BELIZE > CENTRAL AMERICA > INDEX


Districts in Belize : Belize District, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek and Toledo.

Belize is located in the southeast of the Yucatán Peninsula, on the Caribbean coast of the Central American isthmus, nestled between Mexico and Guatemala and offers an intriguing mix of tropical forests rich with wildlife, majestic 3,675 foot mountains, mysterious Maya temples, and diving and fishing experiences beyond compare.In a single day you can go from tropical forest to the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere.

Capital City of Belize: Belmopan


car hire, hotels, travel agencies, travel guides, transportation / traveling to belize

links


Car Rental / Bike Rental

Bicycles and motorbikes can be hired on the Cayes

 Avis
World's second largest general-use car rental business, providing business and leisure customers with a wide range of services.
 Budget Rent A Car
 Dollar Rent A Car
 Dollar Rent A Car has suburban and on-airport car rental locations in all major cities throughout the United States.
 Hertz

Rental Homes / Villas / Apartment in Belize

 Living abroad in Belize - Lan Sluder
Imagine living in Belize. Author Lan Sluder left his life as a newspaper editor to make a home there, and shows readers how to make their own dreams take shape. With Lan's expertise, future expats will get the information they need on visas, money, jobs, housing, health, language, culture, and history. Whether it's a thatched cabana in Placencia, a jungle hideaway in the Cayo District, or a retreat in lively Ambergris Caye, there's a place that matches their budget, needs, and dreams. With "Living Abroad in Belize", it's easy to make the dream become a reality.
Paperback 260 pages (November 9, 2005); Publisher: Avalon Travel; Language: English; ISBN: 1566919193

Hotels in Belize

 Belize - Resort Lodging

 Expedia.com
 Hotels.com 

More Hotels? See the page Hotels

National Parks

 Bermudian Landing Community Baboon Sanctuary - ca. 30km west of Belize City
It's tough to spot the endangered black howler monkey in South or Central America anymore, but this is the best place in Belize to find one. The villagers of Bermudian Landing have set up a reserve in the forest near their village and there's a visitors center with displays about the howler and the 200 other animals and birds in the sanctuary.
 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
Home to jaguars, pumas, ocelots, margays, agoutis, anteaters, armadillos, boa constictors, and birds galore.
 Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary
Bird-watchers should check out the rivers, swamps and lagoons of this sanctuary, midway between Belize City and Orange Walk Town, which attract flocks of migrating birds between November and May.
 Mountain Pine Ridge - forest reserve in western Belize - 800 sq km
This forest reserve in western Belize's beautiful, unspoiled mountain country is dotted with waterfalls and teems with wild orchids, parrots, keel-billed toucans and other exotic flora and fauna. The rough forest roads in the reserve are often impassable in the wet season, but it's this inaccessibility which keeps the area pristine for those willing to explore it on foot, horseback or canoe. Excursions include the Rain Forest Medicine Trail [ a rainforest walk focused on herbal medicines ]; Chechem Ha (a recently discovered Mayan cave complete with ceremonial pots); Caracol [ a vast, unrestored Mayan city engulfed by jungle ]; Thousand Foot [ Hidden Valley ] Falls [ a 300m high silver cascade plunging into a misty valley ]; and Barton Creek Cave with skulls and bones and lotsa pottery shards.

Tour Operators / Belize specialists / Travel Agents

 Tara Tours [ CT ] - Exotic destinations in Central America
 Tucan Travel
If you have an adventurous spirit, a strong sense of fun, a desire to embrace new cultures and long to see the world as it really is, then come and take the adventure of a lifetime with us and lose yourself in Belize.



 Belize Explorer - Eco Vacation Specialist - Educational Tours and trekking in Belize
Belize Explorer Services is based in San Ignacio, Cayo District

Travel Guides Belize / Related books

Travel Guides Belize

 Rough Guide to Belize - Peter Eltringham
The Rough Guide to Belize is a complete and in-depth guide to the places, activities, people, customs and history of this fascinating Central American country. The full-colour 'Things Not to Miss' introduction shows the country's highlights in a series of inspirational full-colour page spreads. There are accounts of all of Belize's major Mayan sites, plus Tikal in Guatemala, along with contextual boxes on the culture of the Mayans. There are also full accounts of Belize's diverse outdoor activities - from surfing and rafting to trekking and eco -tourism. Practical coverage provides all the details you need to get around and find the best places to eat, sleep and drink - from bustling Belize City to the remote beaches, lakes and mountains.
Paperback 352 pages (October 28, 2004); Publisher: Rough Guides; Language: English; ISBN: 184353276X.
 Belize - Lonely Planet Diving & Snorkeling Guide - Mark Webster
Belize is home to the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere. This guide is designed for divers who base themselves on coastal or off-shore islands, or those who stay aboard to dive in more remote areas. It includes information on: depth, visibility, marine life and temperature.
Paperback 135 pages (June 2002); Publisher: Lonely Planet Publications; Language: English; ISBN: 1740590473

Transport / How do I get to Belize

 Belmopan Airport

Flights from Los Angeles, Houston and Miami to Belize Airport; Also from Guatemala.

  Airline Tickets / Discount Flights - price comparison possible

Bus services from Belize City to Chetumal in Mexico and to Benque Viejo del Carmen and Melchor de Mencos in Guatemala.

By boat from Punta Gorda in southern Belize to Puerto Barrios and Lívingston in Guatemala, or from Dangriga and Placencia to Puerto Cortés in Honduras.

Fast and frequent motor launches connect Belize City with Caye Chapel, Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye

 Online Map of Belize [ Uni Texas - Perry-Castañeda Library - Map Collection ]
 The Rough Guide Map Guatemala and Belize
This detailed, double-sided topographical and touring map shows both Guatemala and Belize at sufficiently high scale to be of practical assistance for hiking and local visits. Guatemala's rainforest, highlands and lakes (together with good parts of western Honduras and most of northern El Salvador) are shown in graphic detail , so whether you're visiting Tikal - the largest Mayan pyramid site - or just figuring out a way of avoiding Guatemala City, this map should serve you well. Belize is covered on the same scale, with full coverage of every offshore island along the country's famous reef and all the eco-tourism venues of the interior. The map is printed on rip-proof, waterproof paper.
Map 1 pages (October 30, 2003); Publisher: Rough Guides; Language: English; ISBN: 1843532336


Links 

 Travel Insurance - online travel and holiday insurance for UK and Irish residents

 Language Courses - Learn Spanish Latin American
There are many factors that are attributable to the birth of the Latin American Spanish language but it is important to realise that it was a slow and gradual process. Although there are differences between Castilian Spanish and Latin American Spanish – particularly relating to pronunciation - they do not prevent mutual intelligibility.
The differences between these two languages are equivalent to those between British English and American English.

 Belize Tourism -  The Official Web Site of the Belize Tourism Board
[ History ] [ Culture ] [ Geography ] [ Government ] [ Things to do ] [ Places to see ] [ Places to stay ] [ Tour Services ] [ Plan Your Visit ] [ Getting Here ] [ Getting Around ] [ Travel Tips ] [ Online Tour ] [ Specialty Travel ] [ Common Questions ]
 Government of Belize

 Belmopan - Capital City of Belize

 Belize District - District Capital = Belize City, the nation's largest city
The Belize District is centrally located between the northern and southern borders of the country with a variety of transportation options to any point both inland and out to the cayes. Fishing, snorkeling, diving and swimming are excellent around nearby St. George's and Goff's caye while the rivers and lagoons are great for boating and sightseeing.
Other towns in the belize District: Hattieville, Ladyville, and San Pedro Town; the villages of Barrel Boom, Crooked Tree, and Gales Point; and Rockstone Pond.
Belize District also includes the Crooked Tree and the Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuaries, Belize National Zoo (30 miles west of Belize City), as well as the ancient Maya ruins of Altun Ha.
The Belize District also includes various off shore islands of Belize, including Ambergris Caye, St. George's Caye, and Goff's Caye.
 Cayo - in the west of Belize - district capital is the town of San Ignacio Cayo
In the Cayo District are the Belizian national capital of Belmopan, the town of Benque Viejo del Carmen, the villages of San Antonio Cayo Valley of Peace, St. Margret's, Roaring Creek, Albaina, and Spanish Lookout. Cayo District also contains the Pre-Columbian Maya ruins of Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, and Caracol.
 Corozal - northernmost district of Belize - District capital = Corozal Town.
Other towns and villages in the Corozal District: Chunox, Consejo, Little Belize, Louisville, Patchacan, Progresso, and Xaibe.
The Pre-Columbian Maya ruins are found in Corazal at Santa Rita near Corazal Town, at Louisville, and at Ceros.
 Orange Walk - in the north west of Belize - District capital = Orange Walk Town
Other towns and significant villages : Carmelita, Guinea Grass Town,San Estevan, San Jose, San Pablo, Shipyard, Indian Church, San Carlos and Trial Farm.
Orange Walk District includes the ancient Maya ruin of Lamanai, and the Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area, a large private nature reserve.
 Stann Creek - in the south east of Belize - District capital = Dangriga / Stann Creek Town
Other communites: Big Creek Port [ main port Belize's banana industry ], the peninsula and village of Placencia [ popular tourist resort ], the villages of Independence and Mango Creek and Mullins River.
The Stann Creek District is home to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary & The Jaguar Preserve. Within the preserve is Victoria Peak, the highest point in Belize, at 1120 meters (3,675 feet) above sea level.
 Toledo - southernmost district in Belize - District capital = Punta Gorda
Other communities: towns of Monkey River Town and Toledo Settlement, the villages of San Pedro Columbia and Silver Creek, and the ancient Maya ruins of Nim Li Punit, Lubaantun, and Uxbenka.

 Ambergris Caye - north of Belize City [ 58 km ] - portal site
The largest of the country's cayes. 40km long and almost connected to the Mexican mainland on its northern side. Like Caulker, it has an engaging laid-back atmosphere. The reef is 1km east of the main town of San Pedro. There are a host of excursions offered to diving and snorkeling spots and to other cayes in the region, including to Blue Hole,Half Moon Caye and Turneffe Islands, the only three coral atolls in the western hemisphere
 Belize City
This ramshackle, colorful Caribbean city was Belize's former capital and is the country's only settlement of any size. it's the transport and commercial hub of the country. The main commercial streets are Albert, Regent, King and Orange Sts.
 Caye Caulker - north of Belize City [ 33km ]
7km long and only about 600m wide at its widest point. Actually, Caulker is two islands now since Hurricane Hattie split it just north of the village in 1961. Mangroves cover much of the shore and coconut palms provide shade. The reef is just a short boat ride from the eastern shore and offers some of the world's most exciting diving, snorkeling and fishing. Underwater visibility can be an astonishing 60m and the coral and tropical fish are wonderful.
 Corozal - North Belize, about 200 miles south of Cancún
 Dangriga
 Monkey River Town
 Placencia - Southern Belize
Perched at the southern tip of a long, narrow, sandy peninsula, this laid-back beach town is worth every bump and grind of the dirt roads you need to travel to get here. All commerce and activity used to be carried out by boat, thus the village's 'main street' is just a narrow concrete footpath less than 1m wide. The main attractions are the beaches and water sports, but there's also fishing, bird and manatee watching, overnight camping on remote cayes, and excursions to jungle rivers and the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.
 San Ignacio
 San Pedro

 Lamanai - semi-restored, semi-excavated Mayan site
This impressive site is located in its own archaeological reserve near the settlement of Indian Church. Its 60 significant structures include a grand 34m high late Preclassic building, a small temple and a ball court. Lamanai (submerged crocodile) was occupied as early as 1500 BC and became a major ceremonial center with immense temples long before most Mayan sites. The Maya lived here right up until the arrival of the Spanish; two ruined Indian churches nearby testify to the fact that there were still Maya here to be converted . The 90-minute boat trip up the New River from Orange Walk to reach the site is an adventure in itself. The boat passes the Mennonite community of Shipyard and offers the opportunity to see plenty of birdlife and crocodiles
 St John's Cathedral in Belize City
The oldest [ 1847 ], and most important Anglican church in Central America
 The Cayes - barrier reef
Belize's 290km long barrier reef is the longest reef in the western hemisphere. To the west of the reef are numerous cayes basking in warm water usually not much more than 5m (16ft) deep. The two most popular with travelers are Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. Caulker is commonly thought of as the low-budget island; Ambergris is more resort-oriented.
 Xunantunich [ Stone Maiden ] - archaeological pride of Belize
Set on a levelled hilltop near the Belize River close to the Guatemalan border, Xunantunich controlled the riverside track which led from the hinterlands down to the Caribbean coast. The site flourished as a ceremonial center and is thought to have been abandoned after an earthquake damaged it around AD 900. The site has not been extensively restored, though its tallest building - El Castillo - rises an impressive 40m out of the jungle.

 Baron Bliss Day - on March 9
Honors a philanthropic British nobleman who fell in love with Belize and upon his death willed the bulk of his fortune in trust to the people of Belize.
 Belize Audubon Society
A good source of info on national parks and wildlife reserves throughout the country
 Garífuna Settlement Day - on November 19
Commemorates the arrival of the Garinagus [ Black Caribs ] in dugout canoes from Honduras in 1823. Dangriga is the place to celebrate this festival: the small town explodes in a frenzy of dancing and drinking.
 NEMO - National Emergency Management Organization of Belize
 Press - Belize Times - web-site of the Belizean newspaper
 Protected Area Conservation Trust
 TV - Channel 5 Belize
Leading television station and foremost provider of local and regional programming.
 Zoo - Belize Zoo - The Belize Zoo & Tropical Education Center, Belize City

Cuisine - Belize Cooking recipes

Belize never really developed a national cuisine. You will find elements from the UK, the USA, Mexico and the Caribbean. Traditional staples are rice and beans, often eaten with chicken, pork, beef, fish or vegetables. Coconut milk and fried plaintain add a tropical flavor. Exotic traditional foods include armadillo, venison and fried paca.

 Cooking in Belize 
Belizean Recipes: The standard faire in Belize is pretty pedestrian: Rice, Beans and Chicken in a variety of ways, with some interesting side dishes .....

History of Belize

Independence: 21 September 1981 (from UK)

 History of Belize - Wikipedia
The area now comprising Belize was originally inhabited by Amerindian groups [ Caribs, Arawaks, and Mayas ] The Maya civilization rose in the Yucatán Peninsula to the north, spreading to Belize between the 16th century BC and the 4th century AD.
Contents : Belize before European contact, First European contact, Arrival of the British, Independence of Belize
 Belize History
 Maya Civilization - about the pre-Columbian Maya civilization
The Maya are people of southern Mexico and northern Central America (Guatemala, Belize, western Honduras, and El Salvador) with some 3,000 years of history.
The Maya built breathtaking temple complexes aligned to the movement of celestial bodies. Although they remained technically a Stone Age culture, they also developed sophisticated mathematics, astronomy and calendars.

Music, Culture & Entertainment

 Reading the Maya Glyphs - Michael D. Coe, Mark Van Stone
In the recent past, a working knowledge of the Maya script has been confined to epigraphers, art historians and other specialists. Its very unfamiliarity to the general public, and the daunting aspect of its approximately 800 signs, have made the system appear more complex and arcane than it really is. Reading the Maya Glyphs is a compact, portable guide to enable students, tourists and armchair travellers to read and understand commonly encountered Classic Maya texts. Topics covered include the nature of the script, the intricate Maya calendar, dynastic and political texts, and every aspect of the natural and supernatural world in which they lived. Written by the world's leading authority in Maya studies, Michael D. Coe, and illustrated by the drawings of Mark Van Stone, one of America's outstanding calligraphers, the book presupposes no previous training in Maya epigraphy or archaeology. Whether in the hands of visitors to the great Maya sites of Mexico and Central America or consulted by museum-goers, this guide should enhance their appreciation some of the world's greatest art and architecture.
Hardcover 176 pages (November 1, 2001); Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd.; Language: English; ISBN: 0500051100
 Music of Belize 
Belize culture is a mix of Mestizo, Maya, Spanish, British and African influences. After many centuries of Mayan domination, Spanish and then British colonizers arrived in the area, the latter keeping Belize as its only colony in Spanish-dominated Central America. Far more influentially than either European power's arrival, however, was the importation of African slaves. Europeans brought polkas, waltzes, schottisches and quadrilles, while Africans brought numerous instruments and percussion-based musics, including marimba. African culture resulted in the creation of brukdown music in interior logging camps, played using banjo, guitar , drums, dingaling bell, accordion and an ass' jawbone played by running a stick up and down the teeth. Brukdown remains a rural, rarely recorded genre ......

Web Portal / Search Engine / Directory

 Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry
 Belize.net - The Complete Directory - Index - Search Engine of Information on Belize
 Belizenet.com - Belize by Naturalight ***
The Belize by Naturalight network provides complete and in depth Belize information through a variety of specialty sites such as in-country destination sites, a travel agent directory, summer and travel specials, and a Belize search engine.
 Belize North 
 Locogringo.com - Mayan Riviera Vacation Resorts & Rentals Mexican Caribbean
Riviera Maya Towns: Akumal, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Playacar, Puerto Aventuras, Puerto Morelos,  Soliman Bay & Tankah Bay, Tulum, Laguna Bacalar, Dzibanche & Kohunlich ruins and Xcalak
 You Better Belize It!
In Belize, you can experience the warm Caribbean teeming with the wonders of the deep, and lush, exciting interior where you can walk the pathways of our rainforest and discover the exotic and breath-taking wildlife that awaits you.
 Belizeweb.com - Portal
Telephone Directory, Classified Ads, Internet Usage, Forums, Radio, and more

 Centramerica.com


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