Belize

What to do in Belize

Scuba Diving

Most reef diving is done off Ambergris Caye, where the reef is just a few hundred feet from shore. But don't ignore the atolls, which offer truly dramatic sights. Dive shops and guides are plentiful. The Hol Chan Marine Reserve is a break in the reef about 100 feet wide and 30 feet deep. It's rich with marine life and corals, as well as fairy basslets and moray eels. You'll also have a chance of spotting eagle rays, squirrel fish, butterfly fish, parrot fish, and octopus. The recently discovered Shark Ray Alley has been named one of the "seven best animal dives" in the Carribean by Skin Diver magazine, with loads of Nurse Sharks and Southern Sting Rays.

Beaches

Mainland Belize has more mangrove swamps than beaches, but the beaches on the cayes are spectacular. What they lack in size, they make up for in white-coral sand, palm trees, and mint-green water.

Shopping

In Belize City, visit the National Handicraft Center for all sorts of native Belizean products. Belize's beautiful stamps can be bought at Philatelic Society. In Ambergris Caye, head to Belizean Arts and Arts and Crafts of Central America for artwork, jewelry and crafts by local artists. In the Cayo District, check out the Magana Zaac-tunich Art Gallery, which specializes in hardwood carvings. In Seine Bight, near Placencia, step into Lola's Art for cheerful paintings of local scenes, inexpensive crafts, and wood carvings.

Ambergris Museum and Cultural Center

This air-conditioned building has displays that explain how Ambergris Caye was formed and settled by Maya, pirates, missionaries, and fishermen. Among the displays are Maya posts, a 17th-century ebony cross, and deer horn tools.

Belize Zoo

This is the best place to learn about the country's conservation efforts and see the native species you may not spot elsewhere. Though small, the natural settings for the animals are amazing. The zoo is home to jaguars, Baird's tapir, howler monkeys, and other species.

Community Baboon Sanctuary

This is one of the country's most interesting conservation projects. The "baboons" are actually black howler monkeys that have an exceptional roar. The sanctuary's 20-mile stretch along the Belize River is home to more than 1,000 of them and many other species.

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

A chain of swamps, lagoons and inland waterways cover some 3,000 acres in this sanctuary, which was founded by the Belize Audobon Society. Bird-watchers will be delighted by the snowy egrets, ospreys, black-collared hawks, snail kites, and jabiru storks. Canoe tours are offered, and you're likely to see iguanas, turtles and crocodiles, as well.

Altun Ha

These ancient Mayan ruins are the most accessible in the area. The natives lived here from 945BC until 900AD. Explore more than 250 structures spread across more than 1,000 square yards.

Lamanai

Archeologists have found evidence that people occupied this ancient Mayan site from 1500 BC through the 16th century. Some 60 structures are spread across the 950-acre Archeological Reserve, including an enormous stepped temple built into the hillside.

Caracol

This is the most spectacular ancient Mayan site in Belize. Once home to 200,000 people, 5 plazas and 32 large structures remain. See the great pyramid of Canaa, which is still the tallest structure in the country.

Tikal

Right across the border in Guatemala are the most impressive Mayan ruins in all of Central America. People lived here from 600BC through at least 900AD, when Tikal was an important religious and administrative center. Today, great temples still tower above the jungle and ruins and museums are spread across 225 square miles.

Xunantich

Overlooking the Belize River, this ancient Mayan ceremonial center has a commanding view of the Belize Valley and is home to a 130-foot high pyramid, El Castillo. For over 100 years, archaeologists have been studying the magnificent ruins and perplexing wall friezes around the temples. A museum has just opened on-site.

Cave Tubing at Jaguar Reef

An all-day excursion complete with jungle hikes and flora exploration, cave tubing is a surreal experience. You and the inner tube float through underground river caves, peering up at enormous stalactites and stalagmites, and ancient Mayan artifacts.