Belize Travel Guide: the best things to do, see, and eat

“The New River Lagoon opens up to a large lake in front of the ancient Mayan city of Lamanai,” said Efrain. “This city was occupied for over 3,000 years. It was built before Christ was born and it was also occupied until the Europeans arrived. At the top of the High Temple you can see a panoramic view of the canopy along with the beautiful lagoon and river that leads to Lamanai. Mask Temple is one of the most popular temples. The mask is 13 feet tall with curved lips and a wide nose, the facial features of the Olmec (the first great Mesoamerican civilization who influenced many later cultures, including the Maya). A ruler was buried inside this temple with jade and shell offerings. A female was also buried nearby, which shows that at Lamanai, they had both female and male rulers.”

“Hol Chan is an area rich in biodiversity—it’s like you’re in an aquarium,” said Efrain. “You can see all the tropical fish, like Blue Tang. The turtles love to eat the seagrass so there’s a high possibility of seeing green sea turtles at the site. You’ll also see nurse sharks, which are very docile and will never attack. While snorkeling, more than likely, you’ll see a number of them in the water.” Other things to see in Belize’s barrier reef include southern stingrays, eagle rays, moray eels, and if you’re extra lucky, Antillean manatees.

“We’ll be visiting Xunantunich and the Mayan Temple called El Castillo, which is less than a mile away from the Guatemalan border and the second-largest Mayan temple in Belize that has been excavated,” said Efrain. “Climbing to the top of this temple is one of the most popular things to do in Belize. You can see a panoramic view of the forest canopy and the valley, and you can also see into Guatemala.”

“The hotel we stay at on the Southern Coast is about a 5- to 10-minute cab ride, or 30-minute walk, away from Hopkins village,” said Efrain. “It’s a Garifuna village, home to seafaring, Afro-Caribbean people who are mixed with Arawak and Carib Indian. There are a lot of souvenir shops, restaurants, and opportunities to get to know the people and culture.”

“I am a seafood person and I believe that anyone who comes to Belize must try the grilled lobster,” said Efrain. “On the Caribbean spiny tail lobster, all the meat is in the tail.” It’s grilled with light seasoning, garlic, and butter. “I can’t say enough, it’s so tasty!” said Efrain.

“It can be conch, lobster, shrimp, or different seafood all mixed together,” said Efrain. “Eating this with a nice Belizean beer on the beachside is just an awesome experience.”

“It’s a Garifuna fish dish, usually snapper, in a coconut stew,” said Efrain. “It’s served with habanero pepper for spice and mashed green and white plantains. It’s so tasty, and getting it from an authentic Garifuna restaurant will give you a real feeling of the culture.”

“You’ll get to experience this on night two of your A Week in Belize: Ruins, Reefs & Rainforests tour after you visit Lamanai,” said Efrain. “This is free-range, stewed chicken with coconut rice, beans, and Belizean salad with fried plantains. This is more of a Caribbean flavor, but the entire country has adopted this as the national dish of Belize.”

“Another cultural food is the tamal, which is a little bit different than what people might know from other countries,” said Efrain. “Seasoned chicken, beef, or pork is wrapped in plantain or banana leaves. It’s a very tasty Mayan meal.” Opt to make this vegetarian by ordering it with vegetables and peas.

“Lionfish are an invasive species, so there’s no known predator in the Atlantic,” said Efrain. “The Belize government has trained chefs to cook it. Lionfish are killed by fishermen, brought in, and sold at the restaurants so you can buy them and know that you’re contributing to taking them off the reef.”

“My favorite drink is the number one beer in Belize: Belikin beer,” said Efrain. “The recipe for this beer was from a German brewmaster and we have kept the recipe and never changed it.”

“One of the most popular cocktails in Belize is the Ripper, which is made from our local coconut rum and pineapple juice with a cherry on the top,” said Efrain. “Very simple, but it’s on the sweet side. I like sweet drinks so the Ripper is a favorite of Belizeans and myself.”

“It’s a healthy drink and it’s from the soursop fruit, which is called guanabana in Spanish,” said Efrain. “It’s packed with antioxidants. This is a very tasty drink. It’s not sour at all. It’s like strawberry and pineapple together. We make a nice ice cream flavor from it, but the best way to have it is as a drink.”

“We’ll be on an open-air boat with a canopy, traveling on a winding river like we’re going on an ‘Indiana Jones’ adventure, looking for wildlife,” said Efrain. “Belize is made for birders and while traveling along the winding river, there are so many beautiful, tropical birds. We’ll also look for the Morelet’s crocodile, which lives along the river, and the beautiful green iguana. The nearby Lamanai ruins got their name from the Morelet’s crocodile, as ‘Lamanai’ in Yucatec Maya means ‘submerged crocodile.’”

“One of the popular things to do in Belize is visit the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary,” said Efrain. “The area is good for people who love nature, hiking, and smelling the fresh air in the jungle. It ends at a waterfall where you can immerse yourself in the water, take that beautiful picture, and just enjoy the moment in nature. It’s also the jaguar preserve, but these cats are elusive, so they may see you, but you won’t see them.”

“When you’re here, you get to immerse yourself in the Garifuna culture,” said Efrain. “The Garifuna people are pro-African in the sense of being influenced by Africa, and drumming is a big part of their culture. You’ll learn about their drumming, the different types of drums they have, and the different rhythms they make, and partake in dancing and beating your drum.”

“The cave tubing experience is one of the most popular things to do in Belize,” said Efrain. It’s also one of the top excursions to add to your Belize trip. “You’ll visit Xibalba, which in Yucatec Maya means ‘the gateway to the underworld,’” said Efrain. “While traveling through the river, which flows under the cave system, you’ll listen to the guides share Mayan history as it relates to the cave system and look at the beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. It’s so relaxing because the guides will take you through while you just lay back, relax, and listen to the history of the area.”

“We’ll stop at a cacao farm and make our own chocolate the way the Mayans did in the past,” said Efrain. “You’ll taste the cacao from the tree and learn about all the health benefits. Then you’ll go to the Mayan factory where you’ll use Mayan utensils that have been used for hundreds of years, grind your cacao nibs, and make your own chocolate while tasting and learning how healthy chocolate is.”

“This is a Mayan village run by the Yucatec Maya,” said Efrain. “The women came together to try to preserve their culture, food, pottery making, and language. You’ll get to grind your own corn using traditional utensils and make your own corn tortilla—which is awesome with salt and a drizzle of coconut oil on top. You’ll also get an idea of what they’re doing to bring back their culture. To top it off, you’ll get a beautiful Mayan lunch: Mayan tamales, a pico de gallo sauce with corn-fried tortillas, and lettuce and vegetables from their garden. The juices are from the fruits in the area. This is an awesome, healthy meal.”

“We have some beautiful wood carvings from the ziricote tree, which is only found in Belize and parts of Honduras,” said Efrain. “You can get them in any size you’d like. There are artisans at the beach who sell these.”

These come in a variety of sizes, and some are more simple, while others are infused with pops of color. “The Garifuna and Maya people are very good at basket weaving,” said Efrain.

“Because the Garifuna are seafaring people, you can buy accessories like shell earrings from them,” said Efrain. He also recommended picking up rings, chains, or bracelets from the Mayas.

“We’re going to be venturing into rainforests and there might be a little bit of rain, so make sure you have a light poncho or raincoat with you,” said Efrain.

“To me, in Belize, the most dangerous thing is the sun,” said Efrain. “If you’re not careful, you can get a very bad sunburn, so make sure you have sunblock for all of our Belize activities.”

“It can get buggy, especially in the jungle area, so make sure you have your bug repellent,” said Efrain.

“Having a hiking shoe or a good tennis shoe with a nice grip or sole when you’re walking on uneven ground or up steps would be great,” said Efrain.

“This is recommended for cave tubing,” said Efrain. “You can rent them, but it’s recommended you have your own pair so that you can use them along the beach at other points in the trip, too.”

“This is very important if you want to take your electronic stuff with you [while] cave tubing, snorkeling, or during any water activity,” said Efrain.

“We always recommend that you bring your reusable water bottle because we want to limit plastic waste,” said Efrain. “At the hotels, there’s always a water fountain for you to refill your bottle with purified water.”

“Bring it in your carry-on and if you are prone to seasickness, bring some medication for that as well,” said Efrain.