I have travelled all over the world but one of my very favourite parts of the world remains Central America. I’ve been to both Costa Rica and, more recently, Belize. I recommend both be on your bucket list.
I admit that vacations south are not normally my favourite thing. I like to do things explore new places when I go away. I get bored quickly when there’s nothing to do but lie on the beach and drink.
Not that I don’t enjoy cocktails while doing things, I just can’t spend the whole day soaking up sunshine and getting drunk.
So, when my sister suggested we go south together for a week along with my teenage nephew, I wasn’t exceptionally excited. Then she said she wanted to try something different and would I be interested in going to Belize?
Why Belize?
Belize in a small country in Central America with a fairly small population of just over 325,000. It was a British colony at one point and remains a part of the Commonwealth.
English is taught in school and it isn’t difficult to find English speaking individuals which can be comforting for those who have problems with foreign languages.
While my Spanish is not horrendous, I’d hate to have to rely on it in an emergency situation. It consists of part of the mainland as well as several islands.
In recent years, it has become an increasingly popular southern destination and retirement choice for North Americans. Over 25% of the country’s gross domestic product comes from tourism.
There’s rainforest, beach, and the Barrier reef, which is the world’s second largest reef after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
Belize is also at the center of the ancient Mayan civilization and there are many ruins to be found and explored. So, there are lots of activities to keep you busy.
We stayed on the beach of the island of Ambergris Caye, just north of San Pedro. We rented a condo unit at Sapphire Beach that was just feet from the beach. It was absolutely beautiful and we really enjoyed our stay.
Here are a selection of the activities we enjoyed during our stay that I think anyone who visits Belize should add to their trip bucket list.
#1: Mayan Ruins
The Maya were spread out through Mexico and Central America but the center of their civilization was around Belize and there are many different ruins you can visit on the mainland and more being excavated all the time.
We went to Xunantunich which is in western Belize on the mainland. The country is small enough that nothing is more than a few hours away. The ruins are incredible and, like the pyramids and other ancient buildings, they are that much more impressive when you are reminded of the tools and equipment they had available to them during construction.
The main temple at Xunantunich is quite tall and the views from it are spectacular.
Like the ancient Greeks, the Maya had mastered the acoustics that allowed someone to speak in a normal voice at the top of the temple and be completely and clearly audible to people on the ground.
Several buildings have been excavated at the site and most can be climbed and explored. For those who really want to explore ruins, consider taking an overnight trip to Guatemala and Tikal.
#2: Cave tubing
The Crystal Caves in Belize are another popular tourist site. The Crystal caves offer a very scenic exploration of over 7 miles of underground waterways. You sit in an inner tube, linked to the rest of your tour group with a guide that describes the various formations of stalactites and stalagmites.
It is simply beautiful and when you reach the cathedral you understand why the Maya considered it a sacred site. Although it is a short trek to the river, the excursion itself does not require great fitness and most should be able to do it without difficulty.
Cave tubing in Belize is often offered in conjunction with other activities such as ziplining, cliff rappelling (both are available at the same area) and touring Mayan ruins. It’s a short but pleasurable activity.
If you do it in conjunction with a tour, you tend to get extras such as boat rides that stop in areas with manatees and all your meals and beverages included. It should be noted that the locals and your tour guides tend to love rum punch and they like it very strong.
If you are not good at holding your alcohol, drink with caution. It would be a shame to consume so much on the bus that you can’t enjoy the activity.
#3: Ziplining
Ziplining is an activity that has a few more caveats but I’m certainly no athlete and I had no difficulties at all.
It is definitely not for those afraid of heights though and we did see some people who had to turn around at the last minute because they couldn’t bear to leave the platform.
There is a short hike to the top of the zipline and then a series of five lines that take you to the bottom of the hill while flying through the air through the rainforest.
Frankly, it occurs too quickly for a lot of site seeing but it is fun and we all enjoyed it although my sister refused to look down.
Like cave tubing, it is a relatively short activity that is usually offered in conjunction with other activities. You can drive to the location and do either cave tubing, ziplining, or both though if that is what you would prefer to do.
#4: Snorkeling
Belize has appeared on many lists for the best snorkeling spots in the world. My sister has done more snorkeling than I have and she proclaimed it some of the best snorkeling she’d ever done.
We went out several times over our trip to a variety of different locations. The first place we went was Hol Chan Marine Reserve. There’s a $10 USD park fee at most of the marine reserves and it often isn’t included in the price of snorkeling packages.
Although the underwater scenery at Hol Chan was beautiful, it was crowded. We visited during the rainy season which is not high season for tourism and it was still packed. What made the biggest impression on me though was the sea turtle that was swimming along the bottom.
It was my first wild sea turtle and not something you soon forget. We also did Shark Ray Alley. This area doesn’t have much in the way of coral or pretty fish but the local nurse shark and manta ray populations know that the boats arrive full of snorkelers and bait.
They come over and gladly put up with gawking tourists until the bait is gone. Chances are good you will see a variety of rays and sharks at various snorkeling sites in Belize as they are pretty common but this is a great opportunity to get up close and personal with a shark that is ten feet or more in length.
We took a tour of the northern part of our island, Bacalar Chico Reserve, which is much quieter than Hol Chan, Mexican Rock, and Shark Ray Alley. We were the only snorkelers out there. The coral was more pristine and there were tons of gorgeous fish including barracuda, grouper, and many colorful small fish.
There is a land station as part of the reserve and it has a ranger station with a small museum that goes into more detail about the various animals that inhabit the area on land and in the water.
The rangers had recently rescued some loggerhead turtle eggs that had hatched and we got to see and hold the hatchlings, another tremendous opportunity to interact with an increasingly rare species. There are Mayan ruins that will be excavated in the future on land.
If you have never been to Central America before, I highly recommend both Costa Rica and Belize. Not only is the scenery and wildlife phenomenal but both countries are genuinely devoted to preserving their wildlife and habitat.
The people are really friendly and helpful and everyone we met went out of their way to be helpful and ensure that we enjoyed our stay.
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