Belize lies between Mexico and Guatemala and is one of the least discovered countries in the Americas. It is also one of the most diverse with half of the country protected. Belize is divided into six districts: Cayo, Corozal (north), Orange Walk, Belize City/District (east), Stan Creek (east), Torlido in the south.

Having only a small population means that there is plenty of space to lose yourself completely but you won’t be alone as the country is brimming with nature, and Toucans and howler monkeys can be found amongst the jungle wildlife.

The rule of the Mayans is also evident here. The ancient ruins rival sites such as Tikal in Guatemala and are far less touristy. The Orange Walk District is where the spectacular Lamanai temple can be found and this is easily reached on a leisurely boat ride along the New River (a unique way to enter an ancient site).

Other sites are Caracol, the largest Mayan city in the country that sits in west-central Belize, Xunantunich Maya ruins and also Calh Pech which is the smallest Mayan site.

Relax on a beach at Ambergris Caye.

Where To Travel in Belize

Many visitors head straight for the Cayes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere (a must for anyone travelling Belize). Choose from laid-back Caye Caulker, the smallest island with a ‘no worries’ vibe or the more developed San Pedro voted the Top Island in the World by TripAdvisor 2013, with a lot more restaurants and nightlife. The south end of San Pedro has larger hotels and is quieter than the main town. 

One of the things to see in Belize is its cayes. There are several of these small islands surrounded by coral reefs. To reach the outer atolls such as the iconic Blue Hole you’ll need to join one of the Belize expeditions on a full-day trip to get there. If you’re not a water baby you can take a helicopter ride over it instead.

If you’re unsure what to see in Belize how about exploring the country’s underwater world? For those searching for the best place to visit in Belize for snorkelling, there are so many. Rendezvous Caye is a gorgeous little island to snorkel around or see the reef at Colson Caye or Carrie Bow Caye. Ambergris Caye is the most accessible, especially if you are staying on the island of San Pedro.

Because of the clear visibility, you can just snorkel in one of the popular dive spots; Shark Ray Alley, Hol Chan marine reserve, and Mexico Rocks where you can see sharks, manta rays and turtles. Snorkelling is one of the things to do in San Pedro Belize.

One of the Belize attractions and popular Belize activities is swimming with manatees (although not always guaranteed) or visit Placencia on your Belize travels between April to June for the whale sharks. The colourful fishing village of Placencia has one of the best Belize beaches and has fewer travellers than the islands. Nearby is the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Nature Reserve, the best place in Belize to see some of the continent’s remaining jaguars. Off the coast of Placencia is Laughing Bird Caye National Park, one of the best places in Belize for the country’s barrier reef. 

Ambergris Caye

Avoid Belize City (the old capital) if you can although most main bus routes come through here as well as water taxis from the Cayes. Be careful at night here and don’t go Southside which is notorious for gangs. I would only visit Belize City during the day.

Belmopan is the new capital and is the smallest capital city in the world. It has more of a neighbourhood feel and is a good place to reach other parts of the country and as a base for the adventure activities in Belize. Although there isn't much here, there is a weekly market on Fridays and it’s a good place for observing the locals’ way of life.

Belize has one of the largest cave systems in the world. Rio Frio cave is a must-see.

Travel Belize for culture. San Jose is a typical Mayan village close to the Guatemala border and reachable by bus from Punta Gorda. You can take part in Mayan Immersion programme to learn how the Mayans have held onto their traditions.

Hopkins has a large Garifuna population and is very un-touristy. Being tucked out of the way and located on the beach it is a great place to interact with the large population of Garifuna people who live here.

Further west of Hopkins is Placencia Belize, one of the cities to visit in Belize (even though it's small), which boasts one of the best beaches in Belize. Walk along the sidewalk of this funky peninsular village for local arts and crafts and colourful houses – it definitely shouldn’t be missed. There’s live music here on the weekends or dance until the early hours at The Eclipse or The Good Vibes Club.

Explore the area near San Ignacio in the Cayo District

San Ignacio is a small riverside town. It's one of the must-see places in Belize to see Mayan ruins. Nearby are the ruins of Xunan Tunich which are reachable by local bus or walk to the smaller Mayan site of Cahal Pech instead. There’s a great market here on Saturdays where you can sample local Armish produce amongst other local delights. Check out the iguana sanctuary at San Ignacio Hotel & Resort.

Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is considered one of the oldest places in Belize and this is where you’ll find the Rio Frio cave – a cave with two entrances. This is also where the Mayan city of Caracol lies where you can climb the ancient pyramids and marvel at the ancient ruins without the crowds.

If you love cats, Belize is a cat lover's haven. Belize is home to five species of wild cats: the jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay and the jaguarundi and has the only jaguar reserve in the world in the north. Belize zoo is a great little place to see the indigenous animals up close but if you want to spot birds in the wild, Caracol and Hidden Valley are the Belize places to visit for bird watching.

One of the non touristy things to do in Belize is seeing iguanas at the Green Iguana Conservation Project. It is the place to go in Belize to learn about the importance of iguanas and how important they are for the river’s ecosystem.

Belize is also perfect for Adventure GatGs with plenty of Belize excursions to get your heart pumping. As well as ziplining in Belize (a must do in Belize), repelling off waterfalls and trekking through jungles; Belize actually has the largest cave system in all of Central America. The ATM cave tour (short for ‘Actun Tunichil Muknal') is one of the best things to do in Belize and showcases the Mayan sacrifices. For something more extreme, put your limits to the test in the waterfall or crystal caves (some of the unique things to do in Belize). 

It's in this area that you can try cave tubing Belize where you get to see inside of the country’s best cave systems whilst experiencing the fun things to do in Belize. The best cave for this is the Crystal Cave.

If you’re unsure where to go in Belize for waterfalls that aren’t underground, Mayflower Bocawina National Park is where to view the Three Sisters Waterfalls. Nearby the ATM Cave is Barton Creek cave, an old ceremonial cave over 4 miles long with skeletal remains and Maya artefacts. Join one of the cave tours in Belize to canoe through this tall river cave, and don’t forget to duck to avoid the low-hanging stalactite.

Belize is known as ‘the best of both worlds’ and each corner of the country brings diversity and adventure. With jungle, Mayan ruins and the Belize barrier reef, visiting Belize is definitely an experience. 

Belize Travel Tips

• When you are planning a trip to Belize, make sure to visit Caye Caulker in July for the Lobsterfest.
• If you are planning a Belize trip that is longer than 30 days, you need to visit the immigration office and pay BZ$50 for another 30 days.

Belize Tours

If you feel more comfortable traveling to Belize in a group for either part of your trip or the whole duration, consider joining one of our recommended Belize travel tours.

G Adventures Belize

G Adventures is a responsible tour company that mainly caters for budget travellers. Most tours have an average of 10 people and there is no upper age limit. Once you book your trip you pay extra for any excursions you want to do when you’re there.

Their small group tours to Belize start from a 9-day Classic Belize & Tikal adventure including the best of Belize to a 33 day Best of Central America including Belize, Honduras, Mexico, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. I have personally used G Adventures and recommend them as a solo female friendly company.

Intrepid Travel Belize

Intrepid Travel is similar to G Adventures with an average of 12 people on each tour. Over 50% of people using their trips are solo travellers. They tend to use hotels instead of hostels and have a more comfortable style of accommodation hence the trips can appear a bit more costly than G Adventures.

Intrepid Belize Trips start from an 8 day Land of Belize tour including San Ignacio and Tikal to an epic 65 day Complete Central America trip travelling to Belize and through the continent down to Panama. With both tour companies, you share a room with someone of the same gender or you can pay extra for your own room. Read our Intrepid Travel Reviews

Day Tours

• Lamanai Eco Tours
• Mystic River Resort Adventures
• Maya Village Homestay

Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide helps you to find the best excursions in Belize and top-rated activities in Belize. Choose from a full-day Action Tunichil Muknal cave tour, a snorkel tour at Caye Caulker, or a trip to the Maya temple of Caracol and Rio On Pools with lunch. There are several to choose from including Belize City tours, and Blue Hole Belize tours, and it’s really simple to use. Just check the reviews, price and availability then book online. * Check all tours and prices here

Accommodation in Belize

Whether you prefer to stay in a guest house, Inn, lodge or resort when you're traveling in Belize, Booking.com has a wide variety of styles of accommodation for every solo budget including apartments for those who prefer to be more self-sufficient. 

Find a hostel in Belize or stay overnight with a local on Airbnb Belize and save $20 off your first stay with this link. If you're wondering what is the best place to stay in Belize? Below are our recommended places to stay in Belize for solo females. For all other accommodations in Belize, click on the link below. 

* Check prices, dates and availability for Belize accommodation 

Midas Resort, San Ignacio

The Midas Resort is a great resort in San Ignacio just a short walk from the centre. The rooms are bright and clean and there’s an outdoor swimming pool for cooling off in the heat. And you’ll have plenty of space too as you can choose from a two or three-bedroom house.

• Prices from £138 / $189 for a two-bed house 
• Check prices, dates and availability: Midas Resort

SunBreeze Suites, Ambergris Caye

Book your very own suite within walking distance of everything you need on the island of Ambergris Caye. You’re just steps away from a sandy beach too! Choose from a suite ground pool view, a suite with a sea view or beachfront.

• Prices from £174 / $238 for a suite ground pool view
• Check prices, dates and availability: SunBreeze Suites

Portofino Beach Resort

Head to San Pedro and stay in this 4-star beach resort with a relaxed atmosphere and spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. It is a bit far from the centre and you need to travel up a bumpy road to get there but it’s ideal if you’re looking for somewhere to relax away from it all. There’s a restaurant serving seafood and international dishes, a dive shop, and a beach lounge where you can lounge around in a hammock after exploring the underwater world on your doorstep. All rooms have a TV, a balcony with panoramic views and a fan for those hot nights. Choose from a cabana, a cabana beachfront or a colonial suite. 

• Prices from £724 / $992 for a 3-night minimum stay in a cabana 
• Check prices, dates and availability: Portofino Beach Resort 

How Long Do I Need?

To see most of the Belize tourist attractions, most people travel to Belize for 10 days to 2 weeks and combine the jungle with the ruins and the reef. Belize has fantastic diving so you could easily spend a week traveling Belize, exploring the caves on the mainland and the islands of San Pedro and Caye Caulker. The best time to go to Belize is during the dry season, from January to May. 

Travelling Around Belize

Traveling in Belize isn't that straightforward. There are only four highways in the country which aren’t well lit at night: the Northern Highway, Phillip Golson Highway, Western Highway and George Price Highway to Guatemala. It is safe to rent a car Belize, but I recommend using local buses for getting around Belize, as they are all privately owned.

How to travel in Belize by bus – Fares are reasonable for long distances and if there is no designated ticket booth for your particular bus in the terminal then you can just pay on the bus. Get there early if you have to be at your next destination for a specific time as buses can get busy and overcrowded and you may have to wait for the next one.

When you tour Belize, getting around in Belize isn’t that easy but you can flag down taxis in Belize, especially in the capital city and Ambergris Caye. Other Belize transportation are water taxis, and water taxi companies such as San Pedro Belize Express operate from Belize City to the Cayes or you can fly instead. Tropic Air and Maya Island Air are Belize airport transportation and operate domestic flights to the small airports around the country.

How to get to San Pedro from Belize Airport – There is a small airport on San Pedro so you can either take a 20-minute flight or if you don’t like small planes you can take the shuttle from the airport to Belize City which takes 30 minutes, then the ferry from the terminal near Swing Bridge to San Pedro which run several times a day and take 1 hour 15 minutes. To Caye Caulker, the boat leaves from the Main Pier. 

* To hire a car for your Belize trips, we recommend pre-booking car rental Belize so you can collect your car when you arrive at the airport.

From the Airport

There are many domestic airports in Belize but Belize City is the international airport. 

Belize City – A bus runs into the city every 30 minutes or take a 25-minute taxi ride for US$25.

Corozal – By taxi is US$4 for the 1km ride into town.

Placencia – 2kms into town.

Dangriga – 1.5kms into town.

San Pedro – 500 metres to the airport.

Punta Gorda – 500 metres to the airport.

Travelling onwards (check visas before you travel)

When you're touring Belize, you may decide to hop across the border into Guatemala to see Tikal and Flores. Departure tax is BZ $37.50 to leave Belize.

To Mexico: Tropic Air flies directly to Cancun. Buses depart Belize City to Corozal where you can either get a bus Chetumal (only during the day) or a taxi for BZ $50.

Tip – Jorge Gonzalez is a recommended taxi driver who will take you from Corozal to Chetumal and help you across the border. Email: jorgegonzalez990@hotmail.com. Call: 6336031

To Honduras: The Pride of Belize operates a boat from Belize City once a week and reaches Dangriga at 10 am. If departing from Dangriga be at the main Don Pier at 9.30 am. The boat arrives at 3 pm in Puerto Cortes, Honduras and costs BZ $110 one way or BZ $200 for the round trip (from there walk across the bridge and catch a collectivo (bus) from the corner of the road into the city). Tropic Air flies to Honduras on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

To Guatemala: The cheapest way to travel to Belize from Guatemala and vice versa is by bus. San Ignacio is the closest town to the Benque Viejo border crossing. Take a bus to Benque then a short 10-minute taxi ride to the border for BZ $7. Entrance to Guatemala is $5.

Where can I go from here?

• Texas, USA – 2 hrs 45 minutes
• Mexico – 1 hour
• Honduras – 1 hour
• Guatemala – 45 minutes

FAQs

• Can I drink the water? No, as it’s very high in calcium and even the locals don't drink the water.
• Tipping in Belize? Tipping is expected in Belize. Tip between 10 – 15%.
• Fixed price or barter? Generally fixed price.
• Any ATMs? In the main cities in Belize and towns.
• Which side of the road do they drive? Used to be left but now on the right.
• Good for vegetarians? Yes if you like beans.
• Any seven wonders of the world? No.
• Is it safe to travel to Belize alone? Avoid spending time in Belize city and head to other areas on the mainland or to the Cayes instead.

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• Solo Travel in Guatemala
• Solo Travel in Mexico
• Solo Travel in Central America