprosecuted.

Despite this, tourists are not usually targeted, but it is advised to remain vigilant and take precautions. Here are some safety tips when visiting Belize:

• Be aware of your surroundings and avoid walking or driving at night.
• Do not physically resist any robbery attempts and do not display signs of wealth, such as expensive watches or jewelry.
• Be extra vigilant when visiting banks or ATMs, and avoid carrying large amounts of cash.
• Use ATMs located in well-lit public areas or inside a bank or business.
• Avoid isolated areas, and try to stay in well-lit, populated areas.
• Keep your belongings secure at all times, especially your passport and other travel documents.
• Use only registered taxis with green license plates, and avoid public buses and unregistered taxis.
• If you plan to drive, familiarize yourself with the route, and avoid driving at night, especially on rural roads.
• Stay informed about the latest regional weather forecasts and be prepared for extreme weather events such as hurricanes and heavy rainfall, which can cause flooding.
• Avoid swimming alone or outside marked areas, as coastal waters can be dangerous due to riptides.
• If you intend to participate in outdoor activities such as snorkelling, diving, or hiking, obtain detailed information about the activity and the environment beforehand, and ensure you are physically prepared.
• Buy travel insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuation and hospital stays, as medical facilities in Belize may be underequipped and lack adequately trained professionals.

Frequently asked questions