How to See the Best of Belize

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Holding my breath and with some trepidation, I jump into the shark-laden waters of Shark Ray Alley—a part of Hol Chan Marine Reserve in Belize. Right next to me, a swarm of sharks is devouring the fish my boat captain is tossing into the water—and some of them are longer than 10 feet.

He told me these are nurse sharks, which aren’t interested in humans, yet their rows of teeth are quite intimidating in close proximity. But I can’t pass on this once-in-a-lifetime chance to swim with such magnificent creatures.

Thankfully, they are indeed ignoring me, so for the next 15 minutes I float right next to them—until they disperse after all the food is gone, some accidentally brushing against me. I adjust my snorkeling gear and swim away from the boat following the colorful fish darting around the corals that sprawl beneath me.

Biodiversity of Belize

One of the most biodiverse places on the planet, Belize is brimming with nature’s beauty. Just its Barrier Reef, where I’m snorkeling, is home to 500 species of fish, several species of sharks, and 70 types of hard corals as well as manatees, hawksbill turtles, sting rays, and other marine organisms. But Belize’s biodiversity extends past its Barrier Reef.

Over 60 percent of land in Belize is covered by woods. From mangroves to tropical rainforests to pine forests, each ecosystem is home to its own diverse group of animals, from scarlet macaws to howler monkeys and from jaguars to tapirs—distant relatives of horses and rhinoceroses.

To top it all, hiding inside the country’s vast jungles are about 600 Mayan temples, ranging from towers to ceremonial caves. Here’s how to see all three enigmatic sides of Belize: the ocean, the jungle, and the Mayan temples.

The Ocean

With miles of coastline and over 200 offshore islands, Belize is synonymous with uncrowded beaches, azure waves, and cozy cabanas. Some islands are connected by ferries and tiny propeller planes, while others can only be accessed by private boats.

Island-hopping here is a national pastime. Beach partying is also popular, with some islands even having their own specialty drinks. A fluorescent green frozen concoction called Lizard Juice is one such example: it’s served at the Lazy Lizard Bar & Grill in Caye Caulker, a small shallow island off the Belizean coast—and is absolutely worth the visit.

Yet, what happens beneath the ocean surface is infinitely more intriguing. One of the richest marine ecosystems on the planet, the Belize Barrier Reef is a snorkeling paradise. I had barely spent 10 minutes in the water, swimming with several schools of motley fish and floating over stretches of colorful corals.

A couple of stingrays passed down below, and farther out, I caught a glimpse of a hawksbill turtle paddling away.

But the grand finale begins when I spot two manatees making slow circles around each other in the water. They look like they are dancing together, getting closer to me with every move.

Soon, they are swimming almost right underneath me, descending slowly. As they reach the bottom and lie down on the sand, they put their snouts together as if kissing—an image I will remember forever.

The Jungle

If I hadn’t noticed something weirdly shiny up ahead during our night jungle hike, I would’ve walked straight into a gigantic spiderweb stretched across our path. And I’d probably end up with that shiny spider in my hair.

I gasp and stop barely an inch away—and realize the spider is having dinner. It’s wrapping some hapless insect into a cocoon. “That web wasn’t here earlier today,” says my guide as we all watch the spider’s maneuvers with mild queasiness.

“It worked fast!” He ducks underneath the web, and we follow him warily, carefully staying as far away from the creepy crawler as possible. “Don’t worry, this one isn’t poisonous,” the guide assures us.

We are walking on the seemingly infinite grounds of the Hidden Valley Wilderness Lodge, an eco-resort nestled in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest. Originally a logging cabin, the lodge was purchased by a local Belizean family about 20 years ago and turned into a nature escape.

Sitting on 7,200 acres of a natural preserve, the lodge and its lands are home to dozens of hiking trails, countless waterfalls, several natural pools, and endless handmade bridges forged from wooden sticks held together by ropes and occasional nails. They take some balance and practice to walk on, but they’re so much fun once you get it down pat.

The day and night walks are vastly different. During the day, you can truly enjoy the beauty of the forest; it’s not uncommon to spot colorful toucans, macaws, and monkeys. At night, you can barely see anything.

Save for the moon, there are no other light sources around, so you are walking in almost complete darkness, which makes you engage all your other senses and focus more on smells and sounds. And strange shiny objects, of course!

The Mayan Temples

The next morning, we leave the lodge and, after driving for two hours on dirt roads, arrive at Caracol, an archaeological site of what had once been a thriving Mayan city.

According to archaeologists, the city covered about six square miles and rivaled the ancient metropolis of Tikal—one of the most famous Mayan sites—in size, power, and fame. Even today, Caracol, at its 75 square miles, is larger than Belize City, the country’s biggest metropolis.

One of Caracol’s most impressive structures is Caana, which translates to Sky Place—a massive pyramid that towers above the surrounding forest. At 140 feet tall, Caana is still the highest human-made building in Belize, to this day.

Built as a series of steps, the pyramid is climbable—as long as your knees are strong enough to sustain your ascent and descent underneath the unforgiving tropical sun. The grueling journey is worth it: From Caana’s top, you can enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of Belize and neighboring Guatemala.

Steaming hot after the Caana excursion, we get a chance to cool down and relax at Rio On Pools, a series of waterfalls and natural swimming holes, to cool down and relax in the clear water.

On the way back, we also stopped by Green Hills Butterfly Ranch, which grows about 30 different species of native butterflies. The Mayan theme continues. Back at the lodge, we get a chance to cook some of the Mayan traditional foods with a local chef, including some of his grandmother’s recipes.

If You Go

San Pedro Town is accessible by ferries (1.5-hour ride) or by Tropic Air (15-minute flight).

The Phoenix Resort in San Pedro Town offers stylish condo suites and fully stocked kitchens.

Hidden Valley Wilderness Lodge is located about two hours away from Belize City.

MayaWalk Tours leads adventure tours to Caracol.

Ramon’s Village Divers leads snorkeling tours of Hol Chan Marine Reserve from San Pedro Town, located in the south part of Ambergris Caye.

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Author Bio: A culture shock junkie, Lina Zeldovich shimmied with belly dancers in Turkey, cooked zebu in Madagascar, fished for piranhas in the Amazon, sipped a drink made from a venomous snake in Peru—and always lived to write the story. Her work appeared in AAA Magazines, AARP, BBC, Smithsonian, Washington Post, Toronto Star, AFAR, Saturday Evening Post, Sierra Club, NPR, InsideHook, Escape and in-flight magazines. She holds several journalism awards including NATJA’s gold, silver and bronze, and lives in New York so she can fly nonstop to almost anywhere.

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