Planning a trip to Belize? This Belize travel guide contains everything you need to know to organise an epic trip to this tropical paradise.
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Planning a trip to Belize
Planning a trip to Belize? Great call.
I frequently throw out big claims labelling everywhere my favourite place, but Belize really is one of my favourite countries in the world.
Caye Caulker is literally a tropical paradise on earth, the Belize Barrier Reef has more marine life than any other place I’ve ever dived or snorkelled, you can sleep on remote cayes the size of football fields one night, and in a treehouse in the jungle the next. The locals are warm and funny, the food is tasty and the mainland is covered in the greenest rainforest you could imagine, with hummingbirds, toucans and monkeys running around.
It might be small (the second smallest country in Central America after El Salvador), but it certainly doesn’t lack any of the elements of a great travel destination.
In this Belize travel guide, I’ll share the best places to visit and top things to do, how to get to and around the country, and handy travel info like entry requirements, money matters and SIM cards.
Why visit Belize?
Everybody who knows about Belize loves it, and the country has a very loyal following of travellers who return year after year. But so many people have never even heard of Belize, and have no idea of the tropical paradise they are missing out on!
Budget backpackers steer clear on their travels through Mexico and Central America on the Gringo Trail, but they absolutely shouldn’t. Yes, it’s a bit pricey, but damn, it’s worth it!
So why should you visit Belize?
- 🇧🇿 It’s tiny: Belize is a very small and sparsely populated country, which makes it very easy to travel around. It’s possible to cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, and you can feel like you’ve seen a decent chunk of the country in a couple of weeks. For reference, Belize is a similar size to the state of Massachusetts, but it only has a population of 400,000 people compared with almost 7 million in Massachusetts! That means a lot more wide open spaces and pristine nature.
- 🗣️ English is the official language: this shouldn’t be a reason alone to travel or not travel to a foreign country, but there is no denying it makes the experience a lot easier.
- 🥥 Caribbean vibes: Belize is technically part of Central America, but it’s Caribbean at heart. It was our first taste of Afro-Caribbean culture, and we adored the laidback island vibes, reggae tunes and unique cuisine. It’s unlike anywhere else in the region
- 🐢 Ocean experiences: the Caribbean Sea in Belize is some of the bluest water I’ve ever seen. Spending every day floating in the warm, calm waters was a dream. The Belize Barrier Reef is pristine, and hands down the best underwater experience we’ve ever had, with manatees (!!!), sharks, stingrays, turtles and more, all while snorkelling, not even scuba diving!
- 🐒 Outdoor adventures abound: one minute you’re swinging on a hammock under a palm tree on Caye Caulker, and the next you’re trekking through a cave with ancient Maya artefacts. Belize’s mainland is covered in lush tropical jungle, full of caves, waterfalls, hiking trails, ancient Maya cities and wildlife. You can get the best of the reef and the rainforest here.
Best time to visit Belize
The best time to visit Belize is during the dry season which generally runs from November – April, although some rain is still common on the cayes and coast in December and January.
Belize is a very tropical country and its location in the Caribbean means rain is possible at any time of the year, but travelling during the dry season maximises your chance of dry, sunny days with milder temperatures and less humidity.
Northerly winds blow on the coast during December, January and February, dropping the humidity and making outdoor activities far more enjoyable, although strong winds can sometimes interfere with water and boat activities.
You can expect temperatures between 69°F – 86°F (20°C – 30°C) in coastal areas, and 64°F – 89°F (18°C – 32°C) inland.
December, January and February are peak tourist months, so expect higher prices and reduced availability. You should book in advance for these periods, especially on the cayes. Prices can increase by around 20 – 50% for accommodation and tours.
The rainy season runs from May – October, bringing with it high temperatures, sticky humidity and occasional tropical storms. September and October usually being the wettest months.
Although it doesn’t rain the entire time, there is an increased chance of storms and spells of bad weather, which can ruin beach days and make accessing the jungle attractions difficult. It does mean fewer crowds and much lower prices, so if you’re okay with a bit of rain and are willing to be flexible with your plans, it can be a great time to travel.
SEAWEED 🪸
One thing to be aware of when planning a trip to Belize is that the country is not immune to the devastating sargassum seaweed problem many Caribbean countries experience. This seaweed washes up on beaches on the cayes and coast, rotting and releasing foul smells and ruining the crystal clear blue waters.
It’s impossible to say when it will arrive, and how severe the problem will be, it changes each year and is highly dependent on weather patterns like winds, tides and temperature.
It usually starts in small quantities in February, and is present until the end of the wet season, around October. If you’re on an island, you can usually get away from it as the eastern/ocean sides of the island bear the brunt of it, and the western/inland side of the island is usually sheltered from it.
The government has set up a sargassum forecast, but it’s best to look for local information specific to the destinations you want to visit.
Visas and immigration to enter Belize
Citizens of many nationalities can enter Belize without a visa for tourism purposes for up to 30 days. If you want to stay longer than this, it’s a relatively easy process to extend for a further 30 days at a local immigration office. Check the latest immigration requirements and your nationality here.
You may be asked to show proof of onward travel when you arrive, proving you will leave Belize before your 30 days are up.
If you’re backpacking long-term and don’t have fixed travel plans or a departure flight, you can use a service like Onward Travel, which instantly books you a real flight ticket for just a few bucks, and automatically cancels the booking after 48 hours. You don’t have to pay the full amount for the flight, just their service fee (currently $16).
There are no fees to pay when arriving, however, if you leave Belize via land or sea border into Mexico or Guatemala, you will need to pay an exit tax of $40 BZD or $20 USD. If you fly out of the country, this fee is usually included in your flight ticket.
Language in Belize
Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language.
In reality, most locals also speak Creole and Spanish, but everyone speaks English, which makes travelling really easy.
We have been learning Spanish for the past few years, and while we can usually get by pretty well, I’ll admit, it was such a relief to speak English in Belize. Tasks that would otherwise be tricky, like navigating local transport or making tour arrangements were a breeze, and we were able to connect with the locals more as we could converse fluently.
Is Belize safe to travel?
Yes, overall Belize is a very safe country to travel to. We had zero problems throughout our time here and felt completely safe and comfortable everywhere we went, on the cayes and the mainland.
It’s a well-established tourist destination that receives hundreds of thousands of international visitors each year, from families to retirees, as well as young backpackers. It’s one of the safest countries in Central America.
Most country’s risk rating for Belize is lower or on par with its neighbours. The US Department of State, Canada’s Travel Advisory and Australia’s Smart Traveller all rank Belize at Level 2 – Exercise a High Degree of Caution, with only additional warnings for Belize City.
Like most countries in the region, Belize does experience high levels of crime, mostly involving gangs and drug trafficking, but this is restricted to small sections of Belize City.
The majority of crime in Belize occurs in the ‘Southside’ of Belize City, which is the area south of the Haulover Creek Canal. To be honest, Belize City isn’t the greatest or most exciting destination to visit, so you really have no reason to hang around, and it’s easy to avoid the Southside completely.
Most visitors will transit through the city at some point during their trip, as it has the country’s only international airport and is the gateway to the northern cayes (Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker). If your plans mean you need to transit through the city, it’s nothing to worry about. There is a more touristy area on the north side of the creek, with some nice hotels and restaurants that are very used to hosting international tourists, just steer clear of the Southside/
Our flight arrived late so we had to spend the night in Belize City before taking the ferry to Caye Caulker in the morning and we had no problem. The city isn’t particularly nice, but we didn’t feel unsafe.
Places to visit in Belize
Whether you’re looking for a tropical island getaway, a long, sandy beach on the coast or a base for jungle adventures on the mainland, there are so many great places to visit in Belize.
We had a really hard time choosing which places to go, and we only scratched the very surface of this amazing country!
- 🌺 Caye Caulker: while neighbouring Ambergris Caye might hold the title of most popular tourist destination, we think Caye Caulker is where it’s at! This island is everything you dream of in a tropical, Caribbean paradise and ticked all our boxes for an island getaway. Laidback, friendly vibes? Check. Sandy, palm-lined streets with no cars and only bikes for transport? Check. Crystal clear blue waters? Amazing reef and snorkelling? Incredible sunsets? Check, check and check. I could see myself moving to Caye Caulker and never leaving.
- 🏝️ Tobacco Caye: there are hundreds of cayes (islands) scattered all over the Caribbean in Belize. Some are totally uninhabited, and others house exclusive luxury resorts that most people could never afford. Tobacco Caye is the perfect balance! This tiny caye is the size of a few football fields. It’s not luxury, but there are a handful of rustic resorts where you can live out your Castaway fantasy.
- 🌿 Hummingbird Highway: we think this region is the most underrated part of Belize. It’s full of super lush, tropical rainforests, national parks with swimming holes, waterfalls and caves, and of course – hummingbirds! Stay in a jungle treehouse and immerse yourself in the green landscapes.
- 🦎 San Ignacio: the adventure hub of Belize, San Ignacio is a busy and bustling town in the Cayo District in Western Belize. Any kind of jungle or outdoor activity you want to do in Belize, you can do it here! Cave tubing, ziplining, climbing Maya ruins, jumping into waterfalls, spotting wildlife – the list is endless. Base yourself in San Ignacio and experience the inland treasures of Belize.
This is just a tiny sample! We’ve got a post dedicated to the top 10 places to visit in Belize, which will give you some inspiration when you’re at the very start of planning a trip to Belize and deciding where to visit.
The only part of Belize off-limits for tourists in terms of safety is the Southside of Belize City, so you’ve essentially got all of this gorgeous country to choose from!
🏖️ Get our full list of the best places to visit in Belize
Best things to do in Belize
I’ve got a post about the top 10 things to do in Belize and countless recommendations in my destination articles. But if you’re at the very start of planning a trip to Belize, here are some highlights I think it’s worth crafting your trip around!
- 🦈 Snorkelling or scuba diving: the Belize Barrier Reef is one of the most pristine and vibrant reefs we have ever experienced (and we’re from Australia!). Even if you’re not a scuba diver, snorkelling here is out of this world. You can organise snorkel tours from any of the cayes or coastal towns, but snorkelling in Caye Caulker is especially popular, as you’ve got a great chance to see manatees, as well as nurse sharks, giant stingrays and the gorgeous Hol Chan channel.
- 🛕 Visit an ancient Maya city: Belize was part of the great Maya civilisation and still has a strong Maya population and culture today. The ruins of these epic cities are scattered all over the country, and you have to visit at least one to witness how truly advanced these societies were. From San Ignacio, you’ll have easy access to Xunantunich, Caracol and Cahal Pech.
- ✈️ Fly over the Great Blue Hole: one of the most incredible natural sights I’ve ever witnessed and the global icon of Belize, the Great Blue Hole is a marine sinkhole in the middle of the ocean on the Belize Barrier Reef. Measuring over 120 m (400 ft) deep, and 300 m (900 ft) wide, seeing this epic sight from the window of a tiny plane is something for the bucket list. It’s a big expense, but it is SO worth it.
- 🔦 Explore Belize’s underworld: hiding under the surface of Belize’s mainland is an extensive network of caves, with underground rivers and cenotes. The Maya believed caves were the portal to the underworld, Xibalba, and used these dark places to perform human sacrifices to the gods. Today, you can venture deep inside some of these cave systems. The ATM Cave is the most sacred in the country, and you can see skeletal remains of human sacrifices and important artefacts. There are also opportunities to canoe or float on an inflatable tube through underground cave rivers.
- 🌿 Stay in a jungle lodge: Belize might be best known for its tropical cayes, and while they are incredible, you need to spend some time in the jungle on the mainland! The country has an extensive network of fantastic jungle lodges, where you can fully immerse yourself in the rainforest. Spot birds and wildlife from your room, hike jungle trails and enjoy refreshing rivers, waterfalls and natural pools. They range from luxurious and all-inclusive to rustic and affordable. Check out our top recommendations here.
🐆 Read more top things to do in Belize
Getting to Belize
BY AIR ✈️
Belize only has one international airport, the BZE Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport in Belize City.
The airport is well-connected, with direct flights from a handful of cities in the USA, Canada and around Latin America.
Even if Belize City isn’t your final destination (it’s probably not!), you will have to fly here first and then transfer to a domestic flight if you’re opting to fly directly to the cayes. Or land here, and get a shuttle to the water taxi dock in Belize City to travel by boat.
BY LAND 🚌
If you’re already travelling in the region, you can easily cross into Belize by land from Guatemala or Mexico.
- 🇬🇹 From Guatemala: the most common crossing is in the north of the country, from Flores in Guatemala to San Ignacio in Belize. It’s a pretty straightforward crossing, and we had a very easy experience doing it in the reverse direction (from Belize to Guatemala).
You can book a tourist shuttle from Flores to San Ignacio if you want an easy, stress-free trip. Otherwise, it’s pretty straightforward to get a colectivo van from Flores to the border town Melchor de Mencos on the Guatemalan side. You’ll cross the border on foot by yourself, and pick up a taxi or bus to San Ignacio on the other side.
- 🇲🇽 From Mexico: you can cross via land from Chetumal in Mexico to a number of destinations in Belize. If you’re planning to travel the north of the country (e.g. Corozal or Orange Walk), it will be a quick and easy trip and you can use chicken buses and colectivos. If your first destination in Belize is further south, it’s probably easiest to book a comfortable coach bus or tourist shuttle from Chetumal to Belize City, and you can make onward arrangements from there. You can also book a bus directly from Bacalar, which you’ll most likely be coming from (Chetumal isn’t anything special!).
BY BOAT 🚤
If you are already travelling within the region and you’re coming to Belize from either Mexico or Guatemala, a slightly nicer and quicker way to travel is via boat.
- 🇬🇹 From Guatemala: is a less common route, but if you’ve ended up in Eastern Guatemala in their Caribbean region (Rio Dulce, Livingston, Puerto Barrios), possibly on your way from Honduras, you can cross the border to Belize via boat. Boats leave from Puerto Barrios and Livingston, before dropping off at Punta Gorda in southern Belize. They’re not daily and schedules change a lot so ask around at some local accommodations for updated information. I believe Requena’s Charter Service currently offers these routes.
- 🇲🇽 From Mexico: taking a boat from Chetumal to Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker is a really easy way to travel between Mexico and Belize. It’s much quicker than having to connect via Belize City, and although at first glance it costs a bit more, once you add up your bus from Chetumal to Belize City, and your ferry from there, it evens out. You can book from Chetumal – Ambergris Caye or Chetumal – Caye Caulker.
Getting around Belize
Belize is a small country, and getting around is relatively straightforward. The types of transport you choose will depend on the destinations you’re visiting, and your budget.
- ✈️ Plane: despite being a very small country, Belize does have a large network of regional airports. Flights are sometimes as short as 20 minutes, and for this time, I’d encourage you to consider alternative means of transport to reduce your carbon emissions. It really doesn’t take that long to travel overland/by boat.
- 🛥️ Water taxi: to get to, from and between the cayes, water taxi is the main form of transport. San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi is the most reputable operator, and they run services between Belize City, Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye.
- 🚙 Rental car: on the mainland, the easiest (but most expensive) way to get around is with a rental car. There are lots of agencies to rent cars in Belize City, but you’ll also find smaller, local options scattered around the country if it doesn’t suit your itinerary to collect a car in the city. We found driving in Belize pretty straightforward. The roads are in decent condition in the main towns, but once you get a bit further out into the jungle, a 4×4 or at least a vehicle with higher clearance is helpful. Renting a car can indirectly save you money, as you can skip a pricey tour and visit attractions independently.
- 🚐 Tourist shuttle: if you don’t want to rent a car, but you’re not interested in catching a bus, you can take a tourist shuttle. There isn’t an extensive network like you’ll find in neighbouring Guatemala. The main route is pretty much from Belize City (and the cayes) to San Ignacio and vice versa, from San Ignacio – Belize City (and the cayes). If you’re heading further south to Hopkins or Dangriga, most options are private (and therefore costly), so taking the bus or renting a car is better value.
- 🚌 Chicken bus: Belize has a pretty decent local bus network. You can pretty much get to any of the main destinations around the country via bus – maybe multiple. Despite its small size, bus travel can still be long and slow, but it is by far the cheapest way to get around the country. It’s great for connecting between destinations, but buses aren’t really that helpful when you’ve arrived at a destination and are trying to get to sights or attractions.
- 🚕 Taxis: there is no Uber or rideshare in Belize, but local taxis are found all over the mainland. If you want to get somewhere the bus doesn’t run, taxis are your best bet. They are pretty affordable, just be sure to negotiate before you get in as meters aren’t really used. Sometimes taxis are ‘colectivo’ style, meaning they will stop to collect other passengers.
- 🚐 Tours: most of the main attractions on the mainland can only be visited with a guide, so a lot of the time you’ll be transported by your tour company and won’t need to worry too much about local transport.
- 🚲 Bicycle: if you’re spending time on the cayes, like Caye Caulker, you’ll quickly work out there are no cars. Bicycle is the best way to explore the sandy streets! You can also rent golf carts, but we think bikes are much more fun (and cheaper).
Belize travel route
There are a million and one different ways you can plan your travel through Belize. It depends on the destinations you’d like to visit, the type of transport you’re choosing and whether you’re coming from, or continuing onto another country in the region.
The best Belize travel routes combine some time on the cayes and some time exploring the jungle on the mainland. If you’re a serious beach bum, you can also include a stop at one of the mainland beach towns, like Hopkins or Placencia.
I wouldn’t spend any less than a week in the country. Despite being small, there is so much to see and do, and any less than that, you’d be rushing or sacrificing on major sights, unless you stuck to one destination only. The most popular destinations in the country, Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker and San Ignacio are absolutely jam-packed with things to do, and I wouldn’t recommend any less than 3 nights in any of them, at the absolute minimum.
With a week, I’d recommend choosing one caye (Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker) and one inland, jungle destination (the most common choice is San Ignacio).
If you’ve got longer, you can get a bit more creative and off the beaten path. We think we came up with the best 2 week itinerary, hitting the popular spots (Caye Caulker and San Ignacio), but also adding in some unique experiences like a multi-day sailing tour, staying on a remote caye and road-tripping along the Hummingbird Highway.
- Caye Caulker (5 nights)
- Ragga Sailing Adventures multi-day sailing tour (2 nights)
- Tobacco Caye (2 nights)
- Hummingbird Highway (2 nights)
- San Ignacio (3 nights)
🇧🇿 Steal our exact Belize itinerary
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Accommodation in Belize
There are all kinds of accommodations available in Belize, from hostels to luxury island resorts and jungle lodges. It does trend towards the more expensive side, but there are seasonal and regional variations, with the mainland being a lot cheaper than the coast and cayes.
What you won’t find in Belize is cookie-cutter chain hotels and resorts, which we loved. Instead, you’ll find (mostly) locally owned options, built in local style, whether that’s a colourful clapboard cabin in the Caribbean or a palm-thatched hut in the jungle. This isn’t true of all developments, but overall the accommodation has a much more authentic and local feel, rather than a clinical, monolithic resort style.
If you’re on a tight budget, there is a good network of hostels and guesthouses around the country, and you can get a dorm bed for around $15 – $20 USD per night.
🛏️ Best-rated hostels:
If you’ve got a bit more cash to splash, Belize has some amazing accommodation options that offer a complete and unique experience, more than just a place to sleep at night.
Whether that’s a resort on a remote caye in the Caribbean or a jungle lodge nestled into the rainforest of the mainland, Belize does eco-accommodation exceptionally well. Splurging on something like this for at least a few nights can be the highlight of your trip.
🏝️ Best remote island accommodations:
- Tobacco Caye Paradise
- King Lewey’s Island Resort
- Ranguana Caye Cabanas
- Thatch Caye Resort
- Turneffe Island Resort
- Glover’s Atoll Resort
- Ray Caye Island Resort
🌿 Best jungle lodges:
- The Lodge at ChaaCreek
- Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge
- Blancaneaux Lodge
- Gaia Riverlodge
- Table Rock Lodge
- Bocawina Rainforest Resort
- Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge
- Jaguar Creek
- Chan Chich Lodge
- Pineapple Hill Lodge
I’ve got more detailed recommendations on where to stay (for a range of budgets) in each respective destination guide.
Money in Belize
The official currency of Belize is the Belize Dollar (BZD). They have colourful notes of $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100, and coins in 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 cents and $1.
The unique thing about Belize’s money is that the Belize dollar is fixed against the US Dollar at a rate of $1 USD = $2 BZD.
This rate never changes, and you can pay with either currency interchangeably anywhere in the country. If you pay in USD, expect that you may get change in BZD.
Larger-scale hotels and restaurants accept credit cards, as do most tour agencies, but there is sometimes a surcharge for paying with card, so ask before you tap.
Small local establishments will only accept cash, and you should always stay stocked with cash in either USD or BZD.
Atlantic Bank offers free ATM withdrawals which is a bonus. The withdrawal limit varies depending on the ATM, but we were able to take out $1,500 BZD in Caye Caulker which was much higher than we thought. Most people say you can only get $500 BZD, but we always try our luck with a higher amount.
ATMs are widely available, but not in abundance, and they can run out of money or have large queues, particularly in remote places like Caye Caulker. When you get the chance, withdraw a large amount and safely lock it away in your luggage.
Costs of travelling in Belize
It’s no secret that Belize is quite expensive to visit, in comparison to other countries in the region. It’s much more expensive than Mexico or Guatemala, and we spent a fair bit more than our usual travel budget while we were here.
Honestly, we weren’t mad about it though! Belize is INCREDIBLE and everything we spent money on was so worth it.
The experiences are bucket list, once-in-a-lifetime, we stayed in some really unique accommodations, including an overwater bungalow on a football-field-sized island and a jungle treehouse. Like I said – worth it!
Typical costs of travel in Belize:
- 🛖 Basic – mid-range private accommodation: $60 – $100 USD per night
- 🛏️ Dorm bed: $15 – $20 USD per night
- 🍳 Breakfast fry jack: $4 BZD
- 🍚 Rice and beans with non-seafood protein: $15 BZD
- 🦞 Lobster (in-season) with rice and vegetables/salad: $25 BZD
- 🥞 Nice cafe breakfast: $25 BZD
- 🍻 Local beer: $7 BZD
- 🚤 Water taxi Belize City – Caye Caulker: $25 USD
- 🚌 Local bus Belize City – San Ignacio: $10 BZD
- 🚙 Car rental 24 hours: $80 USD
- 🤿 Full-day snorkelling tour on Caye Caulker: $90 USD
- ☠️ ATM Cave tour: $120 USD
- 🛕 Entry to Xunantunich Maya ruins: $10 BZD
💰 Check out our complete Belize budget breakdown for everything we spent
Tipping in Belize
Belize does have a tipping culture. Although not as strong as in the US, the prevalence of North American travellers has made tipping customary, particularly in the tourism and hospitality industry.
If you’ve been served in a restaurant, you should tip 10 – 15%. Street food stalls don’t expect this.
Tip 10% at least for your tour guides, same for any spa or beauty services.
In hotels, you can leave tips in your room for maids or tip porters directly. Otherwise, add a gratuity to your final bill to be divided amongst the staff.
Phones and SIM cards
The SIM card situation in Belize is not great. Their main provider, DigiCell, is expensive for what you get with limited data on most plans. Service is patchy outside the main destinations too.
They have a specific tourist SIM, which we initially thought was a bad deal, but with hindsight, it would have been a better choice.
It’s $20 USD ($40 BZD) and includes 25 GB of data which is much, much more than their standard prepaid plans. However the SIM card is only valid for 21 days, BUT the data and call allowances only last 10 days.
You can purchase extra data plans after the 10 days if your trip is longer, but the SIM card will expire after 21 days.
We purchased a standard pre-paid SIM card from the Digi store in Caye Caulker. We had to pay $22.5 BZD to purchase the registered SIM card, and then a data plan on top of that for $35 BZD, that only had 5.5 GB. The tourist SIM would have been a much better option.
The best place to buy a SIM is a Digi store. There are stores all over the country, in every major tourist destination, including Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. You’ll need to bring a copy of your passport to buy and register the SIM.
There aren’t any stores inside the airport. However, there is one just up the road in Ladyville if you’re driving from the airport, or are able to organise your taxi/shuttle to stop briefly. Otherwise, you can walk out of the terminal to TC Paradise Auto Rentals which sells Digi SIM cards too.
Food and drink to try in Belize
It’s no secret that Central America is not the world’s most exciting culinary destination. Mexico it is not! We thought the food in Belize was some of the best in the region though, and we had tons of really tasty meals here.
Food to try in Belize:
- 🍚 Rice and beans: the staple of all Belizean cuisine, ‘rice and beans’ is the national dish. It sounds basic, but it is anything but – the way they cook their rice, mix it with red kidney beans and tasty coconut milk is DELICIOUS. The most common dish in Belize would be rice and beans with a side of salad (usually slaw or potato), sweet fried plantain and some kind of protein, like stewed chicken or meat, or something from the BBQ.
- 🦞 Lobster: and all kinds of seafood really, but during the lobster season from June – February, you’ll find this delicacy available on every menu, and it is cheap! You can get a lobster tail with rice and sides for $25 BZD in Caye Caulker!
- 🍳 Fry jacks: breakfast of champions in Belize, fry jacks are deep-fried dough pockets stuffed with your choice of goodies. You can have beans, cheese, eggs, bacon and more, topped up with some tasty hot sauce – delicious!
- 🌶️ Marie Sharp’s hot sauce: the most loved woman in Belize, Marie Sharp is the creator of the iconic range of habanero hot sauces that you will find on every restaurant table in Belize. There is a range of different flavours, from the standard red bottle, to zesty pineapple, mango, grapefruit and more. To this day, we order Marie Sharp’s hot sauces to be shipped all the way to Australia because we love them so much!
- 🌮 Tacos / salbutes / garnaches / pupusas / panades: I’m grouping these items together because they are all generally sold from street food carts. Each is some kind of variation of a corn or flour tortilla either topped or stuffed with things like meat, pico de gallo, avocado, cabbage and pickled onions. Oh and hot sauce! Cheap, quick and tasty.
- 🍗 Jerk chicken: a typical accompaniment to rice and beans, jerk chicken comes from Belize’s Caribbean influences. Juicy, barbequed chicken rubbed with a mix of seasonings.
- 🍛 Curries: the coconut-style seafood curries on the cayes were Brayden’s favourite meal in Belize. They are so creamy and flavoursome. It’s hard to compare it to anything else, as they’re not like Indian or Thai curries, but damn they are good!
- 🦐 Ceviche: there is so much fresh seafood available on the cayes and coast, ceviche is a very tasty way to enjoy it! It’s most commonly made with conch and shrimp in Belize, cured in lime juice with the classic pico de gallo mix (tomato, onion, cilantro). They usually serve it with tortilla chips.
Drinks to try in Belize:
- 🍻 Belikin beer: Belikin is Belize’s national beer. Its logo is the iconic Maya temple at Altun Ha. It’s a light lager that goes down perfectly on a hot day with your feet in the Caribbean Sea! They do have a stout version too.
- 🍹 Rum punch: you did not go to Belize if you didn’t drink far too much rum punch. A staple on any boat tour (usually mixed in a huge 5-gallon water jug) and the cheapest mixer drink in any bar, I think each bartender has a slightly different recipe. Essentially it’s a mix of light and dark rum with some coconut cream, pineapple juice, orange juice and grenadine. It goes down way too easily!
- 🍍 Panti rippa: another local rum-based mixer drink, a panty rippa is a simpler drink, with coconut rum and pineapple juice.
- 🥛 Horchata: a tradition brought over from Mexico, horchata is a non-alcoholic beverage made from rice. It’s blended with vanilla, cinnamon and nuts for a sweet, creamy drink.
- 🍊 Fruit juices: there is an abundance of delicious tropical fruits in Belize, and pretty much any of these can be blended up into a refreshing juice/smoothie.
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Belize travel guide: Final thoughts
I love Belize so much. Writing this guide has brought back so many happy memories and I cannot wait to get back there soon.
It might be small, but it is an incredible country, with the warmest, kindest people, the most incredible ocean, impeccable tropical vibes and a stunning jungle mainland with plenty of potential to get off the beaten track in nature.
I hope this Belize travel guide has inspired and equipped you for your trip, and if you still have any questions, please drop them in the comments.
Don’t forget to check out our other Belize articles, for more detailed guides to the best destinations around the country and tons more info to assist you in planning a trip to Belize.
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