Travel Guide - Belize

Wedged into the northeastern corner of Central America between Mexico's Yucatán peninsula and the Petén forests of Guatemala, Belize offers some of the most breathtaking scenery anywhere in the Caribbean. The country actually consists of marginally more sea than land,

with the dazzling turquoise shallows and cobalt depths of the longest barrier reef in the Americas just offshore. Here, beneath the surface, a brilliant, technicolour world of fish and corals awaits divers and snorkellers. Scattered along the reef, a chain of islands - known as cayes - protect the mainland from the ocean swell and offer more than a hint of tropical paradise. Beyond the reef lie the real jewels in Belize's natural crown - three of only four coral atolls in the Caribbean.

Belizeans recognize the importance of conservation and their country boasts a higher proportion of protected land (over 40 percent) than any other. This has allowed the densely forested interior to remain relatively untouched, boasting abundant natural attractions, including the highest waterfall in Central America and the world's only jaguar reserve. Rich tropical forests support a tremendous range of wildlife , including howler and spider monkeys, tapirs and pumas, jabiru storks and scarlet macaws; spend any time inland and you're sure to see the national bird, the very visible keel-billed toucan.

Despite being the only Central American country without a volcano, Belize does have some rugged uplands in the south-central region, where the Maya Mountains rise to over 1100m. The country's main rivers rise here, flowing north or east to the Caribbean, forming along the way some of the largest cave systems in the Americas, few of which have been fully explored. These caves often bear traces of the Maya civilization that dominated the area from around 2000 BC until the arrival of the Spanish. The most obvious remains of this fascinating culture are the ruins of dozens of ancient cities rising out of the rainforest.

Officially English-speaking , and only gaining full independence from Britain in 1981, Belize is as much a Caribbean nation as a Latin one, but one with plenty of distinctively Central American features, above all a blend of cultures and races that includes Maya, mestizo, African and European. Spanish is at least as widely spoken as English, but the rich, lilting Creole is the spoken language understood and used by almost every Belizean, whatever their first tongue. You'll hear this everywhere - and though based on English, it's less comprehensible to outsiders than you might expect.

With far less of a language barrier to overcome than elsewhere in the region, uncrowded Belize is the ideal first stop on a tour of the isthmus. And, although it's the second-smallest country in Central America (slightly larger than El Salvador), the wealth of national parks and reserves, the numerous small hotels and restaurants, together with plenty of reliable public transport make Belize an ideal place to travel independently, giving visitors plenty of scope to explore little-visited Caribbean islands as well as the heartland of the ancient Maya

Although Belize's English-language media can make a welcome break in a world of Spanish, this doesn't necessarily mean that it's easy to keep in touch with what's happening in the rest of the world. Local news takes pride of place in the national newspapers (published weekly on Friday) and international stories receive very little attention. In Belize City, San Pedro and some other main towns you should be able to get hold of foreign publications , including The Miami Herald, Time and Newsweek .

Belize lies in a subtropical latitude, so the weather is generally warm by European standards. Local climates are largely determined by altitude , with the Maya Mountains pleasantly cool and the lowland jungles usually steamy and humid, no matter what the time of year. The coast and offshore cayes can be sweltering, but most of the time the heat is tempered by cooling ocean breezes. Humidity is most marked in the rainy season - officially from May to November - when mornings are generally clear and afternoons often drenched by downpours. The worst of the rain falls in September and October - also the height of the hurricane season; see below for more information. In the more remote southern parts of the country roads can be flooded and journeys delayed, though the rains often continue through to December, when cold fronts push down from the north, occasionally lowering temperatures to around 10°C. The best time of year to visit is from December to March, when the vegetation is lush and the skies are generally clear. This coincides with the peak tourist season, though many people also visit during the summer. Late March to May, before the onset of the first rains, can often be stiflingly hot.

The basis of any Creole meal is rice and beans , and this features heavily in smaller restaurants. In many cases it means just that, with the rice and beans cooked together in coconut oil and flavoured with recado (a mild ground pepper) and often with a chunk of salted pork thrown in for extra taste, but usually it's served with chicken, fish or beef, and backed up by some kind of sauce. Vegetables are scarce in Creole food but there's often a side dish of potato salad and fried plantains, and sometimes flour tortillas (the maize tortillas so common in Guatemala and some other Central American countries are rarely served here). At its best Creole food is delicious, taking the best from the sea and blending it with coconut and spices. But all too often what you get is a stodgy mass, with little in the way of flavour.

Vegetarians will find the pickings slim. There are no specifically vegetarian restaurants, but in the main tourist resorts there's often a meat-free choice on the menu. Otherwise, you're likely to be offered chicken or ham if you say you don't eat meat. The fruit is good and there are some locally produced vegetables, but they're rarely served in restaurants. Your best bet outside the main tourist areas will be a Chinese restaurant.

The most basic drinks to accompany food are water, beer and the usual soft drinks. Belikin, Belize's main beer , comes in five varieties: lager-type bottled and draught beer; bottled stout (a rich, dark beer); and Lighthouse, Premium and Supreme, more expensive bottled beers and often all you'll be able to get in upmarket hotels and restaurants. The Belikin brewery also produces bottled Guinness . Cashew-nut and berry wines , rich and full-bodied, are bottled and sold in some villages, and you can also get hold of imported wine, though it's far from cheap. Local rum , in both dark and clear varieties, is the best deal in Belizean alcohol. The locally produced gin, brandy and vodka are poor imitations - cheap and fairly nasty.

Wedged into the northeastern corner of Central America between Mexico's Yucatán peninsula and the Petén forests of Guatemala, Belize offers some of the most breathtaking scenery anywhere in the Caribbean. The country actually consists of marginally more sea than land,

with the dazzling turquoise shallows and cobalt depths of the longest barrier reef in the Americas just offshore. Here, beneath the surface, a brilliant, technicolour world of fish and corals awaits divers and snorkellers. Scattered along the reef, a chain of islands - known as cayes - protect the mainland from the ocean swell and offer more than a hint of tropical paradise. Beyond the reef lie the real jewels in Belize's natural crown - three of only four coral atolls in the Caribbean.

Belizeans recognize the importance of conservation and their country boasts a higher proportion of protected land (over 40 percent) than any other. This has allowed the densely forested interior to remain relatively untouched, boasting abundant natural attractions, including the highest waterfall in Central America and the world's only jaguar reserve. Rich tropical forests support a tremendous range of wildlife , including howler and spider monkeys, tapirs and pumas, jabiru storks and scarlet macaws; spend any time inland and you're sure to see the national bird, the very visible keel-billed toucan.

Despite being the only Central American country without a volcano, Belize does have some rugged uplands in the south-central region, where the Maya Mountains rise to over 1100m. The country's main rivers rise here, flowing north or east to the Caribbean, forming along the way some of the largest cave systems in the Americas, few of which have been fully explored. These caves often bear traces of the Maya civilization that dominated the area from around 2000 BC until the arrival of the Spanish. The most obvious remains of this fascinating culture are the ruins of dozens of ancient cities rising out of the rainforest.

Officially English-speaking , and only gaining full independence from Britain in 1981, Belize is as much a Caribbean nation as a Latin one, but one with plenty of distinctively Central American features, above all a blend of cultures and races that includes Maya, mestizo, African and European. Spanish is at least as widely spoken as English, but the rich, lilting Creole is the spoken language understood and used by almost every Belizean, whatever their first tongue. You'll hear this everywhere - and though based on English, it's less comprehensible to outsiders than you might expect.

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