Belize

Understand

Belize, formerly British Honduras, is the only country in Central America without a coastline on the Pacific Ocean (only the Caribbean Sea to its east). With its British colonial history and a long Caribbean coast, it's culturally similar to many of Britain's former West Indian island colonies, with a majority creole or Afro-Caribbean population. But it also includes a large native Mayan population, especially in the north and northwest of the country. As a result, although English is the official language, Spanish is also often spoken. In the south east along the Caribbean coast live the Garifuna (Black Caribs), an Afro-Amerindian culture. After long journeys starting in what is now the Netherlands in 1790, via Germany, Southern Russia, Canada, the United States, and Mexico, several thousand German-speaking Mennonite Christians arrived in Belize in 1958 after long and detailed discussions with the government regarding specific exemptions and privileges. They are easily recognizable by their speech (somewhat distinctive from modern standard German) and "quaint" dress. Marine tourism is the cornerstone of Belize's economy, driven primarily by the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-largest coral reef system in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Key local marine attractions are primarily accessed via the Northern Cayes or the Southern Peninsula.

History

Like the neighbouring parts of Guatemala and Mexico, this area was settled for thousands of years by the Maya people. They are still here, an important part of Belize's people and culture. While the Spanish Empire claimed the area in the 16th century, the Spanish made little progress in settling here. The British settled first on the coast and offshore islands for logging. In 1798 British Belizean forces defeated

See

The Belize Barrier Reef is a scuba diving paradise, rich in aquatic life including colorful tropical fish, rays, and sharks (along with a couple of shipwrecks). The reef stretches along the whole coast of Belize. It is part of the Great Mesoamerican Reef System, often called the Mayan Reef, which stretches north to the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and south along the coasts of Guatemala and Honduras. Numerous dive shops in coastal towns can arrange escursions to dive sites on the reef. Mayan archaeological sites in Belize tend to be less crowded than the well-known sites in neighboring Mexico and Guatemala, but the smaller crowds make the sites more tranquil and easier to explore. Some of the sites are among the oldest of the Maya civilization. Significant sites include: Lamanai - one of the oldest Mayan cities, established around 1600 B.C., much of the ruins seen today were built in the late Pre-Classic period (arouind 400 BC to 100 AD). Unlike many Mayan cities, it was not abandoned in the 10th century AD, nor in the period following the Spanish conquest or the British occupation, and continued to be occupie

Getting there

Entry requirements All visitors are required to have sufficient funds, US$75 per day, and documents required for their next destination. If entering by land from Mexico, you will be charged a fee of M$533 (Mexican pesos) (as of May 2018) by Mexican immigration unless you can show proof that you paid the immigration fee when you entered Mexico. Your FMM tourist card is not enough. If you crossed at a land border, you'll need the actual receipt from when you paid the fee. If you reached Mexico via a commercial flight, you've may have already paid the fee with your airfare, but the border guards here do not care. You might be able to convince them if you have a print-out of an itemized receipt from the airline showing that this specific fee was included.

Visa-free Nationals who hold passports or refugee documents from all European Union member states, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, Eswatini, Fiji, the Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Namibia, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, Uganda, United States, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe, in addition to passports issued to British Overseas Territories citizens, do not require a visa to visit Belize. All foreig

Getting around

Belize is a fairly small country, and transportation between most destinations is rarely long or tedious.

By plane Tropic Air and Maya Island Air both have multiple flights daily to various towns around the country and to Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. They fly out of both of Belize City's airports, but flights from Belize City Airport (TZA IATA) are often significantly cheaper than those out of Phillip Goldson International (BZE IATA). Domestic flights are generally pretty reasonable priced, and thus popular if your time is limited and budget is not. Flights are operated with planes ranging from 8 to 68 seats. Because of the limited capacity, booking in advance is advisable. For bookings from outside Belize, there is only one airviva internet agent, who can make bookings, take payment (credit/debit cards/PayPal) and then send e-tickets. Some hotels do also offer to make the flight reservation on your behalf.

By bus Several competing bus lines operate on the main road in the north–south direction from Punta Gorda to Belmopan and Belize City. There are bus stations in the main towns, or simply stand on the side of the highway and wave at an approaching bus. Most buses have a conductor in addition to the driver, who stands by the door and will come to your seat to collect the fare at some point during the trip. Fares run anywhere from BZ$2–25 depending on distance travelled. Express buses can save up to an hour and a half (depending on the distance of your trip); they do not stop for passengers waiting on the roadside, making only scheduled pick-ups and drop-offs in towns. Most buses in Belize are retired US school buses (Bluebirds), that have been given a slight makeover, a luggage rack installed, and sometimes a new paint job. They generally aren't too crowded,