Adventure And Beaches: Get The Best Of Both In Belize

Ride into the jungle in style on horseback

Everyone dreams of riding horses on the beach into the sunset. Since Belize faces East, you aren’t likely to achieve that here, but you can do something a little more adventurous. Rather than slowly walking around through sand, you can run your horses up and down the jungle hills and experience nature on a whole other level. While riding, you can see native wildlife like toucans and even monkeys if you are lucky! There are several places to do this around the country, but the town of Hopkins is just a 15 minute drive from a perfect place to go!

See water glow in an incredible natural phenomenon

Photo is only for illustrative purposes

Bioluminescence is something that you can only see in certain places on earth. The Sittee River Marina in Hopkins is located just minutes by boat from the lagoon where you can witness this night time oasis. Caused by a mix of salt and fresh water interacting with the algae, movement in the water causes it to glow bright blue. It’s most evident in the wake of boats, but it’s most exciting to watch fish dart through the water and jellyfish pulsating as they glide through the water.

Experience world-class snorkeling and scuba diving

The Belize Barrier Reef is the world’s second largest reef system, trailing only the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This offers the Western Hemisphere a world-class destination for snorkeling and scuba diving. Not only can you find some of the ocean’s most interesting sea life, you can explore the Great Blue Hole, names on of the top ten best scuba sites in the world!

Explore the jungle from a whole new angle!

You’ve already read about taking a horseback journey through the jungle, so you might as well explore from the tree tops as well! While you aren’t likely to see any monkeys during the day time, you will certainly enjoy the view as you glide through the canopy! Zip lining not enough fun for you? Try rappelling down a waterfall in the Bocawina National Forest for an additional adventure!

Walk in the footsteps of ancient civilizations

Central America is a gold mine of history and Belize is no exception. Littered with Mayan ruins, it’s the perfect place to get a feel for what life was like to live in Belize over a thousand years ago. Xunantunich, just a few miles from the Guatemalan border, offers a beautiful chance to wander the ruins at your leisure or with the company of a hired tour guide. Be sure to climb to the top of El Castillo for the best view of both Belize and Guatemala!

Experience the sacred Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave before it’s too late!

Cave ATM is truly a unique-to-Belize experience. Once used as a sacrificial chamber, this magnificent cave houses large amounts of untouched, unbroken artifacts. This cave is only accessible on guided tours, but offers a beautiful swim-in entrance or the ability to rappel in from an opening in the ceiling. When you reach the end of the cave, you are able to see a complete Mayan skeleton. It truly is an amazing experience but it might not be around for long. Due to its historical significance, there are talks of the cave closing for extensive archaeological work.

Make your own chocolate!

Belize is one of the lucky countries on earth that has a climate perfect for growing cacao. Satisfy your sweet tooth by touring a cacao farm where you will see the entire chocolate making process from pod to to packaged chocolate. Not only can you see it first hand, but you have the opportunity to make it yourself in traditional Mayan form using lava rocks! Best of all you can take your chocolate with you, however, you may want to enjoy it before it melts.