Belize has become a rising Caribbean star among those seeking adventurous eco-travel and biodiversity in Central America. Instead of pirates or settlers carving a living from the jungle, Belize now draws travelers intent on its vast expanses of rain forest, rich collection of birds and animals, long stretch of coral barrier reef and plentiful Maya ruins.
Belize's growing popularity now makes it somewhat less wild than it was—especially if you’re in a luxury jungle lodge or seaside resort (even the cries of howler monkeys can seem civilized when you're sipping cappuccino on the veranda). There’s plenty of sea kayaking, scuba diving, fishing, and exploration travel. Conventional resort amenities such as golf and tennis are relatively sparse.
English is widely spoken and understood, and most of the country’s roads and travel infrastructure are now in good condition, although it still takes some effort to get around.
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Sights—Exploring Maya ruins such as Lamanai, Xunantunich, Caraco or Altun Ha; diving or snorkeling along one of the world's longest barrier reefs; glass-bottomed-boat tours at Hol Chan Marine Reserve; cave tubing in Caves Branch River near the Jaguar Paw Resort; a visit to Hopkins, a mellow Garifuna beach village; a trip inside Actun Tunichil Muknal to find the remains of Maya human sacrifices.
Museums—Maya jade exhibits at the Museum of Belize; British colonial and history displays at Government House in Belize City.
Memorable Meals—Stew chicken served with rice and beans and fried plantains at Nerie's in Belize City; Creole food at Macy's or Big Daddy's; romantic dining at Harbor View or Smokey Mermaid; sophisticated international cuisine on Ambergris Caye; healthy veggie dishes at Hannah's or Serendib in San Ignacio; inexpensive, fresh, no-frills Belizean food at Omar's in Placencia.
Late Night—Cheesy beach music and disco dancing in San Pedro; tropical drinks at the Pickled Parrot in Placencia; the popular Wednesday-night "Chicken Drop" at the Pier Lounge or dining, gambling, dancing and bowling at the Princess Hotel and Casino on Ambergris Caye.
Walks—Bird-watching on a hike through Bacalar Chico National Park; a walk along one of Belize's many white-sand beaches; a leisurely nature stroll through any Maya ruin; searching for wildlife at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary's network of trails.
Especially for Kids—Spotting native animals while strolling through the Belize Zoo; looking for the blue morpho and other butterflies at one of the country's butterfly farms, such as Green Hills, Tropical Wings or Shipstern Reserve; climbing and exploring ancient Maya pyramids; cave tubing; snorkeling.
Belize shares a small northern border with Mexico. To the west and south, its neighbor is Guatemala. The entire eastern coastline is open to the Caribbean Sea, with a 175-mi-/280-km-long barrier reef running the full length.
Although relatively small, Belize is a country of great geographical diversity. The south and west are hilly, reaching altitudes of 3,700 ft/1,130 m. In the high, hard-to-log areas, virgin forest remains, and the rest of the country has a variety of forests that have regrown after logging. The north and central coastal areas are laced with mangrove swamps, which give way to beaches in the south. Off the mainland, the water is only about 16 ft/5 m deep all the way to the islands (locally called cayes, pronounced keys), which are just west of the barrier reef. The islands are, for the most part, flat. Some are surrounded by mangroves, and others are lined with narrow sandy beaches.
Archaeologists have determined that the Maya settled in Belize as early as 1500 BC. Their civilization reached its height between AD 250 and 900. Descendants of the Maya continue to live in Belize today, particularly the Mopan, Yucatek, and Q'eqchi' branches.
The Spanish claimed Central America along with the rest of their New World possessions, but they didn't settle the area that would become Belize. The first sustained European presence came instead from British buccaneers and shipwrecked British sailors, who soon realized that Belize's forests of mahogany were valuable commodities. Slaves were brought in to harvest the timber, and the Baymen—as the British settlers were known—began to extract a tidy profit from the jungle.
Spain continued to claim the area, however, and the decisive battle between the Spanish and British was fought 10 September 1798, off St. George's Caye. The British won and continued to rule the area despite advances by Mexico and Guatemala in the 1820s. The settlement became known as British Honduras, though it wasn't until 1862 that it officially became a British colony. In 1973, the name was changed to Belize, and Belmopan became the new capital city. On 21 September 1981, Belize declared its independence from Britain and became part of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
During the late 1990s, the Belize government and private businesses invested millions of dollars in rejuvenating downtown Belize City and countering the flourishing drug trade. A Tourism Police Unit was also established to help protect visitors, particularly in the small area where cruise-ship passengers disembark.
Today, Belize is a multicultural and multilingual society. Maya, English, African, Creole and mestizo communities are joined by Mennonites who immigrated to Belize by way of Canada after World War II (and now make up 3% of Belize's population). Spanish-speaking mestizos from neighboring Central American countries are a large and growing group, making up one-half of the population. East Indians, Chinese and expatriate Europeans and North Americans are also part of the Belizean melting pot.
The country's main attractions include Maya ruins, scuba diving, a cheerful cultural melting pot, relaxed island life, nature reserves, white-water kayaking, snorkeling, deep-sea and fly fishing, caving and cave tubing, canoeing, beaches and bird-watching. Most travelers divide their time between the coast and the forests.
If you are interested in water-related activities, nature and Maya culture, or if you want nothing more than to laze about, you'll enjoy Belize. If you want massive white-sand beaches, extensive nightlife and staged entertainment, look elsewhere.
Belize's deforestation rates are the lowest in Central America.
Approximately 800 documented species of birds live in North and Central America. Belize is home to 540 of them.
A "grand slam" for anglers in Belize is catching tarpon, bonefish and permit (a pompano) on the same trip.
Although Belize City is low-lying, locals claim it will never sink into the sea because it was built upon a foundation of rum bottles, mahogany chips and ballast bricks.
Belize's modern capital city, Belmopan, was built from scratch after Hurricane Hattie devastated Belize City in 1961.
Belize has two Blue Holes—the underwater dive site at Lighthouse Reef and an inland sinkhole with sapphire-colored water just south of Belmopan.
The electric-blue color of the blue morpho butterflies makes them easy to spot in the dark green rain forests of Belize. If you see them nowhere else, look for the blue morpho and other butterflies at one of the country's butterfly farms, such as Green Hills or Tropical Wings.
In 1992, Guatemala finally recognized Belize as an independent nation. Guatemala had claimed that Belize was part of its territory on the basis of 500-year-old Spanish decrees. Tensions between the two countries have lessened, but some Guatemalans continue to believe Belize was stolen from them by the British.
Some of the small hillocks, both inland and on the islands, are Maya sites buried under lush vegetation.
Queen Elizabeth II was served gibnut (a rodent that's a national delicacy) on her visit to Belize. Headlines in London the following day read "Queen Served Rat by Wogs"; to this day, the dish is proudly known as "royal rat."
You can see crocodiles (locally called alligators, though true alligators aren't found in Belize) in many areas of Belize. There are even some in the canals around Belize City.
Among the movies filmed in Belize are The Mosquito Coast, adapted from the novel by Paul Theroux, and The Dogs of War, which is set in Africa but features many recognizable places in Belize City
Baron Bliss, an eccentric English-Portuguese adventurer who became Belize's greatest benefactor, died in 1926 of food poisoning on a yacht anchored off the Belizean coast, without ever having set foot in the country. His generosity is celebrated each year on 9 March, Baron Bliss Day, a national holiday.
