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The tiny Central American country that is Belize is known for its UNESCO world heritage site, the great Belize Barrier Reef that happens to be the world’s second largest reef system in the world. Apart from that it was also listed as one of the world’s top happiest places by the Happy Planet Index. If you don’t already know what a Belize Vacation is like, here are 10 of many more reasons why you should visit this Caribbean paradise.
Photo of the day: Stunning Coral Reefs of South Water Caye, Belize!
A journey into the caverns of Actun Tunichil Muknal is a journey to the entrance of Xibalba—the Mayan underworld. To get there you’ll need to endure a bumpy 45-minute drive, a 45-minute hike through the jungle, three river crossings on foot, and a claustrophobia-inducing swim into the narrow mouth of the waterlogged cave.
From the moment you arrive in Belize – whether you are an adventure traveler, part of a family trip or in the country for a relaxing beach vacation – Belizean people and culture make you feel as welcome and comfortable, like nowhere you’ve ever visited.
Jaguars roam Belize’s tropical Cockscomb forest, the heart of a pioneering plan to carve a green corridor linking the big cat species across the region.
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Placencia Belize is not a lot different from other destinations in the country and a great place to enjoy some authentic Belize nightlife. You can find Garifuna drummers and locals dancing to a style called “Punta.” Crack back, relax and enjoy the cool sea breeze with a couple ice-cold Belikin beers, or join the locals for a fun night of Belizean-style dancing.
With sixteen miles of sandy beaches, the impossibly blue Caribbean on one side, a mangrove-fringed lagoon teeming with life on the other, Placencia is indeed very special. And just offshore are myriad cayes, or small islands, dotting Belize’s barrier reef, the second largest reef in the world. Uncrowded diving, snorkeling, fishing, kayaking and island exploration trips are less than an hour away.
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“I think we passed that point where we had to show people where on the map we were,” Duran says. “We [are now] developing the music and showing the world it is a very interesting living culture. It may not be your regular pop or reggae music, but for Belize, it’s … not something that you go into the village to hear.”
Belize has some of the best dive sites in the Caribbean. Spanning the length of Belize is the 2nd biggest barrier reef in the world. In many other parts of the Caribbean the diving is around volcanic rock! The Belizean barrier reef boasts an incredible array of marine life making it one of the premier Caribbean destinations for diving and snorkelling.
Belize’s culinary practices reflects the country’s multiethnic society and rich history. When you combine the numerous elements in Belizean cooking – from early Maya civilizations through to the British colonists, the vivacious African influences, the attempted Spanish conquest, the Mennonite farming communities and the more recent arrival of many other cultures and you have a recipe for something very extraordinary indeed.