Top 5 things to do during your Belize tour

Unforgettable Belize: 5 Must-See Activities

From wildlife to coral reefs, a holiday in Belize promises to be unforgettable! This small Central American country, spanning around 22,900 km², is brimming with secrets. Here are five must-see activities for your trip to Belize.

For diving and snorkeling enthusiasts, Belize is a dream destination. This small country boasts the second-largest coral reef in the world, stretching 100 kilometers from southern Mexico to northern Honduras. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, the Belize Barrier Reef is a marine biodiversity hotspot. Its warm, clear waters are home to a plethora of tropical fish. Belize offers numerous diving spots suitable for both beginners and experienced divers. In Ambergris Caye, the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Coral Garden, Shark Ray Alley, Gladden Spit, and the Great Blue Hole cater to all skill levels.

The Blue Hole is a fascinating and renowned diving spot. This crystal-clear water cenote was a well-kept secret known only to local fishermen until 1971, when the legendary Jacques Cousteau explored its depths and declared it one of the top 10 best diving spots in the world.

Located a few hundred kilometers offshore from Belize City, the Blue Hole is a nearly perfect circular formation, measuring 300 meters in diameter and 124 meters in depth. It is surrounded by the Lighthouse Reef atoll and is the largest sea hole in the world, originally a cave that was submerged and covered by rising sea levels.

Due to its complexity and depth, only experienced divers are allowed to explore the incredible underwater formations of this iconic site.

Part of the second-largest coral reef system in the world, the Blue Hole is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In 2012, the Discovery Channel ranked it among the 10 most surprising places on Earth.

Did you know? The name “Blue Hole” was coined by British diver Ned Middleton in his book “10 Years Underwater,” published in 1988.

The Blue Hole is visible from space, easily recognizable by its unique circular shape. However, it can also be observed from an overflight in a light aircraft, a one-hour flight departing from Belize City, San Pedro, or Caye Caulker.

Interested in flying over the Blue Hole? Contact us to experience this amazing adventure!

Belize boasts more than 400 islands, including atolls, known as cayes. Some are just a 20-minute trip from the mainland, offering excellent diving and snorkeling conditions.

The Most Visited Cayes

• Ambergris Caye: Stretching 58 kilometers, Ambergris Caye is the largest island in Belize. With its stunning beaches, lagoons, and vibrant underwater world, it is a prime tourist destination, especially the city of San Pedro. Fun fact: Ambergris Caye inspired Madonna’s hit song “La Isla Bonita.”
• Caye Caulker: Known as Hicaco in Garifuna, this 8-kilometer-long island is located on the coral reef, making it a top choice for diving and snorkeling enthusiasts. Caye Caulker retains an authentic charm with its small, colorful houses, sandy roads, and golf carts instead of cars. The island’s motto, “Go Slow,” perfectly encapsulates its laid-back vibe. Be sure to witness the breathtaking sunsets on the west coast.
• Tobacco Caye: A favorite of many, Tobacco Caye is a nearly uninhabited paradise just a few kilometers east of Dangriga, directly on the coral reef. While comfort is minimal—no air conditioning, limited electricity, and basic cabins—the island’s natural beauty compensates. The crystal-clear waters invite visitors to explore marine life through snorkeling, kayaking, or paddleboarding, with chances to encounter manta rays, barracudas, and various fish species. On land, enjoy the white sand from a hammock under a palm tree, or have a beach barbecue with a tropical cocktail in hand.

Belize’s lands were part of the Mayan Empire, which emerged in the Yucatan Peninsula around 2600 BC. During this period, numerous pyramids were built, and these ruins can still be visited today. Some remnants of the Maya civilization remain undiscovered. The oldest and most impressive sites in Belize include:

• Altun Ha: This site inspired the designs on Belizean bills and Belikin beer bottles. Restored in 1963, Altun Ha gained fame for the discovery of a large jade head in a tomb. The site includes two plazas, a ballgame field, and impressive structures such as the Sun God’s tomb.
• Xunantunich: Located 10 kilometers from San Ignacio, this Mayan ceremonial center is organized around three main plazas. The 40-meter-high El Castillo offers a panoramic view of the surrounding valley. The city was abandoned during the 10th century following an earthquake.
• El Caracol: Known as “snail” in Spanish, El Caracol hosts the largest structures built by the Mayan civilization in Belize. It was the most powerful city in the Mayan Empire, featuring a former patio, ballgame fields, residential complexes, and an astronomical observatory. Over 100 tombs have been discovered. On the way back, visitors can enjoy a swim in Rio on Pools, a series of natural pools carved in granite rock.
• Lamanai: This pre-Hispanic city, meaning “submerged crocodile” in the Mayan language, features the Temple of the Jaguar, the Temple of the Masks, a ballgame field, and impressive faces carved on the bas-reliefs of the pyramids. It is accessible only by boat via the New River.

In Belize, there is the ATM Cave (Actun Tunichil Muknal), a cave that was used by the Mayan communities for their traditional rituals and ceremonies. Exploring this cave is one of the most significant excursions that Belize has to offer. Leaving at 7:30 and after a 2-hour drive from your lodge, you start a 45-minute long walk in the Tapir Mountain Natural Reserve. Once you are at the entrance of the cave, it is necessary to swim until the entrance (there is a 3 to 4 meters depth). 3 hours will be spent in the impressive underground system. The excursion is so worth it: you will be stunned by the impressive skeletons and Mayan artifacts. One of the skeletons – a human sacrifice from the late Maya classic period – has been crystallized in a surprising natural process.

Important to notice that photos and videos are not allowed in the cave.

Belize is a land that hosts various cultures and this is reflected in its highly diverse traditional cuisine! Many dishes are a mix of influences: British, American, Mexican, Caribbean, Mayan, etc.

Among the typical and popular dishes in Belize, there are:

• Stews: prepared with chicken, beef, pork or fish
• Rices and beans: cooked in coconut milk, this dish is a mix of rice and red beans. It is THE Belize dish. The rice and beans are usually served with meat (chicken or beef), fried plantain bananas or a salad or coleslaw.
• Cow’s foot soup: a soup with boiled cow foot to soften it and mixed with various vegetables, seasoned with coconut milk and pepper.
• Escabeche: typical Mayan dish, it is a spicy dish with steamed chicken, pickled onions, peppers and other spices. It usually comes with tortillas.
• Chimole: also a Mayan dish, it is a black soup prepared with black recado.
• Hudut: typical Garifuna dish, it is a spicy soup prepared with fish cooked in a coconut broth and crushed plantain bananas. It is similar to Bundiga, a more nutritious dish.
• There are also typical Mexican dishes such as burritos, tacos, ceviches, tamales, etc.

In addition to these typical dishes, you can find dishes from all over the world, such as pizzas, burgers and also European and Asian dishes.

Due to its location, fish and seafood are very popular in Belize. All types of fish can be grilled on a barbecue such as snappers, sea breams, barracudas, lionfish, and also seafood like lobsters, shrimps, etc. And of course… spiny lobsters with all types of sauces for everyone’s taste!

There are also many typical beverages:

• Rum: very present in Belize culture, there is rum in every celebration! Thanks to sugarcane farms, Belize rum has a very good quality. Ambered, white, old or in cocktails, there are so many types of rum for everyone.
• Beer: Belikin is the national beer produced in Belize. A truly national religion, this beer is drunk at almost every bar and restaurant in Belize!
• Wine: produced with fermented cajun nuts or cranbrook, wines are usually produced in the region of Belize river but drunk all over the country!
• Natural fruit juice: mango, watermelon, pineapple, etc.
• Milkshakes: one of Placencia specialities is a seaweed milkshake. Surprising!

As for sweet treats, there are many bakery and restaurants in Belize making donuts, banana bread, raisin bread called “cinnamon buns”, fry jacks (fried bread served for breakfast), johnny cakes (also for breakfast, it is a cake made with flour, coconut milk and cooked with wood fire).

Did you know? Belize chocolate is one of the highest quality! Indeed, Belize has a very long history of chocolate production. The Mayas invented chocolate and is the cause of the cacao production. Moreover, cacao had a great value for them as it was used as a currency. Nowadays, the cacao is mostly produced in the south of the country. There are many family farms to visit to discover more about the cacao history. Obviously, the visit ends with a chocolate tasting!

It is good to know that in Belize, people tend to eat early and most restaurants close very early as well, around 9pm.

Belize has an amazing biodiversity for such a small country. It has one of the strictest environmental protection policies in order to better maintain its natural resources. Almost 70% of the country is tropical forests, among which 40% is declared natural reserves.

Finally the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is our team favorite. This reserve has an exceptional fauna and flora. Indeed, Mountain Pine Ridge reserve is a 780 km2 tropical forest hosting dozens of kilometers of hiking trails leading to small lovely places to swim in rivers and waterfalls. It is possible to observe a lot of birds, as rare as the solitary eagle. 5 of the biggest felines in Belize live in this reserve but they are too discreet: pumas, jaguars, ocelots, margays and jaguarundis. Many activities are offered on site: yoga, mountain bike tours, kayak or tubing (big buoys carried by the current).

Contact our local experts to organize your trip to Belize! Or let you be tempted with a combined trip with Guatemala or another of our destinations!