Belize is a beautiful country with many must-do activities that you shouldn’t miss! Belize is a great choice for Americans looking for a relatively inexpensive but exotic tropical vacation. Bonus points is that it is a truly weird and wonderful place!
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Must-Do Activities in San Ignacio, Belize
San Ignacio is a cute little town close to the Guatemalan border in western Belize. It’s popular among backpackers and other tourists who enjoy a small town atmosphere.
The town of San Ignacio has all the amenities you need after a long day of touring . You can dine at brightly-colored restaurants, buy snacks at a grocery store, and enjoy an active nightlife scene. It’s relatively compact and walkable, but taxis are easy to get and cheap.
Try Cave Tubing
One must-do activity in Belize is cave tubing. We tubed through Jaguar Paw Crystal Cave. This required carrying our tubes for about 30 minutes on a flat trail through the jungle to the river. It’s a relief to get into the 70 degree water after such a hike! Your tube guide will paddle you down the Caves Branch River and through several caves filled with water and stone vessels and artifacts used for ceremonial purposes by the Maya more than 1,000 years ago. You can get out of your tube and hike through part of the cave and even jump off a cave cliff into the water!
Visit the ATM Cave
If you are up for a strenuous hike, definitely put Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave on your itinerary! The hike through Tapir Nature Reserve takes 45 minutes but you have the opportunity to swim and climb to the depths of the cave.
The cave was a spiritual site for the Mayans between the years 700-900 and lingered untouched for centuries until 1989. It is full of artifacts including pottery, tools, weapons, and even human remains. Historians believe that the cave was used to conduct human sacrifices, and you can see those remains.
Make sure to book your visit in advance with a licensed guide as they only allow 125 visitors inside the cave each day.
Explore Mayan Ruins
Mayan ruins are a must when visiting Belize! You have plenty of choices, too. Located right in San Ignacio is Cahal Pech, the oldest known Mayan ruins in Belize.
I visited Xunantunich Mayan Ruins. The absolute best part of this visit was getting to ride a hand-cranked ferry across the river to access the site! This is a very impressive Mayan complex with the second largest temple in Belize. On a tour you will hear all about recent archeological findings as well as a few ghost stories!
You can also hop across the border to visit the Tikal Mayan Ruins in northern Guatemala. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the largest pre-Columbian archeological sites. It was established about 3,000 years ago. Most of the structures seen today were erected in the year 700. The Mayan civilization disappeared around the year 800. The ruins were uncovered in the 1950s and 60s.
Must-Do Activities in Hopkins, Belize
Hopkins is a laid back beach town that feels “undiscovered” by tourists located about 2.5 hours from Belize City. You won’t see souvenir stands with vendors hawking t-shirts and magnets. You also won’t see restaurants that solely cater to tourists. While tourists abound, they don’t overwhelm the small village.
Instead, you can easily wander around on foot and discover what a Central American town is like. People are friendly and welcoming. There are plenty of lodging choices and many restaurants right on the beach for dining. Plus there are half a dozen grocery stores to buy anything you might need!
Experience the Jaguar Sanctuary
Belize is home to the only jaguar sanctuary in the world, Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is located on 150 square miles of lush tropical forest. While you might expect to see jaguars there, don’t count on it. After all – it is a sanctuary, not a zoo! So the jaguars don’t come out to meet the tourists on cue! Instead, you can hike through the dense greenery and see all types of other wildlife, including howler monkeys and 300+ species of birds. If you choose, your hike can culminate in a swim in a pool fed by a waterfall. It’s a great way to cool off after your exertions!
Scintillate Your Senses at a Hot Sauce Factory
If you like it hot, then you will love taking Marie Sharp’s Hot Sauce factory tour! The tour takes you through huge vats of aging hot sauce. You also see the bottling process. Be prepared for your nose to run and your eyes to tear – there is definitely a strong presence of habanero peppers in the air! After you tour, you can enjoy unlimited free samples and buy a bottle of your favorite style to take home. My favorite is the pineapple habanero.
Charter a Boat
Hopkins is a great place to charter a boat and spend an entire day at sea. Your captain will take you to all of the best snorkeling spots and provide all of the gear you need. Snacks, drinks, and lunch are also included, so all you need is a swimsuit, towel, and a lot of sunscreen!
Take a Bioluminescence Tour
Experience the otherworldly bioluminescent plankton of Anderson Lagoon located in the Sittee River. Not only will you see a ghostly glow on the water, the sky will be filled with millions of stars due to lack of light pollution in the area. The best way to experience the lagoon is by swimming in the warm brackish water. It’s like swimming in stars!
Must-Do Activities in Caye Caulker, Belize
Caye Caulker feels more touristy than Hopkins, but it still a relaxing place to enjoy a few days of sand and sun during your stay. It is filled with affordable lodging, great restaurants, and shacks and stands to buy native crafts and souvenirs.
The island is only five miles long, so you don’t need to worry about taxis or rental cars. Instead, you can walk or rent a bike or golf cart to take you everywhere you want to go.
Ride a Bike with Purpose
I think the absolute best thing to do in Caye Caulker is to take the Ocean Academy’s Bike with Purpose tour. The Ocean Academy is the only high school on the island. It opened in 2008. Before that, students had to take a very long ferry ride back and forth to Belize City each day. This resulted in many students dropping out by the age of 12.
The Bike with Purpose tour was launched to help fund the school. Students enrolled in the Ocean Academy lead the tour and maintain the bicycles. On a tour, you will ride to all major points of town while a student tells you all about what you are seeing. You will also receive a tour of the school.
Most importantly, all proceeds of the tours fund educational programs at the academy. It’s a great way to learn about the educational system in Belize and get a sense of what daily life there looks like.
Go Snorkeling
Caye Caulker is in close proximity to arguably the best snorkeling spot in Belize. Hol Chan Marine Reserve is part of the Belize Barrier Reef. You will enjoy seeing the amazing coral formations of the Western Hemisphere’s largest barrier reef. Sea turtles, manta rays, crabs, eels, lobsters and nurse sharks will all come out to greet you!
Which of these Belize must-do activities are on your list?
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