Belize Location between Mexico and Guatemala

Belize is a tiny little country about the size of Massachusetts – only about 68 miles wide (east-west) and about 180 miles long (north-south).  It’s located south of Mexico and east and north of Guatemala.  The population hovers right around 300,000 – about the size of small US city.

But, you’ll be amazed at what is available in such a small space – deep jungle, caves, the Maya Mountains, tropical rainforests, banana plantations, orange/grapefruit groves and hundreds of neo-tropical sub-habitats in the south and west; wetlands, savannahs, mangroves, sea grass, coral gardens, the Belize Barrier Reef and beaches to the east and at the cayes (islands), and sugarcane in the north.  Mayan ruins are everywhere.  (The last time I checked, over 600 Mayan ruins are estimated to be in Belize – most of them unexcavated.)

You’ll also find animals, lots and lots of animals – the Belize Audubon Society has recorded 520 species of birds in the country, not to mention tapirs, jaguars, ocelots, boa constrictors, iguanas, frogs, deer, coatimundi, marsupials, pacas, agoutis, Black Howler Monkeys, spider monkeys, kinkajous, rhinoceros beetles, Blue Morpho butterflies (only one of 85 different species of butterflies), whale sharks, manatee, dolphins, crocodiles, lobsters, conch, bonefish, tarpon, permit, snook, grouper, Barracuda, various jacks and snappers, Wahoo, parrotfish, angelfish, trumpet fish, Eagle rays, hermit crabs – whole books have been written about the marine and terrestrial wildlife of Belize.

So, it’s very easy to combine the jungle and the beach in a single 7-night vacation.   Breakfast in the jungle in the morning and dine on lobster at a beach bar the same  evening.  Spend a couple of days hiking or horseback riding in the jungle, or cave  tubing, zip-lining and touring Mayan ruins.  Then, off to the beach for diving,  snorkeling, sea kayaking, sailing, parasailing and fly or light tackle fishing for  permit, snook, tarpon, bonefish, grouper and wahoo – all in a single 7-night honeymoon!

Temple 4, Tikal Mayan Ruins

Or, if you prefer just the jungle, how about 3 or 4 days exploring waterfalls and  majestic Mayan ruins such as Tikal or Caracal, hiking through the tropical deciduous  forest in the Mountain Pine Ridge, and canoeing through Barton Creek Cave, followed by  3 or 4 days in the mysterious Toledo District in southern Belize exploring the  rainforest,  kayaking on jungle rivers, learning to make chocolate from organic cacao  pods (which you harvest yourself) and visiting small Mayan villages?

Or, if you’d rather stay at the beach the entire time, how about a few nights on a private island doing  nothing but napping in your hammock, catching a few fish for lunch or dinner, snorkeling at nearby coral reefs and exploring nearby islands by kayak — followed by  a few nights in a light and airy beachfront suite from which you can indulge in gourmet Caribbean restaurants and massages by moonlight in a spa on a sensuous Caribbean beach?

Yes, you can do all of this in Belize – and you can do it at luxury beach resorts and  jungle lodges where you’ll be pampered to your heart’s desire, at budget beach cabanas  and thatched hand-made cabanas in the jungle – or somewhere in between.

So, the first thing you have to decide when planning a Belize honeymoon is what you  want to do, because what you want to do can sometimes determine the best Belize  destinations for your honeymoon.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

For example, if cave tubing is high on your list, and you also want to explore some  Mayan ruins, then at least 3 nights in the Cayo District in western Belize should be on your itinerary.  If jungle hiking, horseback riding or biking are important, then  the Mountain Pine Ridge is a great choice.  If you want to get really off the beaten  jungle path, Toledo is where you’ll want to be.  Or, if fly fishing for permit is your heart’s desire, then you’re Placencia bound.  Dancing every night with fine dining and  a few beach bars in between is your idea of heaven?  Then get thee to San Pedro on  Ambergris Caye.

To give you an idea of the kinds of activities that are available in Belize, following  are the most popular Belize jungle and beach activities:

Jungle: cave tubing, caving, zip-lining, Mayan ruins tours, jungle river kayaking,  tubing or canoeing, crocodile sighting, jungle hiking/biking/horseback riding,  swimming in waterfalls, birding and medicinal jungle plants expeditions.

Snorkeling off False Caye (photo courtesy Lisa Carne)

Beach/Cayes: scuba diving,  snorkeling, sea kayaking, sailing, kite surfing, parasailing, saltwater fly fishing,  saltwater light tackle fishing or trolling, manatee sighting, whale shark  interactions, beachcombing, practicing hammock skills and inventing new rum drinks.

Now, where to do them.  Belize has 6 geographical/political districts:  Corozal and  Orange Walk Districts in the north, the Cayo District in the west, the Belize District  in the east, and Stann Creek and Toledo Districts in the south.

Day at a Private Waterfall in the Cayo District of Belize

Cayo in the west is the place most first-time visitors go for the jungle and offers  cave tubing, caving (particularly at Actun Tunichil Muknal — some clients have  described their tour of ATM as an almost spiritual experience), jungle hiking,  horseback riding and biking, lots of waterfalls, particularly in the Mountain Pine  Ridge area of Cayo (one lodge even offers a full private day at a private waterfall -  a truly recommended experience, especially for honeymoons (and anniversaries), zip- lining, Mayan ruins (Caracol, Xunantunich, El Pilar and day trips to Tikal in  Guatemala), and medicinal plant tours.  All levels of lodging are available in Cayo,  from luxury (Francis Ford Coppola owns a lodge here) to budget and camping.  Belmopan  City,  Belize’s capital, is located in Cayo, as is San Ignacio Town, a popular jumping  off point for Guatemala tours.

Toledo in the south is sometimes described as Belize’s forgotten district, which turns  out to be a good thing for adventurous visitors.  Small Mayan villages that time seems  to have forgotten, great jungle rivers for kayaking or canoeing, nature reserves where  almost no one goes, little explored caves that the Maya believe are doors to the  underworld, small ceremonial Mayan ruins such as Lubaantun (one of my favorite ruins),  the Snake Cayes for some beautiful snorkeling and some great fly fishing in the Port  Honduras Marine Reserve and in the jungle rivers. (Deep River is particularly known  for large tarpon in January.)

And, I just learned a few days ago that the Itzama Ethnobotanical Garden in the Toledo  District is now open to visitors with a prior appointment. Itzama is where very, very  rare plants from almost inaccessible areas of the Maya Mountains have been planted by  elder Mayan healers to supply them with plants for treating patients in Toledo  villages.  The healers are all elderly men and members of the Kekchi Maya Healers  Association who traveled on an expedition to the Maya Mountains with botanists and  medical scientists from the University of Ottawa and Cleveland State University to  identify rare medicinal plants of great value that are no longer available to them due  to development, logging and other advances of “civilization.” Surprisingly, one of the  main treatments that the healers specialize in are botanical treatments for mental  health, with 39 different types of plants in Itzama used for treatment of epilepsy and  anxiety related disorders.

Hickatee Cottages, Toledo District of Belize

Lodging in Toledo is mostly mid-level or budget, small (2 or 3 cottages or cabanas)  and mostly owner managed.  Toledo is one of the few places in Belize I recommend  renting a car to explore.  Punta Gorda Town is the only town of any size in Toledo.

The Stann Creek District is north of Toledo and south of the Belize District and  offers three primary destinations to visitors – the Placencia Peninsula, the  Hopkins/Sittee area and the cayes.

Mainland Stann Creek is unique in that it offers fairly easy access to both beach and  jungle activities with Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Reserve, Monkey River and the  Mayflower Archaeological Reserve as the three most popular jungle destinations in  Stann Creek.  (All three are accessible from Placencia, while Cockscomb and Mayflower  are easily accessible from Hopkins/Sittee.)

Permit on the Fly at Placencia, Belize

Scuba diving, snorkeling and fishing are  the most popular beach activities, although overnight and day sailing are becoming  increasingly common and available.  Scuba diving and snorkeling are excellent and the  chance to snorkel or dive with whale sharks around the full moons in April and May  draws many visitors to the Placencia Peninsula, as do the excellent saltwater flats,  especially for permit, tarpon and bonefish.

The Placencia Peninsula in the Stann Creek District is becoming a favored tourist  destination, with Placencia Village one of the most popular tourist destinations for  off-the-beaten track tourists.

The Peninsula is a 12-mile long peninsula with Placencia Village located at  its southern end.  Lodging ranges from very upscale resorts (such as Turtle Inn, also  owned by Francis Ford Coppola) to moderately priced apartments and beach cabanas in  Placencia Village.   Placencia has more of an “adventurous,” “Indiana Jones” type feel  to it than other beach locations in Belize.  (Local Placencians claim to be descended  from pirates, and they just might be.)  “Adventure with amenities” (such as good tap  water, electricity, phones, Internet service, wide variety of lodging and some very  good restaurants and beach bars) is an apt way to describe Placencia.

Placencia Beach (courtesy of Steve Pitts)

In Placencia Village, you’re also likely to meet the most eclectic group of people you  might find anywhere – from backpackers to college professors studying some aspect of  marine or terrestrial ecology, to eccentric ex-pats with pasts, to gregarious local  fishermen telling some of the most creative fishing stories you’ll ever hear, to North American retirees, to movie stars who like the fact that no one seems to particularly  care who they are, to people who just seem to drift through, never saying where  they’ve been or where they’re going.

Visitors to Seine Bight Village, a Garifuna village about 5 miles north of Placencia  Village, can try their hand at Garifuna drumming, sample the local bitters (rum mixed  with herbs guaranteed to cure what ails you), and experience a village that often displays its African roots.

Dangriga Town, Belize

Hopkins Village, about 40 miles to the north of Placencia, is also a small Garifuna coastal village  that is interesting for a day tour, or for an evening out for authentic Garifuna  cuisine (and is a little more economically prosperous than Seine Bight).  Dangriga  Town, also a Garifuna settlement, is the largest town in the area and is about a 20- minute drive from Hopkins.

The roads in this area are in pretty good condition, with  only small portions still unpaved.  Therefore, it’s fairly easy to travel between the  coast and western and southern attractions such as Xunantunich Mayan ruins, Blue Creek  Cave, Cave’s Branch, San Ignacio, the Belize Zoo, etc.  The Hopkins area is the only  coastal area where renting a car might make sense, especially for larger groups and  families.

The Sittee area about 5 miles south of Hopkins offers several good full-service beach  resorts, and are good honeymoon choices for couples looking for a more all-inclusive honeymoon.  (Lodging in Hopkins Village itself is mostly budget, limited services lodging.)  Fishing, snorkeling and diving are the main beach attractions in the Hopkins/Sittee  area – and all are very good, particularly in the Southwater Marine Reserve about 8  miles off the coast.  (For fly fishing anglers, “permit alley” starts in the  Southwater Marine Reserve off Hopkins and runs down into Placencia.)

And then there are the southern Belize cayes – the best part of Belize some say (and I  think I agree).  Small (the biggest is 15 acres) with lodging in wooden cabanas, white  sand, palm trees, water of greens and blues that sometimes seem surreal, the fresh  smells of the sea, pelicans, Great Frigate birds, sea turtles, dolphins, fantastic  snorkeling, fresh fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner if you want, relaxed, slow –   easy.

Silk Cayes off Placencia, Belize

The cayes still harbor what southern Belize was just 10 years ago. Don’t expect  waiters with white gloves delivering frozen margaritas while you lounge on the beach  and work on your tan, though.  And, visiting the southern cayes is not particularly  cheap (although not particularly expensive, either).  But, as long you’re not the  frenetic type who needs constant stimulation (and Internet access), you won’t regret  any penny that you spend on a honeymoon here, be it two nights or twenty.

(You can  even rent a private island for around US$800 for two people for 3 nights.  You’ll  sleep on clean sheets on a comfortable mattress in a wooden cabana built into the  mangroves, be lulled to sleep by sea breezes coming through the open window, eat just-caught seafood freshly prepared by your own personal Belizean cook/guide and snorkel  and kayak to your heart’s content.  Priceless.)

But, if you do desire a faster pace, plus nightlife, gourmet restaurants and the  good life at the beach, then Ambergris Caye/San Pedro off the Belize City coast should  be one of your primary Belize honeymoon destinations.

San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize

San Pedro is actually the town located on Ambergris Caye, but many people use the  terms Ambergris Caye and San Pedro interchangeably.  Ambergris Caye/San Pedro has the  most tourist facilities, the most (and varied) restaurants and bars, the most gift  shops, the most nightlife — and the most tourists of any area in Belize.  However,  it’s still a mid-sized, friendly place, definitely not on a Cancun-scale.  Lots of  tours and tour operators to chose from, including ruins and jungle tours.  (Because  Ambergris Caye is on an island, getting to the ruins and jungle will involve a boat or  plane ride to the mainland.)

The Belize Barrier Reef is closer to San Pedro than it is in Placencia and Hopkins, so diving and snorkeling are a little less expensive than  in the more southern areas. Lots of lodging options to chose from, but the swimming in the Caribbean directly from shore isn’t as good as further south (mud bottoms rather than sandy bottoms). However,  sandy beaches and sand bottoms are just minutes away on snorkeling, diving and sailing  trips.

Also, there are two very different areas of Ambergris Caye – south Ambergris, where  San Pedro Town and most of the resorts are located, and North Ambergris, which is across a small “cut”, and which is almost all residential development and upscale  resorts.  It’s possible to take a golf cart across the cut and to travel a short way,  maybe a mile or two, by golf cart (or bike).  However, the “road” is really a trail,  and if it’s been raining much, the trail is almost impassable.  (My golf cart ended up  mired in the mud up to its fenders the last time I tried to go up to Capricorn  Resort.)  Therefore, transportation between North Ambergris and San Pedro Town (for  shops, grocery stores and restaurants) is mostly by boat.  Quite a few fairly large  beachfront residences are also available on North Ambergris.

Caye Caulker, Belize

And then there’s Caye Caulker, Ambergris’ more budget cousin, also located off the  coast of Belize City.  Lots of backpackers, relatively inexpensive lodging and  restaurants, although that’s beginning to change somewhat.  (Some very nice new  seafront condos available now.)  Diving and snorkeling are much the same as in San  Pedro, and about the same price, ruins and jungle trips require a boat ride.  No  beaches that slope to the sea (the entire island is pretty much a beach, but a seawall  separates it from the Caribbean).  Caye Caulker reminds me a little of Key West about  20 years ago.

So, how do you put this all together, especially if you want to combine the jungle and  the beach?  Easy – here’s a sample honeymoon itinerary based on moderate priced jungle and beach  lodging for the summer of 2009, for two people:

Rate is just US$1,303 per person for two adults, double occupancy and includes the  following:

• Lodging:

Black Rock Lodge on the Macal River:  3 nights in a Riverview thatched  cabana with private bath

French Louie Caye:  4 nights in a beach cabana on your own private island  (with composting toilet and fresh water shower in a separate building)

Black Rock Lodge, Cayo District, Belize

French Louie Caye, A Private Island Retreat

• Transfers:

One-way ground transfer from Belize International to Black Rock Lodge (about  2 hours)

One-way ground transfer from Black Rock to the Dangriga airstrip (about 2  hours)

One-way air transfer from Dangriga to Placencia (about 15 minutes)

Round-trip boat transfers between Placencia and French Louie Caye (about 20  minutes)

One-way air transfer from Placencia to Belize International (about 40   minutes)

• Meals:

Black Rock:  breakfasts and dinners

French Louie Caye:  all meals (breakfasts, lunches and dinners) beginning  with dinner on the day of arrival through breakfast on the day of departure

• Tours/Activities at Black Rock:

1/2 day guided tour of Xunantunich Mayan ruins

2 hours guided jungle horseback riding

1/2 day guided canoeing on the Macal River

• Tours/Activities at French Louie Caye:

Guided snorkeling and kayaking

Complimentary use of kayaks and snorkeling gear

• Other: 9% hotel tax, 10% restaurant service charge at Black Rock, 10% sales tax on  ground transfers, meals and tours

Not included:

• International air
• Belize departure tax (US$39.25 per person)
• Taxi fare between the Placencia airstrip and French Louie Caye dock (approx. US$5  each way)
• Alcoholic beverages and snacks
• Lunches at Black Rock and lunch on day of transfer from Black Rock to French Louie  Caye
• Gratuities except for restaurant staff at Black Rock
• Personal items and incidentals
• Souvenirs
• Trip cancellation insurance

Or, for a more luxurious alternative, US$2,461.28 per person, two adults, double  occupancy, including the following:

• Lodging:

Blancaneaux Lodge (owned by Francis Ford Coppola):  3 nights in honeymoon  cottage

Turtle Inn (also owned by Francis Ford Coppola):  3 nights in a seaview  cottage

Francis Ford Coppola's Blancaneaux Lodge

Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn

• Transfers:

One-way ground transfer from Belize International to Blancaneaux (approx.  2.5 hours)

One-way ground transfer from Blancaneaux to Dangriga (approx. 2.5 hours)

One-way air transfer from Dangriga to Placencia (approx. 15 minutes)

Round-trip ground transfers between the Placencia airstrip and Turtle Inn  (approx. 10 minutes each way)

One-way air transfer from Placencia to Belize International (approx. 40  minutes)

• Meals:

Blancaneaux:  all meals (continental breakfasts, lunches and dinners)  beginning with dinner on the day of arrival through continental breakfast on the day  of departure

Turtle Inn:  all meals (continental breakfasts, lunches and dinners)  beginning with lunch on the day of arrival through continental breakfast on the day of  departure

• Tours/Activities at Blancaneaux Lodge:

1/2 day guided canoeing tour of Barton Creek Cave

Full day guided tour of the Caracol Mayan ruins, Rio Frio Cave and  Rio On Pools (also waterfalls)

Complimentary use of pool and mountain bikes

• Tours/Activities at Turtle Inn

Full day guided fishing, including gear

Complimentary use of pool, kayaks and bikes

• Other: 9% hotel tax, 10% sales tax on meals, tours and ground transfers, 10% hotel  service charge, 10% restaurant service charge

Not included:

• International air
• Belize departure tax (US$39.25 per person)
• Alcoholic beverages
• Gratuities for guides and drivers
• Personal items and incidentals
• Souvenirs
• Trip cancellation insurance

These are just a couple of sample Belize honeyoons to give you an idea of what you can  do and how much it costs  (and discounts may apply at some locations for summer/fall 2009).  Many, many Belize honeymoon options are available to be tailored  specifically to what you want to do, where you want to do it, and your Belize honeymoon  budget.

To learn more, see www.destinationsbelize.com/honey_sail.htm

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• Belize Beaches
• Belize Honeymoons: Is Belize Right for You?
• Actun Tunichil Muknal: Belize’s “Haunted” Cave