Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The setting couldn't be better: one of the most
colourful ecosystems on earth, the Belize Barrier
Reef is the longest in the Americas - a complex,
living wall stretching nearly 300km from just
south of Cancún, Mexico down the entire
coastline of Belize.
Diving courses
, for beginners
or experts, are offered in Belize City, San Pedro,
Caye Caulker, Placencia and many waterfront
locations. A dive with PADI certification starts at
Bz$300.
Belize is also tops for
fishing
. In particular,
fly-fishing for bonefish on a catch-and-release basis
has long attracted dedicated anglers to the shallow,
sandy “flats” off the cayes and atolls. Several lodges,
specialist operators and local guides can arrange
this as well as fishing for tarpon and other fish.
Sea-kayaking, too, is growing in popularity, and a
number of outfits organize trips.
Away from the coast,
canoeing
,
rafting
and
tubing
- floating along rivers in a giant inner tube
- are extremely popular, particularly in Cayo District,
where many companies offer these trips. Most of
the same tour operators can arrange
jungle hiking
:
anything from a guided walk along a medicinal
plant trail to very demanding, multi-day jungle
survival courses. Beneath the jungle, Belize's
amazing subterranean landscape is becoming ever
more accessible, with motivated, very competent
caving
guides leading tours and organizing
specialist expeditions.
Caves Branch
Jungle Lodge
(see p.125) in Cayo is one of the best, with every-
thing from cave expeditions to rappelling and rock
climbing to zip-lining.
Horseriding
and
mountain biking
are other
possibilities in Cayo and indeed anywhere in rural
Belize, with some superb routes through forested
hills to Maya sites. Organizers and tour guides of
these activities are listed in relevant places
throughout the Guide.
Licensed guides will have a
photo ID
(often
stating their main field of expertise), which
must be displayed when they're conducting a
tour, but it's not a bad idea to research the reputa-
tions of different companies, as quality can
sometimes vary.
TOP 5 WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS
Howler monkey
See p.61
Manatee
See p.113
Whale shark
See p.96
Toucan
See p.59
Jaguar
See p.193
Spectator sports
The main spectator sport in Belize is
football
(soccer),
which is avidly covered in the press. Belize's national
team is the Football Federation of Belize (FFB;
W
belizefootball.bz). Their main stadium is the FFB
Stadium in Belmopan; check the website for game
days and tickets, which range from free to Bz$15.
Softball
,
basketball
and
volleyball
are also very
popular, as is
track and field
, and televised
American football
and
baseball
have small
followings. As elsewhere in Central America,
cycling
is closely followed and there are frequent
races all over Belize. Finally, there are a number of
horse races
around Christmas and New Year.
Shopping
Compared to its neighbours, Belize has
somewhat less to offer in terms of tradi-
tional crafts or local markets, the latter
being primarily for food. Proper craft
and gift shops are found throughout the
country, but you'll often get better prices
from the artisans themselves, when you
can find them on the street or in villages.
The Belizean Handicraft Market Place in Belize City
(see p.58) is a great place to buy
souvenirs
, with a
wide range of good-quality, genuine Belizean crafts,
including paintings, prints and music. For contempo-
rary
Belizean art
, try The Image Factory Art Founda-
tion in Belize City (see p.58). Also, procrastinators take
note: the airport has a surprisingly decent array of
souvenirs at competitive prices, so you can pick up
last-minute gifts before boarding your plane (with the
bonus of using up your leftover Belizean currency).
Wood carvings
, common throughout the
country,
make beautiful and unusual souvenirs.
Carvers often sell their wares in Belize City and at
Maya sites; their exquisite renderings of dolphins,
jaguars, ships and more are made from
zericote
, a
two-toned wood that grows only in Belize and
surrounding areas. The best wood is
kiln-dried
,
though the items you see on the street may not be.
TOP 5 WATER SPORTS
Diving and snorkelling
See p.96
River tubing
See p.125
Kayaking
See p.195
Sailing
See p.100
Windsurfing
See p.183
