Belize Highlights
Half Moon Caye
At the southern end of the Lighthouse Reef atoll in the Northern Cayes, Half Moon Caye is a crescent-shaped island that is one of the most beautiful places in Belize. The abundance of nesting seabirds and marine life made Half Moon Caye and its surrounding waters the obvious choice for the nation's first Natural Monument in 1982.
Belize Zoo
Lying 29 miles west of Belize City, this pioneering zoological institute is famous throughout the Americas for its educational facilities and preservation programmes. Comprising an oasis of ponds, forests and flowering shrubs among the sprawling savannahs, this zoo has no bars or cages for its animals.
The Blue Hole
Just 7 miles north of Half Moon Caye, this is one of the world's most famous dive sites, and one of the most stunning natural wonders in Belize. The Blue Hole is a sinkhole created by a collapsed underground cavern; over 300 feet across and 450 feet deep, with huge stalactites hanging from offshoot caves at depths of 100 to 150 feet.
Ambergris Caye
The country's most developed reef resort, some 35 miles out from Belize City. Here the hotels are all low-rise wooden buildings and the traffic on its sandy streets are mostly golf buggies and motor scooters.
Placencia
The most popular resort town in southern Belize, Placencia has the best mainland beaches, plus some of the loveliest offshore coral cayes. This must be one of the most laid-back places in the country but it also offers some of the best selection of resorts and hotels to suit all budgets.
Caracol
The ruined Maya city of Caracol lies in the remote western region of central Belize. The biggest and most important Maya site in the country, Caracol was settled by a well-organised population in around 300 BC during the Preclassic Period.
Xunantunich
Close up against the Guatemalan border, near to the town of San Ignacio, Xunantunich is one of the most impressive Maya sites in Belize and one of the biggest attractions in Cayo District. It was a major ceremonial centre during the Classic Period and is best known today for the towering, 130-feet tall pyramid known as El Castillo, which dominates the site.
Victoria Peak
At 1,120-feet high, this is the second-tallest peak in Belize, standing amid the pristine tropical forest of the Cockscomb Basin in the southern Stann Creek District. A hardy number of hikers attempt the rigorous ascent every year, and a greater number are drawn to the Cockscomb Basin's Wildlife Sanctuary, the site of the world's first jaguar reserve.
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve
Due south of San Ignacio in western Belize is a fascinating stretch of pine trees, granite ridges and tall waterfalls, looking as if plucked out of the US northeastern state of Vermont. The region is dotted with upmarket ecotourism lodges, which offer a range of activities in the forest, from mountain biking and canoeing to bird-watching and even medicinal plant study trails.
The Maya Mountains
One of the most fascinating regions of the country, blanketed in pristine rainforest and home to the country's traditional Maya inhabitants. There are little-known Maya ruins here as well as jungle lodges and deep cave systems attracting the adventurous spelunker.
Community Baboon Sanctuary
26 miles north of Belize City is one of the country's most successful nature conservation projects. Founded in 1985, the project is a co-operative effort between environmentalists and local landowners to save Central America's declining population of black howler monkeys, known in Belize as baboons.