When I think about Belize I think about sun, pure white sand, and crystal-clear waters. While Belize makes for an excellent tropical getaway, there is so much more to do before or after sitting and relaxing on the beach and catching some waves.
From ziplining through the jungle, to pounding on a Garifuna drum, snorkeling or scuba diving, Belize has a little bit of everything. You don’t just travel to Belize, you experience Belize.
I wonder if many people know or realize that Belize is more than beaches; more than the Belize Barrier Reef, part of the larger Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which is the second largest coral reef system in the world, right after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Belize has thousands of caves. They range from easy walks to challenging hikes that can often turn into squeezes, crawls, climbs, rappels, and swims. For those looking for some adventure, I’d recommend a day trip into one of the many fascinating cave systems.
Did you also know that in addition to being a great adventure destination, Belize also has strong ancient Mayan traditions. There is only a small percentage of ancient Maya temples uncovered in all of Belize. It’s not uncommon to stumble upon ancient pieces of pottery or learn that a distant hill is actually a temple. I highly recommend at least a morning or afternoon exploration of one of the ancient Maya sites and hearing from trained guides all about their temples and traditions.
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve earned your time to relax on the beach. After all, isn’t this why you came to Belize in the first place? My favorite slice of heaven is the charming fishing village of Placencia located at the southern tip of the Placencia Peninsula in southeastern Belize. Bordered on one side by a lovely mangrove-lined lagoon and on the other side by the Caribbean Sea, Placencia has, what I would consider, some of the best beaches in the country. Most hotels and resorts have beach front access so it’s never a far walk to the white sand. Or head into ‘town’ and shop the charming shops, have lunch at one of the beachside cafes, mingle with the locals, or say hello to the friendly dog that swims over every day from one of the nearby islands. Placencia is the place to go to escape and relax.
While you’re enjoying your last tropical drink on the beach, reminiscing about all that you’ve accomplished on your visit to Belize, from cave tubing, to snorkeling with hundreds of species of coral and fish, you might just think to yourself, that was an “unBELIZEable” experience! You are welcome.
