From Wikitravel

Belize, [1] formerly the colony of British Honduras, is the only country in Central America without a coastline on the Pacific Ocean (only the Caribbean Sea to its east), and the only one in "Latin America" with English as its official language. The country is located between Guatemala to the west and Mexico to the north.

Along the Caribbean it is culturally similar to many of Britain's former island colonies. Inland are native Maya people, and especially in the north and northwest of the country Spanish is often spoken. Many refugees from the Caste War of Yucatan settled here. In the south east is the Garifuna culture.

Attractions include jungle with exotic plants and animals, fishing, swimming, and diving in the sea with attractive reefs, and visiting Mayan ruins.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 3.1 Maya ruins 4 Understand 4.1 Climate 4.2 Terrain 4.3 History 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By car 5.3 By bus 5.4 By boat 6 Get around 6.1 Tour operators 7 Buy 8 Eat 9 Drink 10 Sleep 11 Learn 12 Work 13 Stay safe 14 Stay healthy 15 Respect 16 Contact

Regions

• Northern Belize - districts of Corozal (coastal) and Orange Walk (inland)
• Belize District - home of the largest city
• Ambergris Caye - large barrier island in the north
• Caye Caulker - smaller barrier island in the north
• Cayo - central, inland
• Stann Creek - coastal region south of Belize District
• Placencia - long peninsula (almost an island) off Stann Creek
• Toledo - southern coastal/inland region

Cities

• Belmopan - capital
• Belize City - largest city
• Big Creek
• Corozal
• Orange Walk
• Punta Gorda

Other destinations

Maya ruins

• Altun Ha
• Caracol
• Lubaantun
• Xunantunich

Understand

Climate

Tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May). Frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south).

Terrain

Flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south. Highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m

History

Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1991. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy as the old agricultural products -- sugar, banana, and oranges -- have lost ground. The country remains plagued by high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increased urban crime. In 2006 commerical quantity oil was discovered in the Spanish Lookout area.

Get in

By plane

The international airport is in Ladyville, to the northwest of Belize City

By car

From Mexico via Chetumal, in the north, or on a much rougher road from Guatemala via Tikal.

By bus

Buslines from Guatemala City and Belmopan operate to Flores in Guatemala, and to Chetumal in Mexico.

By boat

Several cruise lines call on Belize City, which is the largest city in Belize. Unfortunately they usually stay only one day, which doesn't really give one the opportunity to really see Belize. You can visit one of the Maya ruins, ride an airboat in the salt marshes just outside the city, shop go to the museum, go to the zoo or take either a short cave rafting trip or snorkeling but that's about it. That means about 70% of the things most tourist would like aren't available, not mention the eco-tourism points of interest.

To Puerto Cortés, Honduras, the Gulf Cruza, a large speed boat (50 people) leaves Placencia each Friday at around 9:30am (4h US$50), going first to Big Creek. It returns to Placencia on Monday. Tickets are sold in the tourist office next to the gas station.

Small speedboats operate on a daily basis between Puerto Barrios and Livingston in Guatemala to Punta Gorda. The ride takes around two hours.

Get around

Several competing buslines operate on the main road in the north-south direction from Punta Gorda to Belmopan and Belize City. Two airlines, Tropic Air and Maya Island Air, serve most towns on a daily basis.

Tour operators

• AdventureSmith Belize Travel [2]. A California-based tour operator specializing in expedition cruises and wilderness adventures. Trips are geared toward active travelers and nature enthusiasts. Naturalist guides offer active tours of ruins, reef and rainforest including private island cayes, wilderness jungle resorts and beachfront villas. Explore Crooked Tree, Chaa Creek, Lamanai, Caves Branch, Jaguar Reef, Placencia and more. Costs from $1299 per week.

BELIZE TRIPS are Belize-based travel experts specializing in diving, snorkeling, fishing, kayaking, sailing, Maya sites, caving, jungle and river trips, horses, waterfalls, culture, fun and relaxation. We will help you plan a rewarding and memorable trip to Belize. www.belize-trips.com US based # 1 561 210 7015. info@belize-trips.com

Buy

The Belize dollar (BZD, usually symbolized with a "$") is officially worth exactly 1/2 of a U.S. dollar. Because of this simple and consistent exchange rate, U.S. dollars are widely accepted, but this means you should be careful to clarify which "dollars" you're talking about when negotiating prices. Belize dollars come in denominations of $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100; $1 and smaller amounts are coins. The 25-cent coin is often called a "shilling".

Eat

Drink

Belikin is the national beer and comes in four varieties: Belikin Premium, Belikin Beer, Lighthouse Lager, and Belikin bottled Draft.

One Barrel Rum is the locally-distilled rum and is very sweet, almost syrupy, with a hint of coconut.

Both are widely available around the country.

Sleep

Learn

Work

Stay safe

Belize City is generally very safe. Just exercise common sense and do not go wandering around all alone after dark. Stay near tourist areas or other commercial zones.

Other areas of Belize are generally safe as well, but like any other place in the world, one should always have some skepticism when dealing with strangers. Most are genuinely helpful, but it never hurts to be cautious.

Stay healthy

Potable water is available in most cities, but bottled or boiled water is recommended if in doubt.

Respect

Contact

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