St John's Cathedral

Belize City


Immediately inland of Government House stands St John's Cathedral, the oldest Anglican church in Central America. It was built by slave labor between 1812 and 1820 using bricks brought from Britain as ballast. Notable things to see inside are the ancient pipe organ and the Baymen-era tombstones that tell their own history of Belize's early days and the toll taken on the city's early settlers.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Belize City attractions

1. Government House

0.05 MILES

Fronting the sea down at the end of Regent St, this handsome two-story wooden colonial mansion served as the residence of Britain's superintendents and…

2. Hindu Temple

0.18 MILES

Right in downtown, this simple Hindu temple serves Belize's small but growing Indian community.

3. Yarborough Cemetery

0.18 MILES

A narrow graveyard between two roads where you'll see the graves of early citizens of Belize who were not prominent enough to be buried in the nearby St…

4. Battlefield Park

0.37 MILES

Battlefield Park is on the right across from the Court House. It's always busy with vendors, loungers, con artists and other slice-of-life segments of…

5. Court House

0.37 MILES

You can’t miss the prominent Court House on Regent St, built in 1926 as the headquarters for Belize’s colonial administrators to replace an earlier wooden…

6. Image Factory

0.45 MILES

The country's most innovative and exciting art gallery stages new exhibitions and hosts regular book launches, usually of work by Belizean artists…

7. Fort George Lighthouse

0.46 MILES

This diminutive lighthouse guides boats into Haulover Creek and was constructed with funds from the estate of Baron Bliss, who is buried at its foot.

8. Baron Bliss Tomb

0.46 MILES

At the tip of the Fort George peninsula lies the granite Baron Bliss Tomb, the final resting place of Belize's most famous benefactor, who never set foot…