Things to do in Belize City
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Sumathi Indian Restaurant
Belize City’s best Indian restaurant provides a huge range of flavorsome curries, tandooris and biryanis (spicy rice and meat-or-vegetable dishes), with plenty of vegetarian options, all in generous quantities. Bollywood films on the TV intensify the mood. It does meals to go if you prefer.
reviewed
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Stonegrill Restaurant
At this thatched poolside restaurant at the Radisson hotel you get to grill your own meal – steak, fajitas, shrimp, chicken satay and the like – on super-hot volcanic stones. It’s fun, tasty and free of added fat.
reviewed
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Museum of Belize
This excellent modern museum in the Fort George district is a must-see for anyone interested in the story of Belize. Housed in the country’s former main jail (built of brick in 1857), the museum preserves one cell in its original state, complete with inmates’ graffiti; if you thought your hotel room was cramped, think again! Fascinating historical photos and documents bear testimony to the colonial and independence eras and the destruction wrought by hurricanes. The Maya Treasures section, upstairs, is rather light on artifacts (most of Belize’s finest Maya finds were spirited away to other countries) but makes up for that with informative models and explanations. Othe…
reviewed
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Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts
The revamped Bliss Centre has a fine 600-seat theater that stages a variety of events, including concerts of traditional Belizean music and other shows that celebrate Belize and its culture. The annual Belizean Film Festival is held here, and the Children’s Art Festival in May. The Bliss Centre is also a likely spot in the city for any major cultural happenings (such as this year’s memorial concert for Belizean musician Andy Palacio, which brought the city to a standstill for hours). As they don’t yet have a website to promote upcoming events, your best bet is to call or drop by during business hours to learn what’s going on during your visit.
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Belize Tourist Village
This waterfront complex exists for the convenience of cruise-ship passengers, who disembark here on their land trips. Non-cruise tourists may enter from the street with a temporary pass, obtainable on presentation of an identity document such as a passport. Most of the stores are gift shops, liquor stores, jewelers or pharmacies offering Viagra without prescription. Some items are cheaper than elsewhere in the city; others are more expensive. You’ll know when it’s open from the crowds of hawkers, hustlers and tour agents thronging the street outside.
reviewed
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Land Of Belize
8 days (ex Belize City)
by Intrepid
Discover the creative energy of Belize City, Uncover the secrets of the San Ignacio ruins, Embark on a jungle adventure in San Ignacio, Experience the thrill of…Not LP reviewed
from USD$1,080 -
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Bird’s Isle Restaurant
Located at the end of Bird’s Isle, a park-like oasis on the southern coast of town, this open-air restaurant is one of the prettiest settings for an outdoor bar you’re likely to find in Belize City. In addition to beer, wine and cocktails, the restaurant serves well-prepared burgers, snacks and Belizean fare. Thursdays from 8:30pm to 1am is karaoke night; the bar also has live music occasionally.
reviewed
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St John’s Cathedral
St John’s Cathedral is 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.
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Nerie’s II Restaurant
Nerie’s offers most imaginable accompaniments to rice and beans, including curried lamb, stewed cow foot, lobster, gibnut and deer. You can start things off with a choice of soups, including chicken, escabeche (with chicken, lime and onions), chirmole (with chicken and a chili-chocolate sauce) or (again!) cow foot, and round it off with cassava pudding.
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Princess Hotel & Casino
The casino at the Princess Hotel is an informal and fun place to try to boost your budget (set yourself a limit on what you’re prepared to lose), with roulette, poker and blackjack tables, plus hundreds of slot machines and a floor show with dancing girls kicking up their heels at 10pm. You need to show ID such as your passport or driver’s license to enter (minimum age is 18).
reviewed
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Big Daddy’s
You’ll get hearty, low-priced meals and friendly service here. At breakfast, fry-jacks (lightly fried pancake slices), eggs, bacon, sausage and a fresh juice are under BZ$8. Lunch is served cafeteria-style from 11am until the food is gone. Rice-and-beans and vegetable-and-rice dishes are the stock in trade, and the view over Haulover Creek from the upper deck is free.
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Image Factory
The country’s most innovative and exciting art gallery stages new exhibitions most months, usually of work by Belizean artists. Opening receptions are usually held early in the month; cocktails are served on the Image Factory’s deck, which looks out on Haulover Creek. The adjoining shop sells art, gifts and the country’s best range of books.
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Coastal Zone Museum
Next door to, and entered from, the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Terminal, this small museum has a limited number of pictures, models and carapaces of Belizean aquatic life, plus summary information on the Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage sites and a few dioramas of marine ecosystems. The museum merits a peek if you’re in the area.
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St George’s Dining Room
The main restaurant at the Radisson serves hearty buffet lunches with a different theme daily (Mexican, Caribbean, Asian etc) and a mainly Mediterranean dinner menu, with plenty of seafood and some vegetarian options. There are also buffets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, and a big Sunday brunch. Dishes are reliably good.
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Dit’s Restaurant
Dit’s is a local favorite, a fine place to get rice-and-bean Belizean standards, sandwiches and Mexican dishes such as panades and salbutes (variations on the tortilla). Especially good are the desserts, coconut and lemon pies, milk shakes and juices. The surrounding neighborhood is a bit dicey.
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Chon Saan Palace
Considered the best Chinese restaurant in Belize City, Chon Saan would probably be considered mediocre in most US cities. Though portions are ample, meals are uninspired, and tacking BZ$5 per person on the bill for Chinese tea bumps the restaurant into a price bracket disproportionate to its culinary quality.
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Riverside Patio
Had enough of bird-watching and traipsing about ancient ruins? This is the place to sink a beer after a hard day's sight-seeing. By the river, next to the Commercial Center, the deck gets just enough breeze to make it comfortable any time of the day - but it's particularly nice as the sun goes down.
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Lamanai and the New River Safari in Belize
9 hours (Departs Belize City, Belize)
by Viator
Discover ancient Mayan architecture on an excursion through Belize's exotic landscapes. You'll enjoy stunning views and spot diverse wildlife as you make your w…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$105.00 -
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Macy’s
Macy’s provides consistently good Creole cooking, with friendly service and good prices. The menu changes daily, but you’re always likely to find chicken, fish fillets and stewed beef or meatballs. Game, such as boar, gibnut and deer, often makes an appearance.
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Wet Lizard
Inside the Belize Tourist Village but also accessible directly from the street, the Wet Lizard provides solid serves of mainly Belizean and Tex-Mex food amid bright tropical colors, ’70s rock and plenty of cruise-ship passengers. Its upper-deck setting is breezy.
reviewed
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Xunantunich and The Belize Zoo
8 hours 30 minutes (Departs Belize City, Belize)
by Viator
Imposing temples and exotic animals! Is it the latest Hollywood action movie? No, this time it's real and you're the star. Travel Belize by a hand-cranked ferry…
Not LP reviewed
from USD$105.00 -
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Mj’s Grand
You may get to enjoy some funky Belizean rhythms here, but karaoke starts up at 10pm most nights. MJ’s is popular with locals both for its indoor pool tables and outdoor terrace tables overlooking Newtown Barracks Green; the atmosphere is relaxed.
reviewed
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Calypso Club
A waterfront restaurant at the Princess Hotel & Casino, Calypso serves ample portions of Belizean- and Caribbean-style seafood. Burgers, pasta and salads provide lighter and more economical options – but a regular Belikin is BZ$6.
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Smoky Mermaid
Attached to the Great House hotel, the Smoky Mermaid serves tasty Caribbean and international food on a lovely patio with tinkling fountains and towering tropical trees. The meals are dependably good and the servings satisfying.
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National Handicraft Center
This store carries the best stock of Belizean crafts, at fair prices. Attractive buys include carvings in the strikingly streaked hardwood zericote, slate relief carvings of wildlife and Maya deities, and CDs of Belizean music.
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