The Great Blue Hole is a massive underwater sinkhole that gives divers an almost perfect circle to dive in. The deeper you go, the clearer the water becomes, revealing amazing stalactites and limestone.
Dive the barrier reef —
The Great Blue Hole is a massive underwater sinkhole that gives divers an almost perfect circle to dive in. The deeper you go, the clearer the water becomes, revealing amazing stalactites and limestone.
Courtesy Belize Tourism Board
Hol Chan is Mayan for "little channel" and this 30-foot-deep cut through the reef makes the Hol Chan Marine Reserve one of the best places for snorkeling and diving. Be sure to drift into Shark Ray Alley where you can swim with both, if you're up for it.
Dive the barrier reef —
Hol Chan is Mayan for "little channel" and this 30-foot-deep cut through the reef makes the Hol Chan Marine Reserve one of the best places for snorkeling and diving. Be sure to drift into Shark Ray Alley where you can swim with both, if you're up for it.
Courtesy Belize Tourism Board
The ruins of Lamanai are one of largest Maya sites in Belize. The name means submerged crocodile, and you can expect to see many if you take one of the water taxis to reach the ruins.
Explore Maya ruins —
The ruins of Lamanai are one of largest Maya sites in Belize. The name means submerged crocodile, and you can expect to see many if you take one of the water taxis to reach the ruins.
Courtesy Belize Tourism Board
The protected Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a great place to spot wildlife. Seeing one of the many un-caged jaguars is great thrill, from a distance.
Spot wildlife —
The protected Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is a great place to spot wildlife. Seeing one of the many un-caged jaguars is great thrill, from a distance.
Courtesy Belize Tourism Board
The Belize Zoo is about an hour from Belize City, and exhibits over 150 native animals. Many of these are nocturnal, so consider one of the night tours.
Spot wildlife —
The Belize Zoo is about an hour from Belize City, and exhibits over 150 native animals. Many of these are nocturnal, so consider one of the night tours.
Courtesy Belize Tourism Board
Belize is riddled with caves and many have running water in them. Caves Branch River is great for cave tubing. But swim into the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave if you want to find Maya pottery and skeletons of the sacrificed.
Go caving —
Belize is riddled with caves and many have running water in them. Caves Branch River is great for cave tubing. But swim into the Actun Tunichil Muknal cave if you want to find Maya pottery and skeletons of the sacrificed.
Courtesy Belize Tourism Board
The Black Hole Drop cave is worth a visit just for the exhilarating entrance by rappelling into darkness.
Go caving —
The Black Hole Drop cave is worth a visit just for the exhilarating entrance by rappelling into darkness.
Courtesy Belize Tourism Board
Caye Caulker is a laid-back coral island just off the Belize coastline in the Caribbean. You reach it by water taxi, and there are no cars there.
Remember to relax —
Caye Caulker is a laid-back coral island just off the Belize coastline in the Caribbean. You reach it by water taxi, and there are no cars there.
Courtesy Belize Tourism Board
Belize musts

Story highlights

The Blue Hole is world-renowned as an open-water diving spot

The best way to tour Ambergris Caye is by golf cart

Lamanai was still occupied by the Maya when the Spanish first arrived

Protected rainforests, Maya ruins, Caribbean beaches and the longest barrier reef in the western hemisphere. Add English as the official language and the widely accepted U.S. dollar, and you can get a great vacation on easy mode in Belize.

Still, with so much to do, it can become a lot of work to fit it all in. Travelzoo editor Andrew Young recommends taking on just a little bit of this country in the heart of Central America at a time, and offers this list of his five top spots to get you started.

The Blue Hole

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The buzz on Belize
01:18 - Source: CNN

Just off the coast of Belize lies an underwater paradise for novice snorkelers and veteran divers. The Blue Hole is world-renowned as an open-water diving spot. During the Pleistocene era, the Blue Hole was a giant cave on dry land. The stalactites and stalagmites remain and are staggering sights through the crystal blue water.

Ambergris Caye

Ambergris Caye is the largest island of Belize, accessible via a small airplane from the mainland of Belize. Believe it or not, the best way to tour Ambergris Caye is by golf cart. Drive around and stop to see mangrove trees, the Belize Barrier Reef that almost touches the shore and lagoons teeming with crocodiles.

Maya ruins of Lamanai

Some use Belize as the entry point to Tikal, the famed ruins in Guatemala, but it is also home to several ancient Maya cities. One of the more interesting is Lamanai, which was still occupied by the Maya when the Spanish first arrived. The cultural collision is forever noted here, between the pyramids and the ruins of two Spanish churches.

Caves Branch River tubing

Geologists recently stumbled across a vast subterranean network of Maya ceremonial caves. At the Nohoch Che’en Caves Branch Archeological Reserve, guides will lead you across jungle pools to the caverns filled with artifacts like sacrificial skeletons. The spiritual underwater history lesson is a must-do.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Interested in the chance see a jaguar up close and personal? The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is the world’s first jaguar sanctuary. And, it’s also a campground where you can pitch your tent, go hiking, and listen to a symphony of jungle sounds.