Belize is the only country on the Central American mainland that is a full member of CARICOM, the Caribbean's own bloc of nations. Just off its coast runs the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It sits between Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west.
Why do people visit Belize
Belize draws most visitors for the reef. The Great Blue Hole, a circular underwater sinkhole roughly 300 meters wide and 125 meters deep, is one of the most recognized dive sites on earth. What separates Belize from other reef destinations is what sits an hour inland: active Maya cities like Caracol, the largest Maya site in the country, and Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the only jaguar preserve in the world. Reef in the morning, jungle in the afternoon, in the same country.
What made Belize like today
Britain ruled Belize longer than any of its Caribbean neighbors. Jamaica became independent in 1962, Barbados in 1966, but Belize, then called British Honduras, did not become independent until 1981. That British world left English as the official language and put Belize in the same Caribbean tradition as Jamaica and Barbados
Belize Culture
Belize is one of the most ethnically mixed countries in the Caribbean world. The official language is English, a direct result of British rule, but the everyday language on the street is Belizean Creole, English-based but its own distinct tongue. The Garifuna, an Afro-Indigenous people with their own language, music, and food, live along the Caribbean coasts of Belize, Honduras, and Guatemala. The Maya and Mestizo communities make up the largest share of the population inland.
Belize Islands
The cayes are the islands scattered along the reef. Ambergris Caye, 26 miles long, is the largest and most developed, with resorts, restaurants, and a busy town called San Pedro. Caye Caulker, 5 miles long, runs at a slower pace and carries the motto "Go Slow." Both sit within a short boat ride of the reef.
Belize slow trip
Belize is one of the few places where a single trip covers reef, jungle, and Maya ruins without backtracking. The reef and the cayes are on the coast. The ruins and the jaguar preserve are inland, a few hours west. The country is small enough to move between all three in the same week.
Video about tips for visiting Belize
