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Belize is unique in Central America insofar as its official language is English rather than Spanish. A former British colony, Belize is only about the size of New Hampshire, and the population of the entire country totals less than 300,000. Nevertheless, Belize is well endowed with natural beauty. It is also a cultural melting pot with people of Caribbean, Spanish, and Mayan descent and immigrants from around the world.
Belize City, the country’s largest city, remains an intriguing legacy of British colonialism with brightly painted wooden buildings and a lively Caribbean ambiance. Life in Belize City revolves around the Swing Bridge spanning Haulover Creek. This narrow manually-operated bridge built in 1922 connects the Old Town with the more upscale Fort George residential area.
Most of the city’s main sights are in the old town. Government House, which dates back to 1814, looks much the same as it did in colonial days. It now houses British colonial furniture and history displays. St. John’s Cathedral dates back to 1820, making it the oldest Anglican cathedral in Central America. The cathedral was built by slaves using bricks brought over as ballast in British ships.
Easily reached by boat from Belize city, are dozens of Cayes, whose transparent blue waters and coral reefs teeming with colorful fish attract divers and snorkelers from around the world. The largest islands are Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye, both of which have easygoing towns and well-developed tourism infrastructures.
Tropical forests abounding with flora and fauna still cover much of Belize. The best place to get an up-close look at the country’s exotic wildlife is at the Belize Zoo near Belmopan, the country’s capital city. Belize also has numerous nature and wildlife reserves, including the large Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and the Bermudian Landing Baboon Sanctuary, which is home to black howler monkeys.
Belize’s rich Maya heritage can be explored at several impressive archaeological sites. Altun Ha and Xunantunich, with their well-preserved temples and plazas, are Belize’s best known Mayan ruins. More isolated ancient cities such as Lamanai and Caracol are also well worth visiting.
