The Caribbean's Best-Kept Secret: Cruise Lines Unveiling Belize's Beauty

Belize is a popular cruise destination, often included as a port of call on Western Caribbean itineraries. The country is known for its diverse ecosystems, including the second-largest barrier reef in the world, rainforest jungles, and Mayan archaeological sites. Belize City, the largest urban centre in the country, is a common stop for cruise lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Princess, and Celebrity Cruises.

The Belize City cruise port terminal is located at the Fort Street Tourism Village, where passengers can find shops, restaurants, and bars. The village is a short walk from downtown Belize City, which features landmarks such as the Baron Bliss Lighthouse, St. John's Cathedral, and the Museum of Belize. Beyond the city, there are numerous natural and historical attractions, including Mayan ruins, wildlife sanctuaries, and the Great Blue Hole.

Cruise lines that stop in Belize

Belize is a popular cruise destination, often included as a port of call on Western Caribbean itineraries. The country offers a unique combination of ecosystems, from the second-largest barrier reef in the world to rainforest jungles, as well as Mayan archaeological sites. Here are some of the cruise lines that stop in Belize:

Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean International offers several cruise options that include a stop in Belize City, Belize. Their cruises typically include shore excursions and activities such as exploring ancient Maya ruins, river tubing in underground caves, and snorkelling or scuba diving at the Belize Barrier Reef.

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises provides passengers with the opportunity to explore the natural and cultural wonders of Belize. Their cruises offer shore excursions to ancient Mayan sites like Xunantunich and Altun Ha, as well as adventures such as cave tubing and snorkelling at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Celebrity Cruises also highlights the diverse cuisine of Belize, which blends Caribbean, Mexican, Spanish, African, and Mayan influences.

Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises is another popular cruise line that includes Belize as a port of call. They offer a range of shore excursions, including visits to Mayan ruins, snorkelling and scuba diving at the Belize Barrier Reef, and exploring the natural and cultural attractions of Belize City.

Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line is mentioned as one of the major cruise lines that visit Belize. They offer a variety of shore excursions, including archaeological tours of Mayan ruins, river tubing in underground caves, and snorkelling or scuba diving experiences.

Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises is an upper-premium cruise line that includes Belize City as a port of call on some of its itineraries. They organise shore excursions to Mayan ruins, river tubing, and exploring the natural and cultural attractions of Belize.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line is also listed as one of the major cruise lines that visit Belize. They likely offer similar shore excursions and activities to those mentioned above, allowing passengers to explore the natural and cultural highlights of the country.

Attractions in Belize City

Belize City is the country's largest urban centre, with a population of around 110,000. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea coast, in the eponymous district. While the city itself does not offer much in the way of attractions, there are several notable sites within a short distance.

Attractions within walking distance of the cruise terminal

Within walking distance of the cruise terminal are the Museum of Belize and St John Cathedral. The Museum of Belize houses small exhibits of ancient Maya relics, old stamp collections, and vintage photos. The Holy Redeemer Cathedral and Baron Bliss Lighthouse & Gravesite are also within walking distance.

Attractions accessible by water taxi or ferry

Belize City is a great jumping-off point for tours and excursions to its many natural and historical attractions. The Mesoamerican Reef is the second-largest reef in the world and a stunning place for cruise passengers to snorkel, scuba dive, or fish. There are also guided encounters with sharks, rays, and sea turtles.

The islands of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker are accessible by water taxi or ferry from the Marine Terminal. Ambergris Caye is the largest of Belize's 400-plus cayes and a hot spot for tourists. It offers easy access to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, which is one of seven reserves within the Belize Barrier Reef system. Caye Caulker is a remote island offering superb diving and snorkelling spots and a relaxed tropical ambiance.

Attractions accessible by shore excursion

Several important Mayan sites on the mainland, such as Altun Ha, Xunantunich, and Lamanai, make for excellent day trips and are included on shore excursions by most cruise ships. Belize has the highest concentration of Mayan sites of all the countries in Central America.

The Belize Zoo is another popular attraction, housing over 45 native species, most of which are rescue animals.

Other attractions

Other attractions in Belize include the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve, the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary & Jaguar Preserve, and the Belize Botanic Gardens.

For those seeking adventure, there are plenty of outdoor activities to choose from, such as horseback riding, riverboat and airboat tours, hiking, trekking, biking, buggy, and jeep tours, and ziplining. Cave tubing and cave kayaking are two unique and thrilling pursuits.

Belize also offers a variety of local cuisine and drinks, including regional specialties like chicken stew, bile up, hudut, and conch fritters. Fresh fruit is also abundant, with passion fruit, starfruit, jackfruit, dragon fruit, guava, papaya, mango, and pineapple available.

Outdoor activities in Belize

Belize is a haven for outdoor activities, from watersports to exploring the country's Mayan history. Here are some of the best outdoor activities to do in Belize:

Watersports

Belize is known for its incredible watersports, including snorkelling, diving, windsurfing, kayaking and sailing. The Mesoamerican Reef is the second-largest reef in the world and is a stunning place to snorkel, scuba dive, or fish. See colourful coral gardens, swim with harmless nurse sharks and stingrays, and explore the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.

Caving

Belize has unbelievable cave formations, and with an abundance of limestone and a wet climate, it is one of the best destinations for caving in the world. The Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave is the most popular, once a Mayan burial site, and full of skeletons, pottery and other ceremonial objects.

Ziplining and Rappelling

Experience the Belize jungle canopy from treetop to treetop with a ziplining tour. Many zipline tours combine the experience with rappelling from the last treetop. For a truly unique experience, choose a zipline tour that includes a waterfall rappel.

Exploring Mayan History

Belize is called the heartland of the Mayan World, with a huge range of Mayan temples and historical sites. The Ancient Maya City of Xunantunich, with its 39-metre-high El Castillo pyramid, is a must-see. Caracol is the country's largest Mayan ruin, and the Mayan temple of Altun Ha is another popular site.

Hiking

Belize's mountainous jungles bring out the hiker in you. Hike along rainforest trails, taking in the country's natural beauty and diverse wildlife.

Horseback Riding

Explore the country's natural sights and Mayan ruins on horseback.

Belize's food and drink

Breakfast

Eggs are a common breakfast option in Belize, often served scrambled with diced tomatoes in the Mayan style. Beans are also a staple, and breakfast is typically served with hot, biscuit-like rolls called johnny cakes or fry-jacks, which are deep-fried dough puffs.

Lunch and Dinner

Rice and beans, or beans and rice, are the national staples of Belize. They are usually cooked together in coconut milk and mild spices, and served with grilled fish or meat. Gibnut, a jungle rodent, is a common meat option. Another typical dish is hudut, a traditional Garifuna dish of fish cooked in coconut milk and served with mashed ripe and green plantains.

Chicken is the most common meat, often served in stews or burritos. Belize is also known for its excellent seafood, including grouper, red snapper, shrimp, and conch. Lobster is a delicacy, with the season running from June to February.

Specialities

Belize's Afro-Creole Garifuna people have their own unique recipes, with cassava and plantain featuring heavily. In the south, Mayan staples such as caldo (a spicy meat and root vegetable stew) and cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pork flavoured with recado, a local spice) are common.

Desserts and Drinks

Belize is known for its excellent chocolate, with several local producers making organic chocolate from Toledo cacao.

As for drinks, Belikin is the national beer of Belize, with several varieties including lager, stout, and premium. Rum is also popular, with the country's oldest distillery, Travellers Liquors in Belize City, producing rich, dark, fruity rum since the 1950s. Fresh fruit juices are widely available, including watermelon, papaya, mango, and lime.

Where to Eat

In the cruise port of Belize City, there are a few restaurants, grills, and bars at the Fort Street Tourism Village. Outside the terminal, the historic centre of Belize City offers elegant restaurants and grills, such as those found in the Radisson Fort George Hotel.

Shopping in Belize

Belize is not a consumer-based culture, and you will find that the shopping options vary depending on where in the country you are. The most popular expat areas are Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Placencia, and the Cayo area.

If you're looking for local crafts, the best handmade crafts and jewellery can be found in Ambergris Caye, sold from stalls along the beachfront. Further south, you can find hand-woven baskets created by Mayan women, as well as mahogany chairs and other carvings. Mayan crafts and jewellery are also sold at most ruin sites, but you will find better quality and cheaper prices just over the border in Guatemala.

If you're looking for something distinctively Belizean, the drums created by the Garifuna are one of the few options. You can also find the usual souvenir fare, including slogan t-shirts and Belikin beer paraphernalia.

In the Toledo district, market buses run from Punta Gorda to local villages for market days, where you can see the remaining indigenous people of Belize selling their wares. Dangriga Central Market is also good for food, clothes, and soaking up the local vibe.

Belize City itself has a few interesting landmarks, but it is not particularly appealing or safe to explore on your own. The Fort Street Tourism Village is a safe, clean, and well-maintained cruise terminal with around 30 shops selling souvenirs, tobacco, liquors, perfumes, rum cake, regional chocolate, Caribbean clothing, and exotic local crafts. The Jungle Gift Shop is a large store where you can find souvenirs, hats and caps, t-shirts and sweatshirts, swimwear, toys, and clothing.

If you're looking for luxury items, the Tourism Village also has recommended and guaranteed stores with duty-free deals. Most shops accept US dollars, so you won't need to exchange your money.

If you're looking to explore outside the cruise terminal, San Pedro in Ambergris Caye has a larger and more diverse number of shops.

Frequently asked questions