Tucked just south of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Belize may be a small country, but it is one widely heralded for its pristine natural beauty, Caribbean culture and strong commitment to conservation. But what specifically draws increasing numbers of travelers here every year is a magic trio of attractions: reefs—off shore the longest barrier reef in the western hemisphere beckoning to scuba divers worldwide; an ancient treasury of magnificent pre-Columbian ruins; and pristine pine- and rainforests, alive with exotic flora and fauna. And once those visitors are in place, they find a special cultural blend of Spanish, Mayan, Caribbean and British. Thanks to the latter, who were in charge of the former Crown Colony of British Honduras until independence in 1981, Belize is an English-speaking country.
BELIZE CITY
Whether for business or pleasure, all journeys begin in Belize City, the country’s cultural and commercial center, one distinguished by wonderful examples of Victorian houses with gingerbread trim. One of those historic homes has been restored and refitted at the Great House Hotel, located in the Fort George district and right next door to the seaside Radisson Fort George Hotel & Marina. Belize shows off its heritage in the Museum of Belize, housed in a former colonial prison; St. John’s Cathedral, the oldest (1812) Anglican Church in Central America; and the historic House of Culture, an early-19th century building that houses period furniture, silverware and glassware collection from British royalty times.
For visitors staying in the capital, there is a wide choice of excursions that make good half- or full-day trips. First off, there is the Belize Zoo, located 30 miles west of the capital, whose 28-acre premises shelter more than 100 different and native wildlife species—from pumas and ocelots to jaguars and the harpy eagle. Then there is the Community Baboon Sanctuary, an ecotourism project made good by farmers who look after both their farms and the once-threatened black howler monkeys. Or take off for Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, a 3,000-acre reserve whose lagoons are home to a brilliant birdlife, including the jabiru stork (best spotting is November to early May). For an amazing introduction to the world of the ancient Maya, drive 30 miles north of the capital to Altun Ha, a site covering five sq. miles with ornamental temples, palaces and pyramids. And to sample Belize’s sporting life, take off for a day of deep-sea fishing, or join up with a local dive operator to explore the marine wonders along the barrier reef.
CAYO DISTRICT
Horseback riding, mountain biking and river-tripping are the top choices for exploring and enjoying the pine forested highlands of Mountain Pine Ridge in the Cayo District, loved for its mix of dense pines and rushing rivers, waterfalls and caves. Cayo has several butterfly farms—incidentally, one, a breeding station for the regal blue morpho, is on the premises of the prestigious eco-resort, Lodge at Chaa Creek—and other natural wonders to enjoy, including the Rio Frio Cave, an awesome tunnel of stone and stalactites, with a river running through it. It was these western mountains where Francis Ford Coppola transformed his 70-acre family retreat into the award-winning Blancaneaux Lodge. But eons before the famous film director settled in the Cayo neighborhood, the lands were occupied by the Maya, whose impressive ceremonial center of Xunantunich is crowned by the 130-ft. pyramid El Castillo, just outside the main town of San Ignacio. In this same corner of the country, visitors should devote a full day to Caracol, one of the major finds in the Mayan world and one still being explored. On this site, which covers 55 sq. miles, some 4,000 structures have been recorded and more than 50 tombs unearthed. Another mighty Mayan city, Tikal in Guatemala, is a day trip away from the Cayo District.
THE CAYES
Paunch, Crawl, Silk, Swallow, Tostado and Coco Plum are just some of the more than 200 cayes speckling Belize’s Caribbean waters. The largest is the well-known Ambergris Caye, a favorite Caribbean playground and a 15-minute flight away from Belize City for those who love a vacation laced with diving, snorkeling, fishing, sailing, sunset cruising, birding and manatee watching. Scuba diving is actually the biggest attraction, and dive facilities range from dedicated dive boats to on-island recompression chambers. The Cayes also offers stellar snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve, a protected park with brilliant coral grottos and large schools of fish, and at Shark Ray Alley where stingrays and nurse sharks preside. Back on land, island visitors gather in funky and informal San Pedro Town to dine at little restaurants serving up local dishes (Elvi’s Kitchen serves Mayan buffet on Friday nights); to shop at the Belizean Arts gallery for works by locals, and to enjoy the rhythms of the nightlife beat. Of course much of the social life centers around Ambergris’ extensive roster of little inns and lodges, which range from the long-time favorites near town, such as SunBreeze Hotel & Suites and Ramon’s Village, to the now very upscale and lovely Victoria House. And, of course, there’s Cayo Espanto, sitting elegantly just off shore on a caye of its own. Even more laid-back is Caye Caulker, also with airplane and water taxi service from Belize City. Measuring five miles by one mile, this is a real go-slow vacation spot, but with a bevy of watersports, diving and snorkeling options and a direct view of the barrier reef. Also off shore, but on dry land, you’ll be surprised to find the only 18-hole golf course in Belize on the private resort island of Caye Chapel.
THE SOUTHERN COAST
The south coast’s Hopkins Village and its surrounding resorts—tops is Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort—is a place to go to rent a kayak or windsurf board for offshore excursions or to suit up for diving along the barrier reef. Another popular choice is Placencia, a relaxed coastal paradise that lies at the tip of the sandy, 20-mile-long peninsula. The resort area has its own bevy of upscale lodgings catering to divers, to anglers out for bonefish, snook and tarpon, and to those who just want to swing in a hammock on Belize’s best beaches. All lodges and inns offer options to birdwatch along the Monkey River or in the Cockscombe Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, a 128,000-acre preserve known for its resident population of some 80 jaguars.
It Would Be a Shame to Miss...
Follow the Southern Highway from Placencia to Punta Gorda, sitting sleepily on the Bay of Honduras, and you’re in Toledo District, a justbeing discovered corner of Belize and one where the country’s Mayan heritage is alive and well to this day. The attractions range from good fishing, kayaking and canoeing on rivers and creeks to hiking to caves and waterfalls and visiting two major Mayan sites—Lubaantun, whose pyramids are made of precision-cut stone blocks and Nim Li Punit, a site with 25 stelae, one of which is the tallest in Belize. The accommodation choices are not many but there are choices: try one of the 10 cabanas at the new and deluxe Machaca Hill Lodge, located on the private 11.000-acre Laughing Falcon Reserve. Or, enlist in the Guest House Program and live in a Mayan village, staying in local homes to capture the full experience of the Mayan lifestyle.
Celebrations for All Seasons
Feb.: La Fiesta de Carnival.
Apr.-June: Divers have a “whale of a time” when swimming among the whale sharks.
May: Come for the Cashew Festival in Crooked Tree Village the first weekend in May.
Aug.: Ambergris Caye hosts the 4-day San Pedro Costa Maya Festival with pageants, parades, and nightly entertainment by groups from Central America’s Maya countries.
Sept.: Celebrate Independence on Sept. 21, although celebrations start on National Day (Sept. 10) with carnival parades and live bands.
Oct.: Belikin Beer sponsors the major Bill Fish Tournament.
Nov.: Garifuna Settlement Day Festival in Dangriga on Nov. 19, celebrating Afro-American heritage with feasting, music, and dance—punta rock rhythms were born here.
BELIZE CITY
Whether for business or pleasure, all journeys begin in Belize City, the country’s cultural and commercial center, one distinguished by wonderful examples of Victorian houses with gingerbread trim. One of those historic homes has been restored and refitted at the Great House Hotel, located in the Fort George district and right next door to the seaside Radisson Fort George Hotel & Marina. Belize shows off its heritage in the Museum of Belize, housed in a former colonial prison; St. John’s Cathedral, the oldest (1812) Anglican Church in Central America; and the historic House of Culture, an early-19th century building that houses period furniture, silverware and glassware collection from British royalty times.
For visitors staying in the capital, there is a wide choice of excursions that make good half- or full-day trips. First off, there is the Belize Zoo, located 30 miles west of the capital, whose 28-acre premises shelter more than 100 different and native wildlife species—from pumas and ocelots to jaguars and the harpy eagle. Then there is the Community Baboon Sanctuary, an ecotourism project made good by farmers who look after both their farms and the once-threatened black howler monkeys. Or take off for Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, a 3,000-acre reserve whose lagoons are home to a brilliant birdlife, including the jabiru stork (best spotting is November to early May). For an amazing introduction to the world of the ancient Maya, drive 30 miles north of the capital to Altun Ha, a site covering five sq. miles with ornamental temples, palaces and pyramids. And to sample Belize’s sporting life, take off for a day of deep-sea fishing, or join up with a local dive operator to explore the marine wonders along the barrier reef.
CAYO DISTRICT
Horseback riding, mountain biking and river-tripping are the top choices for exploring and enjoying the pine forested highlands of Mountain Pine Ridge in the Cayo District, loved for its mix of dense pines and rushing rivers, waterfalls and caves. Cayo has several butterfly farms—incidentally, one, a breeding station for the regal blue morpho, is on the premises of the prestigious eco-resort, Lodge at Chaa Creek—and other natural wonders to enjoy, including the Rio Frio Cave, an awesome tunnel of stone and stalactites, with a river running through it. It was these western mountains where Francis Ford Coppola transformed his 70-acre family retreat into the award-winning Blancaneaux Lodge. But eons before the famous film director settled in the Cayo neighborhood, the lands were occupied by the Maya, whose impressive ceremonial center of Xunantunich is crowned by the 130-ft. pyramid El Castillo, just outside the main town of San Ignacio. In this same corner of the country, visitors should devote a full day to Caracol, one of the major finds in the Mayan world and one still being explored. On this site, which covers 55 sq. miles, some 4,000 structures have been recorded and more than 50 tombs unearthed. Another mighty Mayan city, Tikal in Guatemala, is a day trip away from the Cayo District.
THE CAYES
Paunch, Crawl, Silk, Swallow, Tostado and Coco Plum are just some of the more than 200 cayes speckling Belize’s Caribbean waters. The largest is the well-known Ambergris Caye, a favorite Caribbean playground and a 15-minute flight away from Belize City for those who love a vacation laced with diving, snorkeling, fishing, sailing, sunset cruising, birding and manatee watching. Scuba diving is actually the biggest attraction, and dive facilities range from dedicated dive boats to on-island recompression chambers. The Cayes also offers stellar snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve, a protected park with brilliant coral grottos and large schools of fish, and at Shark Ray Alley where stingrays and nurse sharks preside. Back on land, island visitors gather in funky and informal San Pedro Town to dine at little restaurants serving up local dishes (Elvi’s Kitchen serves Mayan buffet on Friday nights); to shop at the Belizean Arts gallery for works by locals, and to enjoy the rhythms of the nightlife beat. Of course much of the social life centers around Ambergris’ extensive roster of little inns and lodges, which range from the long-time favorites near town, such as SunBreeze Hotel & Suites and Ramon’s Village, to the now very upscale and lovely Victoria House. And, of course, there’s Cayo Espanto, sitting elegantly just off shore on a caye of its own. Even more laid-back is Caye Caulker, also with airplane and water taxi service from Belize City. Measuring five miles by one mile, this is a real go-slow vacation spot, but with a bevy of watersports, diving and snorkeling options and a direct view of the barrier reef. Also off shore, but on dry land, you’ll be surprised to find the only 18-hole golf course in Belize on the private resort island of Caye Chapel.
THE SOUTHERN COAST
The south coast’s Hopkins Village and its surrounding resorts—tops is Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort—is a place to go to rent a kayak or windsurf board for offshore excursions or to suit up for diving along the barrier reef. Another popular choice is Placencia, a relaxed coastal paradise that lies at the tip of the sandy, 20-mile-long peninsula. The resort area has its own bevy of upscale lodgings catering to divers, to anglers out for bonefish, snook and tarpon, and to those who just want to swing in a hammock on Belize’s best beaches. All lodges and inns offer options to birdwatch along the Monkey River or in the Cockscombe Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, a 128,000-acre preserve known for its resident population of some 80 jaguars.
It Would Be a Shame to Miss...
Follow the Southern Highway from Placencia to Punta Gorda, sitting sleepily on the Bay of Honduras, and you’re in Toledo District, a justbeing discovered corner of Belize and one where the country’s Mayan heritage is alive and well to this day. The attractions range from good fishing, kayaking and canoeing on rivers and creeks to hiking to caves and waterfalls and visiting two major Mayan sites—Lubaantun, whose pyramids are made of precision-cut stone blocks and Nim Li Punit, a site with 25 stelae, one of which is the tallest in Belize. The accommodation choices are not many but there are choices: try one of the 10 cabanas at the new and deluxe Machaca Hill Lodge, located on the private 11.000-acre Laughing Falcon Reserve. Or, enlist in the Guest House Program and live in a Mayan village, staying in local homes to capture the full experience of the Mayan lifestyle.
Celebrations for All Seasons
Feb.: La Fiesta de Carnival.
Apr.-June: Divers have a “whale of a time” when swimming among the whale sharks.
May: Come for the Cashew Festival in Crooked Tree Village the first weekend in May.
Aug.: Ambergris Caye hosts the 4-day San Pedro Costa Maya Festival with pageants, parades, and nightly entertainment by groups from Central America’s Maya countries.
Sept.: Celebrate Independence on Sept. 21, although celebrations start on National Day (Sept. 10) with carnival parades and live bands.
Oct.: Belikin Beer sponsors the major Bill Fish Tournament.
Nov.: Garifuna Settlement Day Festival in Dangriga on Nov. 19, celebrating Afro-American heritage with feasting, music, and dance—punta rock rhythms were born here.
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