Belize, which was formerly known under the name British Honduras, is the only country in Central America that doesn’t have access to the Pacific Ocean and only has coastline on the Caribbean Sea on the east. English speaking travelers will feel very confident and convenient there as English is the official language of Belize.
The majority of tourist routes start from Belize City, the largest city and the former capital of the country. Due to several nature disasters and a devastating hurricane in 1961 it was decided to change the capital, but Belize City still has many attractive places of interest. The central part of the city is the location of the Government House that was previously the residence of the British Governor General. Nowadays, the building was transformed into a “House of Culture” and is open for everyone.
Old Belize looks more like a giant open air museum. This is a great place to explore the past of the country and see authentic items from different notable periods in the history of the country starting from the Mayan era to colonial period. Once you explore the historic buildings, head to the beautiful Old Belize Marina. The only beach in the city is also located here. Don’t forget to visit St John’s Cathedral built back in 1812 as this Anglican church is considered the oldest building in the country. The most famous culture landmarks include the Museum of Belize, Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts, Image Factory and Eco-museum Belize.
The new capital, Belmopan, also has much to offer to travelers. Don’t forget to visit St. Herman’s that was used by the Maya to perform their bloody rituals. The mile long cave features remains of Mayan household items, skeletons of victims, beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. Actun Tunichil Muknal is another landmark of Mayan period near Belmopan. This is a burial site located in a complex of caves and features many precious relics from the past. More sights of the Mayan period can be found in Xunantunich ruins and Caracol, which is the location of Ca’ana, one of the biggest temples of the Mayan culture.
Active rest remains one of the biggest attractions of Belize. In this country one can experience some of the best zip lining in the world, during which you will fly over the jungle securely tied to a cable by a harness. Zip lining routes are very long here and consist of platforms built on massive trees. Other popular activities include cave tubing and scuba diving.
Read further:
Cities and sights of Belize
