Curator’s statement
Belize is a small country, but it has a really varied experience awaiting you. Not just beaches, but islands off the coast — not just old places, but ruins, not just nature, but jungle camps, not just wildlife, but jaguars, not just a foreign country, they speak English! Madonna made "La Isla Bonita" famous — Ambergris Caye in Belize. The islands are called cayes here, pronounced "keys". It takes a few days to completely unpack your bags, your thoughts, your worries, your go go go nervous energy — and completely relax. When your biggest decision revolves around beach volleyball or diving for conch shells — it is a whole different world!
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Things to do in Belize
First the islands, or cayes — it's beach, ocean, scuba, snorkeling, boating, strolling the beach
Then head inland, there are caves to tour, paddling up stream in your inner tube, looking for relics of 500 or a thousand years ago — pottery, firepits, stalagmites and stalagtites.
Now put on a headlamp, go for a jungle tour, "looking" for jaguars and things that go bump in the night!
Explore some ruins, left over from Mayan civilization. Much of it restored, some of it just hills covered in moss and trees.
Swim with the fishies. Look for the ATM Cave — Actun Tunichil Muknal
Mountain Pine Ridge Nature Reserve — 300 square miles
The Belize Zoo — Keep your arms and legs outside the enclosures. This is more rustic than big city zoos, so wild boars can gouge you if you lean inside, for example - you've been warned!
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary — THIS is where you really find jaguars!
Shark Ray Alley And Hol Chan Marine Reserve — Tours are offered to this nature preserve area. The guides throwing bread into the water draws stingrays and nurse sharks, with YOU in the water!
Lastly, scuba the world famous Great Blue Hole, off the coast. It is a full day trip to get there and back.
Day Trips:
The capital of the Mayan empire is just across the border into Guatemala, Tikal, with 4 huge pyramids facing each other with a football field sized grounds below — this is one of the top 4 Mayan Ruins — Palenqe in Mexico, Copan in Honduras — maybe Coracol or Xunantunich in Belize
Places to eat & drink in Belize
Bistro at Maya Beach Hotel, Placencia
Chef Rob’s Gourmet Cafe in Hopkins Village
Montagna Ristorante on the Mountain Pine Ridge reserve - Italian dishes
Rain Restaurant and Rooftop Terrace in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
Guava Limb Restaurant & Cafe, San Ignacio
Elvi’s Kitchen, San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye
El Fogon Restaurant in Ambergris Caye
Grove House, Belmopan
Blue Water Grill, San Pedro
Kareem’s BBQ or any of the other BBQs along the beach, Caye Caulker
The Lazy Lizard, The Split, Caye Caulker — Watch the sunset here
I and I Reggae Bar — For a night out, look for swings. Sit at the bar, perched on, you guessed it, swings. It's a big treehouse kind of structure — fun!
Travel Advisor
Andrew Larder
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This guide is part of our ongoing series on travel to Belize. For more travel tips, check out Fora Advisor Claudia Riegelhaupt’s guide, Navigating From the Rainforest to the Beach in Belize.