Belmopan

Getting there

Getting into Belmopan is easy. Two highways serve as an entrance to Belmopan: the Hummingbird Highway and George Price Highway (formerly known as Western Highway). Travel from Belmopan to Belize City using the novelos or the batty bus lines is less than BZ$12 (Belizean dollars) - US$6 - per person.

The 1 Belmopan Bus Terminal is on the corner of Constitution Dr & Bliss Parade towards the southwest corner of the government campus.

Getting around

You can get around Belmopan by car or taxi, but Belmopan is a small city. Walking can get you around and really show you the true city.

See

Many tour companies in and around Belmopan, Belize Jungle Masters being the best for zip lining and run tours to a wide variety of interesting caves, ruins, and jungle trails. Belize True Adventures and Upside Down Tours are known for providing amazing tours to St. Herman's Cave and Crystal Cave at the Blue Hole National Park. It's a good idea to look for reviews for other tour companies on review sites before booking, in case some of them may have treated guests poorly. Most of these are day trips, leaving early in the morning and returning the same afternoon. Note that not all tours are available on any given day. Most tour companies require a certain minimum number of registrations before they'll make the run. Checking in the night before for which tours are available the next day is often the best option.

1 St. Herman’s Cave (21 km SSE of Belmopan). Exploring a remote cave once used by the ancient Mayas for ceremonial purposes. Hundreds of pieces of Mayan pottery chard's can be seen inside the cave. The cave is approximately a mile long and is adorned with beautiful stalactite and stalagmite making this a beautiful place for photographs (updated Jun 2017) 2 St. Herman’s Cave Tour (Belize Inland Tours), Blue Hole National Park, Mile 42 Hummingbird Highway, Cayo District (21 km SSE of Belmopan), ☏ +501 634 5384, [email protected]. (updated Jun 2017) Cave tubing - Enjoy floating past side windows that filters the jungle light through the mist as you swirl around stalactites and stalagmites looming from above and below through the underworld mystic cave caverns. Cave tubing can be done at either Jaguar Paw or St. Herman's Blue Hole National park, just minutes away from Belmopan. 3 St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park. 575 acres of forest rich with wildlife with Blue Hole. (updated Jun 2017) Mountain Cow/Crystal Cave Entry to cave is only allowed with tour/approved guide Mountain Cow Cave Tour (MayaWalk) (Crystal Cave), Blue Hole National Park (Depart San Ignacio. 8½ hrs), ☏ +501 824 3070, [email protected]. Min 2 people US$110/person. (updated Jun 2017) Mountain Cow Cave Tour (Belize Inland Tours) (Crystal Cave), Blue Hole National Park, Mile 42 Hummingbird Highway Cayo District (6 hrs), ☏ +501 634 5384, [email protected]. Starts with a 1 hour hike through the jungle. Then spend about 4-5 hours inside the cave US$90/person. (updated Jun 2017) Zip lining - is as close as you can get to flying over the jungle. As you soar from tree to tree, experience a bird's-eye view of the Belize jungle, and scenery that cannot be seen from the ground

Do

Belmopan is a good place to walk around the neighbourhoods and market plazas. It is a great place to discover, as it has a low crime rate and is very laid back and relaxing.

Buy

Things to buy in Belmopan include Belizean groceries and gifts from the gift shops. Angelus Press is a great place to shop for gifts where you can buy flags, maps, books, and Belizean trinkets. Every Tuesday and Friday there is a market held in the centre of the city. Many locals set up booths selling inexpensive clothes, DVDs, trinkets, food, and produce. Many Belizians from surrounding towns and villages ride the bus to get to Belmopan's market day so it is a great way to experience the culture. If you want to experience it at its busiest point, plan to come early, because many booths close down during the hottest part of the day.

Eat

There are a lot of clean, Chinese-owned restaurants in Belmopan that make great Belizean food. The Yim Saan restaurant has great food and is a 4-star restaurant/hotel.

Sleep

1 Banana Bank Lodge, Mile 49 Western Hwy, ☏ +501 820-2020, [email protected]. A very nice accommodation a few miles outside of Belmopan next to the Belize River. They own a huge section of the jungle and provide horseback riding. Have awesome cabanas and a great pool. 2 Belize Jungle Dome, Banana Bank (4 miles north of town), ☏ +501 822-2124. Owned by a former UK football player and MTV presenter. Facilities include 5 lodge rooms, 3-bedroom garden cottage, 4-bedroom villa, Wi-Fi, swimming pool, on-site travel company and tour operator. 3 Bullfrog Inn, 25 Half Moon Ave, ☏ +501 822-2111. A long standby in Belmopan, a standard hotel and average restaurant. 4 Yim Saan, 4253 Hummingbird Hwy, ☏ +501 614-1356. Check-in: 1PM, check-out: noon. A 12-storey hotel with a restaurant, a bar and beautiful suites.

Go next

The largest city and former capital Belize city