The Best Places to Visit in Belize in 2025

Posted on October 14, 2019 | Julie J. |

Last Updated on October 1, 2024

Planning a trip to Belize and wondering where to go? Discover some of the country’s best destinations and top things to do. Whether you want to relax at the beach, go river tubing, or explore Mayan ruins, there’s something for everyone in Belize.

The Central America country is famous for its wild landscapes, abundant wildlife, gorgeous deserted islands, and cultural diversity. It’s one of the best destinations for a tropical getaway, offering the perfect blend of relaxation and adventure.

What I loved about Belize is that it’s incredibly easy to visit. You can visit most of the country on one trip, and as it’s small, you don’t need to move to a different location every two days or spend hours in transportation. You can easily book one resort for your whole vacation and visit most of the country’s highlights from there.

Some places I recommend staying at and including into your Belize itinerary are San Ignacio, Placencia, and either Belize City (not a great vacation destination but super convenient), San Pedro, or Caye Caulker.

So pack your bag and get ready to discover the best places to visit in Belize during your Caribbean getaway.

Travel tip: before any international trip, make sure you get good travel insurance.

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HELPFUL WEBSITES TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR TRIP

FLIGHT DEALS

HOTEL DEALS

CAR RENTAL

TRAVEL INSURANCE

ACTIVITIES

VACATION RENTALS

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1 – Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is a small island attracting more and more tourists every year. It offers many resorts and hotels for all budgets, a wide variety of restaurants and bars, and a pretty good nightlife.

Caye Caulker can be used as a base to visit most of Belize, with many day trips to mainland Belize available.

One of the best things to do there is to go diving or snorkeling to the nearby Belize barrier reef. There, you’ll find the world’s second-biggest barrier reef. The visibility is as good as it gets, the corals incredible and the sea life amazing. You can also swim with nurse sharks and go on a catamaran cruise,

It’s also the perfect place to just chill in a hammock, eat fresh seafood, and have a drink or two watching the sunset.

2 – San Pedro (Ambergris Caye)

San Pedro, also known as La Isla Bonita after Madona’s song, is another tourist destination in Belize known for the diving and snorkeling opportunities offered at the nearby Belize barrier reef. Ambergris Caye is bigger and busier than Caye Caulker and has tons of resorts, bars, and restaurants.

San Pedro town also makes for a good base to explore the country from. You can take day trips to visit Caye Caulker and several ancient Mayan ruins, and join activities like ziplining, tubing, and ATV riding.

There you should rent a golf cart for the day and explore the island. Don’t miss Secret Beach (not so secret anymore) and spend the day relaxing at the beach, swimming in the turquoise water.

I honestly was a bit disappointed by Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye as beach destinations. The beaches look amazing on pictures but the sand is “packed“, super hard, with sea walls built almost everywhere to “stop” the beach from disappearing because of the water level rising. There are still a lot of awesome things to do, even water activities, so I recommend going, it’s just that they wouldn’t be the first places that come to mind for a beach vacation.

3 – Placencia

Placencia was my favorite beach destination in Belize. I recommend planning some time to relax at the beach and a couple of day trips to visit the nearby attractions.

The beach is amazing, the only place I’ve been in Belize where there were almost no seaweeds. There are plenty of beach bungalows available, without the big resorts, so the beach feels quiet. Yet there are plenty of cool places to chill and try out Belizean cuisine.

Nearby, don’t miss a trip to the Monkey River and Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.

4 – Sapodilla Cayes

These 8 remote islands are a true paradise on earth. White sand and crystal-clear water await for a day of island hopping and snorkeling.

Join a tour from Punta Gorda or charter a boat to visit these beautiful islands.

5 – Laughing Bird Caye

The Laughing Bird Caye is another Belizean paradise. This small deserted island can be visited as a day trip from Placencia and is well worth adding to your bucket list.

6 – Glover’s Atoll

Glover’s Atoll is Belize’s best-kept secret. Pristine water, white-sanded beautiful beaches on deserted islands, and unbelievable snorkeling spots await. A true paradise on earth.

Apart from a resort and a few fishermen, the islands there are uninhabited, making you feel like Robinson Crusoe.

7 – Tobacco Caye

Tobacco Caye is a small island with a tiny fishermen’s village. Tourism is starting to take off there, but it still feels authentic. You can easily get there from Dangriga and spend a few days relaxing and enjoying the island’s laid-back vibe.

8 – Lamanai

The high temple, maya pyramids, Lamanai, Belize

Located deep inside a lush jungle, Lamanai is an ancient Maya city that you should visit during your trip to Belize.

Pyramids emerge here and there through the dense vegetation. Lamanai used to be a major trading city and reached 35,000 inhabitants at its pinnacle.

It is one of the largest Maya sites in Belize, thousands of structures have been identified, but only a few have been fully excavated.

Today, several pyramids have been excavated as well as huge “masks” on the side of one of the pyramids. Each king would add a level and have his face carved on the building.

It’s recommended to join a tour to visit as it’s best reached by boat. The closest city is Orange Walk, I arranged to join a tour from there (you’ll take the boat all the way, which is super cool) but there are tours starting from Belize City and other major cities in the country as well.

9 – Altun Ha

Altun Ha, Maya ruins surrounded by jungle in Belize

Altun Ha is also a must-visit archaeological site in Belize. The ancient city was an important town part of the Tikal confederation.

Archaeologists came upon several jade sculptures while excavating the site. Around 300 jade objects were found, the biggest was found inside a tomb, weighing 10 pounds, making it the heaviest Maya jade object discovered so far.

You can easily visit it independently from Belize City if you have a car or join a guided tour.

10 – Caracol

Caracol, Maya ruins, San Ignacio, Belize

Caracol, an ancient Maya city, located deep into the Belizean jungle, is a fantastic place to discover. A lot of structures are yet to be excavated, but what has been unearthed so far is breathtaking.

Buildings are organized around a plaza. On some of the pyramids, you reach the top only to discover another plaza and more buildings.

The view from the highest pyramid is well worth the climb up. You’re literally in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by nature and birds singing.

I joined a tour from San Ignacio but you can also drive there if you have a 4-wheeler, just note that you’ll need to wait for a military escort (they don’t let people drive by themselves, even tour operators).

11 – Xunantunich

Xunantunich, Maya ruins, San Ignacio, Belize

Xumantunich is another exceptional Maya site to visit in Belize. When you go up the main pyramid, you’ll get a breathtaking view over the surrounding villages and endless nature.

The structures have been well restored, and on one of the pyramids, you can see incredibly well-preserved carvings on each side.

You can easily visit it on your own (even without a car) from San Ignacio. I took a bus to the river crossing point, then walked for 30 minutes to the entrance (you could also hitchhike).

12 – ATM Cave

ATM Cave, Belize — Source – Peter Andersen

One of Belize’s most popular attractions, the ATM is an intricate cave system and sacred place for Mayas.

Apart from the natural beauty of the cave, the highlight of the visit is the human remains found there. Mayas used the cave to make human sacrifices and worship the Gods. One of the full skeletons found inside the cave is called the Crystal Virgin because of the way the bones were calcified.

A lot of artifacts such as pottery are also found inside the cave. To protect it, the number of people allowed in each day is limited, and you cannot bring anything inside the cave. Even shoes are forbidden.

You will need to go through a guided tour to access the cave and be in overall good physical shape. It’s best visited as a day trip from San Ignacio or Belize City.

13 – Rio Blanco National Park

Rio Blanco is one of the many national parks in Belize and one of the most popular places to visit in Belize. Located in Southern Belize, the park is easy to access, and the trails are well-maintained. Because it’s far from any other tourist attractions, it’s usually far from being overcrowded.

There are several trails you can choose from, or you can just chill at the waterfall. It’s also a good place to see birds.

If you don’t have a car, I recommend booking a tour from San Ignacio. I did one that included Caracol in the morning followed by some free time at the river inside the park and a visit to a cave.

14 – Blue Creek Cave

Blue Creek, Belize — Source – Ian Morton

Blue Creek, located in the Toledo District in Southern Belize, is a great place if you like the outdoors and adventures.

There you can trek along the river all the way to Hokeb Ha Cave and swim in one of its many pools.

15 – Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

River and jungle in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize

Created in the 80s, Cockscomb is the first jaguar preserve in the world. It’s a fantastic place to hike, watch wildlife and go river-tubing. There are several trails, from easy strolls to more advanced ones, most of which require a guide.

The chances of seeing jaguars are slim, but sightings happen from time to time. Most frequently you might see smaller mammals such as tapirs or ocelots, birds, and reptiles.

I went on a small-group tour from Placencia, and it was amazing. We did a short hike where the guide tried to spot wildlife and plants, followed by some river tubing, and the highlight, water sliding down the river’s small waterfalls.

16 – Saint Herman’s Blue Hole National Park

Saint Herman’s Blue Hole, located south of Belmopan, is a beautiful cenote you can swim in. It’s usually really quiet and you might have the place all to yourself as I did. There’s also a cave not far away that you can explore and where you can do cave tubing, a super fun activity.

17 – Barton Creek Cave

Barton Creek, Belize — Source – Thomas Shahan

Barton Creek Cave near San Ignacio is an enchanting place if you like nature. Kayaking on the Barton Creek river, surrounded by the jungle, you’ll see Mennonite villages, birds, and some reptiles. Once you reach the cave, which you can enter with the kayak, you’ll see amazing concretions.

The easiest way to visit is to book a tour from San Ignacio.

18 – Great Blue Hole

The Great Blue Hole is probably Belize’s most famous landmark. This incredible cenote located two hours away by boat from the coast is a natural wonder.

You can either join a snorkeling or diving tour of the Blue Hole or best, take a plane or helicopter ride to see it from above.

19 – Monkey River

Traveling up the Monkey River near Placencia is a unique experience where you’ll get the opportunity to see a lot of wildlife such as turtles, crocodiles, birds, iguanas, and best of all, the howler monkey.

Howler monkeys are known for the way they protect their territory from other dominant males: screaming loudly. When you’re walking in the jungle and you start hearing them you won’t believe it, it’s like being transported into a Jurassic Park movie.

Be ready to get muddy and bring mosquito repellent.

What about you? Have you been to Belize? What was your favorite place?

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