Belize rests on the Caribbean coast between Mexico and Guatemala: an exotic, English-speaking, adventurer’s paradise, just a couple of hours away from three major United States cities. Almost half the country has been preserved as nature parks and reserves, including tropical forests teeming with wildlife and hiding mysterious Mayan ruins, and 280km of coastline featuring the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere.The reef and the country’s numerous offshore cayes, or atolls, have made this one of the world’s most desirable destinations for scuba divers and marine researchers. The Archaeologically Belize is fascinating too, having been the site of mighty Mayan cities from around 1,000 BC until the inexplicable disintegration of that great civilisation around 900 AD. There are believed to be thousands of Mayan ruins in Belize, of which about 600 have been discovered and excavated, many now open to tourists. Like most Caribbean countries Belize was occupied by British and Spanish colonialists over the centuries before gaining independence. Today it is a happy-go-lucky multi-ethnic nation of warm, friendly people, very welcoming of the tourists on whom the country’s economy relies heavily. The main urban city is Belize City, which offers some attractions like a world-class zoo, a new museum, historic buildings and the Maya site of Altun Ha. Basically, though, Belize is a destination for the outdoor enthusiast and adventure traveller. There are plenty of scope for diving, snorkelling, fishing, hiking, birdwatching, kayaking and exploring.
Add comment Article Published: April 2nd, 2008
