Things to do in Belize
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Raggamuffin Tours
Three-day sailing trips to Placencia depart every Tuesday and Friday. Raggamuffin has a reputation as a party boat!
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Caye Caulker Marine Reserve
This section of the Belize barrier reef was declared a marine reserve in 1998. It's a subterranean paradise for divers and snorkelers with an array of colorful sponges, blue and yellow queen angel fish, Christmas tree worms, star coral, redband parrotfish, yellow gorgonians and more. Keep your eyes peeled for turtles and manatees from April to September.
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Lamanai
Perhaps the most fascinating Maya site in northern Belize, Lamanai lies 24 miles south of Orange Walk Town up the New River (or 36 miles by unpaved road). The ruins are known both for their impressive architecture and marvelous setting, surrounded by dense jungle overlooking the New River Lagoon. Most visitors approach Lamanai by guided river trip from Orange Walk not just to avoid the long and bumpy road, but to take advantage of the river trip itself, which goes deep into the home of the countless colorful and unusual birds that live in the area. Most guides who do the 1½-hour river trip are experts in both archaeology and the area’s wildlife, making it an especially wo…
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Altun Ha
The ruins that have inspired Belikin beer labels and Belizean banknotes, Altun Ha stands 34 miles north of central Belize City, off the Old Northern Hwy. Altun Ha was a rich and important Maya trading and agricultural town with a population of 8000 to 10,000 at its peak in the Classic Period (AD 300–1000). The entire site covered some 1500 acres, but what visitors today see is the central ceremonial precinct of two plazas surrounded by temples, excavated in the 1960s and now looking squeaky clean following a stabilization and conservation program from 2000 to 2004. Altun Ha existed by at least 200 BC, perhaps even several centuries earlier, and flourished until the …
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Belize Zoo
Set in natural forest, 31 miles from Belize City along the Western Hwy, the Belize Zoo is a must-visit even for people who don’t like zoos. Many of the animals in Belize Zoo are rescue cases, that is, wild animals that were kept as pets by individual collectors. The zoo makes every attempt to recondition such animals for a return to the wild, but only when such a return is feasible. In cases where return is impossible (as is the case with most of the zoo’s jungle cats, who’ve long since forgotten how to hunt, or never learned in the first place), they remain in the zoo: perhaps not the best life for a wildcat, but better than winding up in Zsa Zsa Gabor’s closet. Th…
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Cahal Pech
High atop a hill on the southern outskirts of San Ignacio, Cahal Pech is the oldest known Maya site in the Belize River valley, having been first settled between 1500 and 1000 BC. It is, perhaps, less impressive than Xunantunich or Caracol, but it’s still a fascinating example of Preclassic Maya architecture. It was a significant Maya settlement for 2000 years or more. Cahal Pech (kah- hahl pech) is Mopan and Yucatec Mayan for ‘Place of Ticks, ’ a nickname earned in the 1950s when the site was surrounded by pastures grazed by tick-infested cattle. Today it’s a pleasantly shady site with plenty of trees and few tourists. Its core area of seven interconnected plazas has …
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Habaneros
Caulker’s ‘hottest’ restaurant, named for the habanero chili, is located in a brightly painted clapboard house in the center of town. Here chefs prepare gourmet international food, combining fresh seafood, meat and vegetables with insanely delicious sauces and flavors. Wash it down with a fine wine or a jug of sangria. Sit in the funky bar and sip a fruity cocktail or enjoy the buzz and eat by candlelight at the tables on the verandah. Reservations are recommended.
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I&I Reggae Bar
I&I is the island’s most hip-hop happening spot after dark, when its healthy sound system belts out a reggae beat. Its three levels each offer a different scene, with a dance floor on one and swings hanging from the rafters on another. The top floor is the ‘chill-out zone, ’ complete with hammocks and panoramic views. Great place for a sunset drink.
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Hanna’s Restaurant
Hanna’s is the most popular spot in town, any time of day. Go for fresh-squeezed juices, hearty omelettes and homemade yogurt at breakfast; rice and beans or filling sandwiches for lunch; or Hanna’s delectable spicy ginger rum shrimp for an unbeatable dinner. Indian dishes and other meatless options cater to vegetarians.
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Eva’s Restaurant
Eva’s is a San Ignacio institution, now under new ownership. It’s better for information than for eating, although it’s a fun place to hang out in the late afternoon as groups return from their outings. Offers all of the standard tours, including hiking, biking, birding and trips to Caracol.
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Bamboo Grill
Arguably the best location on the island, this casually cool bar and grill sits right on the beach, with swings hanging from the rafters and tables set up in the sand. Besides the Cajun specialties, you can feast on a huge seafood burrito or a delectable grilled fish sandwich, washed down with a fruit smoothie.
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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.
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The Split
A narrow channel splits Caye Caulker into two distinct islands, and it's at the Split where you'll find a small public beach and the best swimming. It might look a bit postapocalyptic, with beach-goers lounging on bits of a broken wall, but its a popular and fun place to get to know the locals.
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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.
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Frenchie’s Diving
Offers full-day trips (three dives) to Blue Hole and Turneffe and half-day trips (two dives) to Hol Chan, Caye Chapel or Spanish Bay. Night dives at Caye Caulker Marine Reserve cost BZ$100. Promises groups of 10 divers or fewer.
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Wish Willy’s Bar & Grill
This funky place is named for a scaly tailed iguana. On the back side of the island, it’s a great place to watch the sunset, whether you’re sipping a Belikin beer or feasting on the day’s BBQ special.
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Back to My Roots
Offers cool handmade jewelry, including silver, amber and other semiprecious stones. The name of the place refers to the drums and other Rasta gear for sale.
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Healing Touch Massage
Ms Eva McFarlane can take care of all your beauty and body needs, including manicures and pedicures, Reiki, reflexology and aromatherapy.
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Community Baboon Sanctuary
No real baboons inhabit Belize, but Belizeans use that name for black howler monkeys. Though howler monkeys live throughout Central and South America, the endangered black howler exists only in Belize, northern Guatemala and southern Mexico. The Community Baboon Sanctuary is spread over several long-established Creole villages in the Belize River valley. The sanctuary has engineered a big increase in this primate’s population and is doubly interesting because it’s a completely community-run, grassroots conservation operation. In addition to the near-certainty of seeing some of these fascinating primates, the sanctuary offers river trips (day and night) and horseback ridin…
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Yaxhá
High upon a hill, overlooking the twin lakes of Laguna Yaxhá and Laguna Sacnab, this late Classic Maya site is the third-largest in Guatemala. Yaxhá translates as ‘green water,’ likely in reference to its lakeside location. (By the way, don’t be tempted to swim in the lakes, as the crocs will get you!) During its heyday in the 8th century, Yaxhá was home to a population of 20,000. Its 400-plus structures included five acropolises, two astronomical observatories and three ball courts. These days, excavations are ongoing, but it takes at least a couple of hours to look around the main groups of ruins. The high point (literally), towering above all else, is Templo 216 in…
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Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary
Southwest of Caye Caulker, the vast Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary spans nearly 9000 acres, including Swallow Caye and some parts of nearby Drowned Caye. Here, the ocean floor is covered with turtle grass beds, which support a small population of West Indian manatees. For years, guides have been bringing tourists to this spot, in the hope of catching a glimpse of these gentle creatures as they chow down on the turtle grass. But the constant traffic put stress on the habitat, having the unintended effect of harming the manatees. After tireless efforts on the part of conservationists and guides, a wildlife sanctuary was finally established in 2002. Now, strict guidel…
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Caracol
Once one of the most powerful cities in the entire Maya world, Caracol now lies enshrouded by thick jungle near the Guatemalan border, a 52-mile, two-hour drive from San Ignacio. Sitting high on the Vaca Plateau, 1650ft above sea level, this is the largest Maya site in Belize, having stretched over possibly 70 sq miles at its peak around AD 650. Nearly 40 miles of internal causeways radiate from the center to large outlying plazas and residential areas, and connect parts of the city. At its height, the city’s population may have approached 150,000, more than twice as many people as Belize City has today. Though they had no natural water source, the people of Caracol du…
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Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary
Thirty-two miles up the Northern Hwy from Belize City lies the turnoff to the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary (CTWS; admission BZ$8). Quite possibly one of the best birding areas in Belize (perhaps even all of Central America), the sanctuary isn’t merely a park for nature enthusiasts, but a living community of about 900 folks, mostly of Creole descent, who were farming and fishing the area long before the word ‘ecotourism’ was ever coined. It is well worth a visit for anyone who loves nature or fancies experiencing a peaceful rural community with an interesting history and a beautiful setting. It’s best to stay the night so you can be here at dawn, when the birds are most…
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Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
This is Belize's most famous, and one of its biggest, protected areas - the huge swath of tropical forest became the world's first jaguar sanctuary in 1984. Today it's home to an estimated 40 to 50 jaguars and a vast array of wildlife. Visits are restricted to an eastern pocket where there's an information center, accomodation and walking trails.
Cockscomb became a forest reserve and no-hunting area in 1984. A small part of it was given sanctuary status in 1986, and the rest followed in 1990. The people of the Mayan village of Quan Bank were compulsorily relocated - many now live in Maya Center and make a living from the sanctuary.
The sanctuary itself is not big enough t…
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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…
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