Situated between Spanish-speaking Central America and the Caribbean, Central America’s youngest nation has a lot to offer the intrepid traveller.
Belize has 240 miles of coastline and hundreds of paradisiacal islands, which offer plenty of opportunities for incredible swimming and marine wildlife encounters (the country is home to the world’s second largest barrier reef). Natural beauty also abounds in the country’s hinterland, where you’ll find colossal caves and rivers carving their way through the dense rainforest.
Every time I step foot on this island I am overwhelmed by the smiles on the faces of the locals and the genuine happiness that floats among the people. The official motto, “Go slow”, describes the vibe perfectly. It is a true Caribbean experience.
Kicking off my shoes and strolling barefoot around the sandy streets, the smells from the BBQs make your mouth water and the Caribbean rum punch helps to get you into the relaxed atmosphere.
The diving, sailing and snorkelling are some of the best I have experienced, and the anticipation of a visit by Cake Man – with his selection of fresh carrot cake, chocolate cheesecake brownies and key lime cake – should not be underestimated.
Belize Travel Resources
These are my favourite companies to use when I travel.
• Search cheap flights with Skyscanner.
• Find the best deals on hotels on Booking.com.
Belize Tours
Browse small group adventure tours with G Adventures or Contiki.
Culture
Belize’s culture is very diverse thanks to its unique history as a host to several European colonial powers. Previously known as British Honduras, Belize is officially an English-speaking nation, though you will hear Spanish, Kriol, Garifuna and Maya languages spoken as you travel around the small yet diverse country. Belizeans are really friendly and relaxed – they don’t stress about the little things and they are always open to share a beer and find out your story!
Top Things to Do
These are some of the most popular tourist attractions and places to visit in Belize:
Chill Out in Caye Caulker
Caye Caulker is a beautiful small island about 40 minutes by speedboat from Belize City and with no paved roads, most of the locals cycle around the island’s sandy roads.
Life here is as chilled out as it gets, and there are countless street signs telling you to ‘go slow’ (locals will even tell you to slow down if you’re walking too fast!).
Grab a bucket of ice cold bottled beers from a local bar and watch the sunset from the Split at the Northern end of the island, where a wooden jetty hosts countless backpackers soaking up the Central American Dream in all its glory.
Helicopter Ride Over Belize’s Great Blue Hole
The Great Blue Hole is a 1,000-foot-wide sinkhole located off the coast of Belize. While an aerial shot is enough to convince anyone of its beauty, scuba divers are the ones who get to experience the wonders that lie beneath: massive, 40-foot limestone stalactites and stalagmites that formed during the last glacial period.
San Ignacio & the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Caves
Near Belize’s Western border with Guatemala lies the sleepy town of San Ignacio. Typical of Belizean culture, life is relaxed here, with children swimming in the local river or riding horses around the town.
The town has an attractive main plaza with bakeries selling some of the best cinnamon buns you’ll ever eat! On Saturdays the San Ignacio market attracts farmers, craftspeople and local merchants from all over the Cayo region, and is a great place to see the different strands of Belizean society come together.
If you’re in San Ignacio you can’t miss a trip to the nearby Tapir Mountain Nature Reserve to visit the Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Caves. You’ll spend about an hour twisting and turning between jagged rocks in the cave until you reach the main atrium, a colossal hall with impressive stalactites towering above you.
But that’s not all – you’ll see broken ceramic pots and even whole skeletons which have not been moved since the last of the dying Maya civilisations carried out sacrificial ceremonies here in a last-ditch attempt to save their civilisation over 500 years ago. It is a spooky yet incredible experience that is not to be missed if you’re in Belize!
Snorkelling & Scuba Diving
Most people take a full day snorkelling excursion on a sail boat out to the nearby barrier reef, where you’ll stop at three different sites to witness the reef’s varied ecosystems.
With some very charismatic locals captaining the ship, you’ll sail through the Caribbean Sea between each spot on the reef, listening to Bob Marley, drinking rum punch and trying some of the delicious local seafood.
When you’re snorkelling off the reef you’ll most likely be swimming with sea turtles, stingrays and even sharks – so take a deep breath and dive into one of the most exhilarating experiences of your travels to date!
If you have a deep-sea diving licence, you can also dive the spectacular Blue Hole, a 122m-deep sinkhole complete with stalactites and home to a variety of reef sharks including hammerheads and tiger sharks.
If you’re looking for that perfect combination of adventure activities, beautiful tropical scenery, authentic local culture and some down-time on the beach, look no further than Belize. I recently wrote a 2 week itinerary for Belize and Mexico which you might want to check out.