54 Coolest Things to Do in Belize
So many cool things to do in Belize, trust me.
Watersports, jungle excursions, night hiking, endless animals and giant sinkholes: it’s as if Belize was made for daredevil adventurers like us (errrhm… well, you).
This Belize travel guide will open your eyes to what to do in Belize, and why this amazing country is so great. Here are the best things to do in Belize, no messing about!
– The beach is the main Belize attraction!
Belize really does tick off a multitude of ‘never have I ever’ boxes though, yet still, has stunning beaches to relax on too. Adventure, relaxation, luxury or budget – Belize has options.
I spent three weeks doing all the coolest activities in Belize a few years ago, and now’s the time to share what I learnt in a straight to the point ’52 coolest Belize activities‘ kinda way.
52 Cool Things to Do in Belize
1. There are many different ways to see the Blue Hole, a giant marine sinkhole in the middle of the ocean, and if you fancy going totally OTT extravagant you can do it from the sky with a helicopter ride.
2. Or flip things around and see the Blue Hole from below with a diving adventure. I got my Open Water PADI in Belize, at the Frenchie’s Diving School. This is a great opportunity to visit the Belize Barrier Reef.
3. Or keep it level with a snorkelling expedition. However you decide to visit it, it’s a once in a lifetime thing to see you just have to explore while you’re in Belize. My snorkelling trip with EZ Boys is one of the coolest things to do in Belize. For $70BZD you’ll get to go to four spots to wet your snorkel. We saw sharks and stingray, lionfish and tarpons. The whole trip was 3 1/2 hours and we got rum too!
4. Bob away in a rubber donut at a dreamy water bar like Sip n’ Dip. If you’re wondering what to do in Belize – sometimes just doing nothing is the obvious answer.
5. Belize has not one hole but two. The Black Hole is on dry land though and for those willing to brave its depths, you have to complete a hefty hike to get to the cave’s entrance. Once you’re there abseil down 200 feet to the forest canopy and explore ‘the mother of all caves’.
– Trying to work out what to do in Belize? Beaches!
6. Can’t get enough of the dark and eerie? Sit yourself in a rubber ring and go cave tubing through the Nohoch Che’en Caves Branch Archaeological Reserve.
7. Dry yourself off three miles away from the caves in the jungle with an ATV tour.
8. Develop a taste for the local cashew wine.
9. Unleash your musical prowess on the world with a Garifuna drumming class. ‘Garifuna’ refers to the native people of Belize.
10. Satisfy that sweet tooth with a trip to the Che’il Mayan Chocolate Farm and Factory. They’ll show you the process of turning bean into bar and give you all the history behind the farm’s evolution.
11. Swot up on the Garifuna culture with a cultural immersion experience where you can learn about the history of the people, try the traditional food and dance it out.
12. Feast daily on fry jacks – a bready breakfast treat made up of oily goodness.
13. Gear up to go waterfall rappelling, aka canyoning. You basically climb 1,000 feet to the top of Antelope Falls and then abseil your way down battling slippy rocks and tonnes of water — fun!
14. Eat some jerk chicken Belizean style at Robin’s Kitchen in Ambergris Caye.
15. Do a night hike of Mayflower and Bocawina National Park to increase your chances of spotting pumas, ocelots and armadillos.
16. Spend a few days on the Caribbean island of Caye Caulker just off mainland Belize where you’ll find mangrove forests, dive sites and an authentic Belizean village. One of the absolute best and coolest things to do in Belize.
17. Put some time aside to relax on The Split on Caye Caulker. It’s a narrow strip of super clean water that divides the island in half and has a single bar called the Lazy Lizard to keep you hydrated. Relaxing is pretty much the best thing to do in Belize, especially on Caye Caulker.
– Snorkelling is one of the most unique things to do in Belize. Who knows what you’ll see?!
18. Tick the culture box with a visit to the Caracol Mayan Ruins.
19. Have far too many buckets of Belikins – Belize’s national beer.
20. Get a little too close for comfort with a snorkel session in Shark Ray Alley just south of Ambergris Caye.
21. Or opt to buddy up with whale sharks instead by going diving in the Gladden Spit.
22. Continue your underwater animal adventure by swimming with manatees, otherwise known as sea cows. Just book an underwater tour through your hostel to see them.
23. Consider $125 a bargain when it comes to getting your own private island, well for a day at least. Ranguana has kayaks, hammocks, a barbecue and beach games exclusively for you and your group.
– Getting out on a boat is one of the top things to do in Belize
24. Get some of the best rice and beans at San Ignacio joint, Ko-Ox Han Nah which basically translates as ‘let’s go eat’.
25. Belizeans love a zip line and there are so many to choose from in the country. Calico Jack’s Belize Jungle Canopy and Zip Lining offers five different zip tours though so you can take your pick.
26. Do your bit to save the world by going lionfish spearfishing. There are far too many of these pesky fish and they’re threatening the the reefs. By joining an excursion you can help keep them at bay.
27. Get a little creeped out caving in the world’s most sacred cave of Actun Tunichil Muknal where you can see the skeletons of Mayan children that were given as sacrifices.
28. Continue giving yourself the heeby jeebies by exploring the quieter Mayan ruins of Xunantunich. They say they’re haunted and that a woman in white roams around with bloodshot eyes.
29. Learn more about the country’s Mayan background and other key moments in history with a trip to the Museum of Belize in Belize City.
– Relaxing is a must do in Belize!
Free things to do in Belize
I’ve looked through this list of things to do in Belize, and there are a few freebies on here. Unfortunately though, it’s a fact that Belize is quite an expensive place to travel to, especially given that its neighbours Guatemala and Mexico are so much cheaper.
There are definitely lots of cheap activities in Belize, but you are looking at a bit of an investment if you want to do the iconic Belize attractions. The Blue Hole for example, is over £150 to go out to.
You will need to save your money if you want to do everything on this list.
Scroll down to the end for a breakdown of the costs of the average trip to Belize, and to see how much I spent in two weeks there.
30. Try your hand at the chicken drop game in Pier Lounge. Wondering what on earth it is? Think, a version of bingo except instead of a caller announcing a winning set of numbers, a chicken excretes on a giant number board instead.
31. Try eating your classic cow’s foot at Nerie’s in Belize City.
32. Make monkeys your new neighbours with a stay at the Howler Monkey Resort.
33. Find yourself at a random dance party in the town of Dangriga – definitely one of the coolest things to do in Belize!
34. Try memorising the name of this park: Noj Kaax Meen Elijio Panti National Park and then hike it with a guide to see some pretty impressive views.
35. Spend a night listening to good music at Big Daddy’s in Belize City.
READ MORE: How to Plan Two Weeks in Belize
– What is there to do in Belize? All this!
36. Keep an eye out for jaguars at the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world’s first jaguar reserve.
37. Continue your animal adventure with a visit to Caye Caulker’s only animal shelter. Bring lots of treats and you’ll make a few new furry friends.
38. Get your Pocahontas on with a canoe down the Macal River.
39. Can’t decide if you want to horseride or kayak, go birdwatching or visit Belize zoo? Do it all at the ‘jungle playground’ Bacab Eco-Park. And you definitely need to make sure you visit the animals of Belize City Zoo.
40. Visit the Belize Spice Farm and Botanic Gardens to see just what magical things this country grows.
– The Belize Zoo is a must do in Belize
41. Afterwards, dine in the adjoining restaurant to see those spices put to good use.
42. Do a little shopping at the San Ignacio market where they sell everything from fruit to pharmaceuticals.
43. Visit the Green Iguana Conservation Project to learn why these reptiles are in need of protection.
44. For a little insight into quaint village life, spend a morning in the tiny fishing village of Hopkins.
45. Take a bioluminescence night tour to see the underwater life all glow in the dark.
READ MORE: Top Tips for Visiting Caye Caulker
46. Get out your fossil brush for a trip to the Lubaantun Archeological Reserve where explorers have unearthed teeth, tools and pieces of pottery.
47. Although the San Ignacio Resort Hotel may be a little out of budget, swing by to see where The Queen stayed on her trip to Belize in 1994.
– Paragliding is a popular Belize tourist attraction
48. Just when you think you can’t pack in any more nature, float away on an eco tour of Monkey River.
49. Feel the waistband tighten as you enjoy a daily snack of savoury pancakes, known as pupusas to the locals, from street vendors.
50. Dance the night away at the The Barefoot Iguana in Ambergris Caye.
– Caye Caulker is one of the best places to visit in Belize
51. Check out the lobsters and crabs, pelicans and herons in Laughingbird Caye National Park.
52. Visit the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. This is where you can visit coral reefs, snorkel with sharks and stingrays and experience Belize’s first marine park.
53. Barton Creek Cave is a natural cave in Belize. It’s an important archaeological site and a popular tourist destination. It’s located in the Barton Creek area near San Ignacio in the Cayo District.
54. After all of those watersports and jungle hikes, animal excursions and nighttime tours, pass out on a beach like Placencia in the south of Belize and stay put for a fair few days.
How much will I spend in Belize?
Belize is an expensive country to travel to, there’s no getting away from it, unless you stay west and don’t do anything that is. There are just so many fun things to do in Belize, and I’m sure, like me, you won’t want to miss out.
After I realised how much I’d spent in Belize, and how much more I was likely to spend if I stayed in the tourist areas of Caye Caulker, I had to move somewhere cheaper.
Overall in 20 days in Belize I spent £998.55 (£49.93 per day). A good 80% of this was in 10 days on the island of Caye Caulker, where I had a lot of fun. Before that I spent four days in Belize City without doing much but going to Belize City Zoo.
After Caye Caulker, and realising how much I’d spent on Belize must sees, I decided to chill out in Benque on the Guatemalan / Belize border. I just caught up with work, life and exploring ruins for a few days until home time.
Belize is an awesome country that’s definitely worth a visit, despite the price. I hope the Belize costs below give you some idea of what to expect to be handing over if you do decide to explore and just remember that the price you see there, isn’t the price you pay.
Expect another 12% tax on top (included below) and to leave a 10% tip if they’ve given you a service.
Belize City spends
- Taxi from the bus terminal to the Sea Breeze Hotel (5 minutes) $10 / £3.22
- 70ml of water $2 / 65p
- Bus ride to the zoo $3 / 97p
- Entrance to Belize City Zoo $30 / £9.68
- Sea Breeze Hotel room with shared bathroom $50 per night/ £16.12 (cheapest available and I’d only recommend this hotel if you want cheap and safe and not much else!)
- Dental treatment $220 / £71 (not a cost you’ll need, but just in case you wanted to know)
Chicken fried rice Chinese meal $15 / £4.83 (Not a fan of Chinese food but it was dark on arrival and didn’t want to go out. It was all the hotel could offer. It was grim.)- Celebrity restaurant meal with drink $30 / £9.67 (recommended by Lonely Planet, also grim.)
- Coffee and cinnamon bun at local nice café $7 / £2.26
- Belikin beer at the Radisson Hotel $2 / 65p
- Return water taxi with Caye Caulker Crossings to Caye Caulker $29/ £9.35 (they do two a day)
- Bag from tourist town $20/ £6.45 (broke that day)
Caye Caulker spends
Dirty McNastys hostel in a 6-bed dorm with private bathroom $32 per night / £10.32- Lobster dinner at Enjoy Restaurant $22 / £7
- Chocolate bar $2 / 65p (all the food from the shops in Caye Caulker tastes kind of off, just so you know. Still edible, but old.)
- PADI Open Water dive course with Frenchies Diving School $800 / £256 (cheapest on the island)
- Snorkelling at Caye Caulker Marine Reserve $70 / £22.40
- Water $2 / 65p
- King Fish steak with rice and garlic bread at Enjoy Restaurant $22 / £7
- Pulled pork dinner with three sides and four rum and cokes at Cubana Restaurant $25 / £8
Pizza big enough for 4 at Pizza Caulker $35 / £11.20- Coffee at Starbucks $6 / £1.92
- Lobster fajita at Rainbow Restaurant on the water $32 / £10.24
- Red snapper meal at Sombre dos Alos $20 / £6.40 (you have to go here, Nadine the waitress is awesome)
- 1 litre of Belizean rum $15 / £4.80
- 1 night’s accommodation in a 5-bed room at Blue Wave Hotel with shared toilet outside $22 / £7.04
- Belize water taxi back $30 / £9.60 (because I queued at the wrong one to use my return ticket and there wasn’t another one with that company for four hours)
Benque spends
3-hour bus from Belize City to Benque $9 / £2.88- 1 night’s accommodation in a 3-bed room at Benque Resort with private bathroom $26 / £8.33
- Rice and beans, stewed chicken and salad $6 / £1.92
- Fryjacks, eggs and beans $6 / £1.92
- Papaya smoothie $3 / 96p
- Coffee $1 / 32p
- 750ml water $1 / 32p
- Fajita dinner at the park cafe $3 / 96p (this was absolutely delicious, had to go back again)
Creamy raspberry cake $3 / 96p- Can of pineapple $2.75 / 88p
- Banana bread from street seller $1 / 32p
- Entrance to Xunantunich Mayan Ruins $10 / £3.20
- Ferry to Xunantunich $3 / 96p
- 2 bananas for 25¢ / 8p
- A burrito, 3 empanadas and an orange juice $4 / £1.28!
- Belikin beer $2 / 64p
All the food I had in Benque and Caye Caulker was delicious (bar the lobster fajita, wasn’t sure on that) and in Benque I couldn’t believe how cheap it was!
In Caye Caulker I chose not to go and see the Blue Hole – the number one thing to do in Belize – because it was £155 and you were out at sea for 14 hours from 5:30am. The weather when I was in Belize was just too unpredictable and it would go from sunny to flooding in a few minutes. I just didn’t fancy it. Maybe I’ll regret it in the future, but I’m sure I can live with it.
So the answer to the question of how much will I spend in Belize depends, how much have you got?!
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More on cool things to do in Belize
https://vickyflipfloptravels.com/travel-bus-belize/
Wooow! There are too many things to enjoy in Belize! Already added to our bucket list. Thumbs up! 🙂
Belize is a great country. Such a fun place to visit if you don’t have long too!