TOP 5 THING TO DO IN BELIZE
Belize is a small country in Central America with Caribbean vibes. A mixture of jungles, ruins and the second largest barrier reef in the world make this an incredibly exciting destination to visit and explore.
We put together our top 5 recommendations of what to do and see when visiting Belize.
MAYAN RUINS
Belize is only a small country but has some of the best Mayan ruin sites in the mesoamerica. If you are visiting Belize then you are most likely going to visit some of the Mayan ruins as well. We visited Caracol, it is the largest Mayan ruins excavated in Belize and at its peak covered an area of 200 square km and had a population double that of modern day Belize City.
There are five main sites in Belize that can be visited. Caracol, Lamanai, Xunantunich, Altun Ha and Lubaantun. Tikal across the boarding in Guatemala is also easy to visit from Belize.
ATM CAVES (ACTUN TUNICHIL MUKNAL)
The ATM caves are a network of caves famous for Mayan skeletons, stonework and pottery. You have to wade, swim and walk through the tunnels until you eventually end up at what is thought to have been a sacrificial location where the skeletons lie.
The caves are totally black without a torch and what amazed us was how the Mayan people navigated the caves and even sacrificed people in the caves with no light except fire. They would have had to carry the fire through the very wet caves which makes the whole journey very impressive. On the way out from the cave we saw a large spider on the cave wall. After some research we found that large predatory spiders live in the cave as well as other animals and creatures. Just try not to think about the spiders, or touch the walls without looking!
In 2012 a tourist dropped their camera on one of the skeletons crushing the skull which was over 1000 years old. Cameras are now banned in the caves.
THE GREAT BLUE HOLE
Part of the Belize Barrier Reef, the Blue hole is 318 meters wide and 124 meters deep. It is a giant marine sinkhole formed over a long period when the ocean levels were much lower. The site is a popular dive site where divers can explore in crystal clear waters. Located 43 miles off the Belize coast it lies near the centre of Lighthouse Reef which can be seen from space.
Image licensed from Shutterstock Images
AMBERGRIS CAYE
The largest island in Belize and home to water sports and reef exploration. This island is a fantastic getaway to enjoy many different activities or simply relax and sunbathe.
A perfect destination for families to snorkel the barrier reef and even swim with sharks and many other types of sea life.
Read about our time on Ambergris Caye here.
BELIZE BARRIER REEF
Belize’s top tourist destination and part of the 560 mile Mesoamerica barrier reef system making it the second largest coral reef system in the world. The Belize section of the reef is 190 miles long and also has three impressive Atolls, one of which is home to The Great Blue Hole. It is estimated that only 10% of species on the Belize reef has been discovered, with 90% of the reef still needing to be researched.
