Belize Attractions and Things to Do

Belize attractions include a large number of Mayan ruins in addition to its famous cave tubing. It also is one of the few locations to promote caving as a tourist attraction.

Visitors who do not have an interest in cave tubing can try other caves for a more normal experience. The barrier reef is 185 miles long; islands lie between the reef and the mainland, creating numerous opportunities for water sports, especially diving and snorkeling.


The Maya site is located near Rockstone Pond Village in the Belize District. It is the most excavated Maya site in Belize. Altun Ha was a major ceremonial center and a trade center that tied the Caribbean coastline with other Maya centers in the interior of the country. The site has two main plazas with some thirteen temple and residential structures.


Cave tubing in Belize is one of the top excursions in the Caribbean. Visitors will take a somewhat lengthy ride into the country, followed by a hike through rain forest to reach the Sibun River Cave Branch. Once there, they jump into uniquely beautiful lime green water, pop through a tube and float down the river and through dark caves for about 1.5 hours.


The Mayan ruins of Lamanai are among the most famous and easily visited archeological sites in Belize. Most tourists experience the “place of the crocodile” by taking a guided boat trip up the New River to where Lamanai is located on the New River lagoon. Its situation near an abundant and stable water source may explain why this city was inhabited longer than any other Mayan site (up until the 18th century).

Crocodiles are a prominent subject of sculptures and carvings from Lamanai and were considered sacred by the city’s inhabitants. Although they were undoubtedly more common during Mayan times, they are still occasionally seen on New River boat trips.


A pleasant, tropical lake with prominent birdlife, the Crooked Tree Lagoon is an excellent site in Belize for folks interested in birding and wildlife viewing during a pleasant boat ride. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded in the area of the lagoon and animals such as caimans and iguanas are also frequently seen.

It’s close enough to Belize City (a 40 minute drive from the airport) to visit as a day trip but far enough from the city to experience friendly, relaxed and rural Belize. Most tour operators can arrange boat tours of the lagoon or visitors can simply show up in the village of Crooked Tree and arrange one on their own.


Jaguars are the largest wild cat in the Americas and have become rare in many parts of their range. Belize has always been fortunate to have a dense population of these shy, big cats but during the 1970s and 1980s hunting was reducing their numbers.

After field studies by Alan Rabinowitz showed that jaguars did not present a threat to people or livestock in Belize and that their numbers were declining, the Cockscomb Wildlife Sanctuary was established in the jungles of the Maya Mountains to help protect these beautiful cats. Although jaguars occur in the preserve, visitors will be lucky to see one because of their timid nature.

They will certainly come across a wide variety of other rain forest animals, however, especially so if visiting with a local guide. The preserve can be a bit hard to get to but will be well worth it for people interested in experiencing one of the most remote and wildest rain forests in Belize.


The Mopan River flows out of the northern part of the Maya Mountains in Belize and eventually runs into the Belize River. As it rushes out of the mountains, this scenic, tropical waterway becomes dotted with class two and three rapids.

Various tour operators run guided rafting and kayaking trips to experience these quick and exciting stretches of the Mopan, but canoes are also available for folks looking for a more relaxing time on the river.

They can be rented in the nearby town of San Ignacio to float and paddle easily accessible and calmer sections of the Mopan. Although this river doesn’t pass through pristine jungle, the scenery includes quaint, riverside farms, big Green Iguanas in the trees, and screeching flocks of parakeets.


Museum of Belize, built as a colonial prison in the mid-1800s, has a permanent exhibit of ancient Maya pottery as well as displays on the history of Belize City and Belize's Maya history. Baron Bliss Lighthouse Monument at Fort George Point, standing over the harbor entrance, was built from money donated to the country by the 5th baron of Portugal. Baron Bliss was entombed in front of the lighthouse, which he designed himself prior to his death.

St John's Cathedral is the oldest building in Belize as well as the oldest Anglican Church in Central America. Slaves built the cathedral in the 1800s from bricks brought to Belize as ballast in the hulls of ships sailing from Europe. After the church was the site for coronation of several Indian Kings of the Mosquito Coast.


The most famous dive site in Belize is The Blue Hole in the center of Lighthouse Reef Atoll, about fifty miles east of Belize City. The hole is a nearly perfect circle 1,000 feet wide and 412 feet deep that was formed when the roof of a cave fell in about 10,000 years ago. The Blue Hole is so large it is visible from outer space.


Caracol is the largest-known Maya center in Belize. The largest pyramid in Caracol is 143 feet high and the tallest man-made structure in the entire country. The site is located in the Chiquibul Rain Forest.


This major ceremonial center has six large plazas and is surrounded by more than 25 temples and palaces. The most prominent structure located at the south end of the site is a pyramid 130 feet tall. "El Castillo" was the tallest man-made structure in Belize until the discovery of "Canaa" at Caracol. "El Castillo" also is noteworthy for the reconstructed frieze on the temple.