The Best Belize Travel Guide - A Couple Days Travel

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The Best Belize Travel Guide

Belize is a beautiful country that provides all of the amazing wonders of any Central American country without the over commercialization you’ll find in other nearby countries. This raw beauty provides a charm that makes this country a great place to visit. It also creates this sense of unknown that can make traveling to Belize feel intimidating. So we’ve put together this Belize travel guide so that you can plan and anticipate in advance so you are well prepared to travel to Belize.

Why Visit Belize?

Belize is a great country in Central America that has a variety of habitats and environments to explore. There is something for everyone packed into this tiny country. From beaches to jungles to reefs to ruins, you’ll find something fun to do here.

But why visit Belize over the other amazing Caribbean and Central American countries in the region? Because it’s easy to navigate! The official language is English and they accept the US dollar. The people are the friendliest people we have ever met and there are so many things to do. Keep reading for more Belize travel advice.

Our Top 4 Things to do in Belize

Scuba Diving and snorkeling: Visit an outer Caye, like Caye Caulker, or a beach town, like Placencia and do some world class scuba diving or snorkeling.

Learning about Cacao: Take a tour of a cacao farm and learn about the history of cacao in Belize.

The ATM Cave Tour: The best tour in Belize, the Actun Tunichil Muknal tour, is part history and all adventure.

Visiting Maya Ruins: Visit ruins throughout the country. If you’d like to see the biggest ruins, visit Caracol, just outside of San Ignacio.

The best time to visit is between November and April. This is the dry season so you’ll have the best chance of clear skies for your Belize itinerary. This is also the busiest tourist season. January through March is the busiest time of year.

The temperatures in Belize are pretty steady year round. However, outside of the dry season, you’ll get frequent rain storms that can put a damper on your day. Typically, you’ll get pop-up rainstorms throughout the day and then the storms clear off. While this can be frustrating, you’ll also get discounts on hotels during the off season that may make braving the weather worth it.

Getting Around:

There are two main Belize travel styles: the Belize road trip and the Belize resort vacation. If you choose to take a road trip, you can rent a car and drive most places in Belize so long as you have 4WD. If you stay in a resort, they will help you book paid tours throughout the country. Because Belize is small, it is still possible to see a majority of the country via tours if you stay in a centrally located resort.

Belize has one main airport just outside of Belize City. You’ll need to arrange transportation from the airport to other areas in the country. If you aren’t driving yourself, you can take a shuttle, a public bus or a private plane to areas throughout Belize.

Language:

English is an official language of Belize. So while Spanish and Creole are also widely spoken, if you speak English, you won’t have a problem communicating.

Know Before You Go

Currency and Budget:

The US dollar is accepted everywhere in Belize. However, they also trade in the Belizean dollar as well. So if you pay in USD, you may receive change in the Belizean dollars as well. $2 BD equates to $1USD. So calculating change can be fun 😉 Also, credit cards are not frequently accepted in Belize. You will need cash or you will want cash because people will give you cash discounts. Additionally, places that accept credit cards, frequently are unable to actually accept them due to broken credit card machines.

Belize is a cheap place to live. Food and lodging in Belize is cheap. Food costs about $25 USD for a full sit-down meal. Accommodations average around $150 USD/night. However, vacationing in Belize can get expensive. Lots of places are so out of the way or restricted that you have to hire a tour guide. Tours typically cost between $75-150 USD for a half day tour. When you pay for one of these each day, your Belize travel costs can skyrocket.

Safety:

Belize felt like a relatively safe place. Tourism is important to the Belizean economy so the popular tourist areas felt really safe. Even when we were offered drugs by an entrepreneurial sprit on the street, it was a very friendly interaction that wasn’t pushy.

The most common crimes are petty theft and pickpocketing so make sure to leave your valuables behind and be aware of your wallet/bags. Just be safe and make smart choices like everywhere else in the world.

However, Belize City does feel a little unsafe. Tourism isn’t popular here and wandering around the street doesn’t feel comfortable.

Tap water in some areas was fine to drink and in other areas it wasn’t. So ask someone if the water at your hotel is good enough to drink. Most places provide bottled water for you if the tap water isn’t drinkable.