Belize is one of the smallest countries in Central America — second only to El Salvador — but don’t let its size fool you. There’s far more to Belize than its size might suggest.
With lush tropical forests, fascinating Mayan ruins, and idyllic beaches washed by turquoise Caribbean waters, Belize offers an impressive mix of natural beauty and ancient history within a surprisingly small country. It’s the kind of place that stays with you long after you leave.
If you’re planning a trip to Belize, I already have a separate post covering our one-week Belize itinerary, with all the practical information to help you plan your trip. In this post, I’ll focus on what to do in the two areas we explored: San Ignacio, set in Belize’s jungle interior, and Ambergris Caye, a beautiful island in the Caribbean Sea.
Belize was part of a longer trip through northern Central America: ten days in Guatemala followed by a week in Belize. It’s still one of our most memorable family trips from when the girls were little.
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Where to stay in Belize
During our trip to Belize, we based ourselves in two main areas: San Ignacio, to explore the country’s inland attractions, and San Pedro, on the island of Ambergris Caye, for a few slower beach days.
In San Ignacio, we stayed at Cahal Pech Village Resort, conveniently located near the Cahal Pech Mayan ruins. The hotel had great facilities, a nice pool, and was great value. I’ve listed other accommodation options in this post if you’re looking for alternatives.
For our time on Ambergris Caye, we chose Xanadu Island Resort, where we stayed in a spacious two-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen and a large living room. The pool was a bit small, but perfect for the kids. You can find more accommodation suggestions for Ambergris Caye in our Belize itinerary post.
On Caye Caulker, accommodations are generally simpler than those on Ambergris Caye. Barefoot Beach Belize offers a beachfront location with a pool, while Colinda Cabanas, though without a pool, looked equally charming. For a slightly more upscale option that still preserves Caye Caulker’s rustic charm, El Ben Cabañas is worth considering.
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What to do in San Ignacio
Xunantunich Mayan Ruins
Belize is home to many Mayan archaeological sites, several of them located around San Ignacio. But the main highlight here is undoubtedly the Xunantunich Mayan ruins.
Close to the Guatemalan border, getting to Xunantunich Mayan ruins is straightforward. The site is about 1.5 km from the main highway connecting Belize to Guatemala. To reach the ruins, you’ll need to cross the Mopan River on a small ferry and then continue up a short road to the parking area — you can walk it, but it’s a fairly steep uphill walk.
Xunantunich features six plazas and more than twenty-five temples and palaces, making it one of the most impressive Mayan sites in Belize.
The tallest pyramid, known as El Castillo, rises forty meters high and features intricate carved friezes on its east and west sides. The eastern frieze depicts the Sun god, framed by the Moon and Venus, and has been preserved beneath a fiberglass replica. I highly recommend climbing to the top of El Castillo — the views from the top are absolutely worth it.
We visited Xunantunich without a guide, and in hindsight, don’t make the same mistake we did. There are plenty of tour options available and having a guide would have added so much to the experience. We would have understood far more about the Mayan civilization that once thrived here, as well as many of the site’s fascinating details. It was only after arriving that I realized how valuable a professional guide would have been. Fortunately, we didn’t repeat that mistake later at places like Angkor Wat or Brazil‘s Serra da Capivara. Lesson learned!
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Mayan Ruins of Cahal Pech
Cahal Pech is one of the oldest archaeological sites in Belize, with its earliest settlements dating back to around 1200 BC. The site consists of approximately 30 structures spread across eight interconnected plazas, including buildings used for administrative, civic, ritual, and elite residential purposes.
When we visited, we had the entire complex to ourselves — imagine exploring a Mayan ruin with no one else around! Later, a few other tourists arrived, but it still felt wonderfully quiet and peaceful.
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Mayan Ruins of El Caracol
El Caracol was the largest and most powerful Mayan settlement in Belize. At its peak around 650 AD, it had an estimated population of more than 100,000 people, rivaling Tikal in Guatemala in both size and importance.
The tallest structure at El Caracol, known as Caana, or the “Sky Palace,” rises about 43 meters high and remains the tallest man-made structure in Belize today. The site includes several plazas, temples, stelae, and causeways connecting different residential and ceremonial areas.
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Cave tubing
One experience we absolutely couldn’t miss during our trip to Belize — and one I highly recommend — was cave tubing, floating through cave systems on inner tubes.
We did our cave tubing tour with Caves Branch. After putting on life jackets and helmets, we started with a 30-minute hike along a forest path that led us to the banks of the Caves Branch River. That’s when the adventure really began: each of us had our own inner tube, all tied together into a sort of “floating centipede” as we drifted down the river.
We floated through caves and rainforest, surrounded by beautiful scenery. Along the way, we spotted several birds and were excited to spot a family of capuchin monkeys playing in a tree near the river. We could also hear the unmistakable calls of howler monkeys echoing through the forest. The kids absolutely loved it!
There are several similar tours available in Belize, and I’d definitely recommend including one in your Belize itinerary.
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ATM Cave – Actun Tunichil Muknal
When planning our trip to Belize, one experience at the top of my list was visiting Actun Tunichil Muknal cave, commonly known as ATM Cave.
This full-day adventure begins with a 45-minute hike that includes crossing three rivers — with no bridges — followed by a swim into the cave entrance. Once inside, you continue on foot through the dry sections of the cave until you reach an area once used by the Mayans, where you can see ritual artifacts and skeletal remains, including some nearly complete skeletons.
Swimming skills are essential for this tour, and since our daughters were still very young at the time and weren’t swimming yet, we decided to save Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave for our next trip to Belize.
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What to do in Belize – Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker
We spent three full days in Ambergris Caye, slowing down a bit by the Caribbean Sea after more than two weeks traveling through Belize and Guatemala.
Unfortunately, the beach in front of our hotel wasn’t ideal for swimming because of the large amount of sargassum. On days when the smell wasn’t too strong, it was still nice to spend the late afternoon on the sandy stretch by the hotel, and it was still a lovely way to end the day.
The activities I suggest below can all be done from either Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker.
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Snorkeling and diving in Caye Ambergris and Caye Caulker
With the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere — and the second largest in the world — Belize is a paradise for snorkeling and diving lovers. The Belize Barrier Reef is so important that UNESCO has designated it a World Heritage site.
One of the most popular tours in the area is snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve and swimming with sharks at Shark Ray Alley — yes, actual sharks! On our first day in Ambergris Caye, we stopped by a local tour agency in town and booked the tour for the following day.
The boat picked us up directly from the pier in front of our hotel, and after about a 15-minute ride, we arrived at Hol Chan Marine Reserve. It’s considered one of the best snorkeling spots in Belize — and since Belize is already one of the best snorkeling and diving destinations in the world, you can imagine how special this experience was. What impressed me most was the diversity of marine life, with countless fish species in every shape, size, and color imaginable.
From there, the boat continued to Shark Ray Alley. Suddenly, dozens of nurse sharks and southern stingrays appeared around the boat. The guides explained that they throw small pieces of fish into the water to attract them. Before the area became a marine reserve, local fishermen used to clean their catch there, tossing scraps into the sea, and over time the sharks learned this was an easy source of food.
Then came the moment to jump into the water. Even though the guides assured us it was completely safe, I have to admit I was nervous, with the “Jaws” theme song playing in my head. But I thought to myself: when would I ever have another chance to swim with sharks? So I went for it and soon found myself swimming alongside them — one of those unforgettable travel moments.
The full tour takes about 3.5 hours and can also be done from Caye Caulker.
There’s also a full-day tour besides these two stops, includes additional snorkeling spots and a visit to Caye Caulker.
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Great Blue Hole
One experience I really didn’t want to miss in Belize was visiting the famous Great Blue Hole, one of the most famous sinkholes in the world.
The Blue Hole formed from the collapse of an ancient cave system when sea levels were much lower. Today, it’s an almost perfectly circular coral formation about 300 meters wide and 124 meters deep, located around 70 kilometers off the coast of Belize.
While some tours offer snorkeling, diving is what really draws people here.
Trips to the Great Blue Hole usually last the entire day, with a boat ride of around two to three hours each way and several hours spent at the site. But be warned: the Blue Hole sits out in the open sea, and the boat ride can get pretty rough, so seasickness is very common. The tour company warned us about this beforehand, and in the end, we decided not to do the tour.
Another amazing way to experience the Blue Hole is from above, on a helicopter flight. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make this happen either.
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Secret Beach
Despite the name, it’s no secret that Secret Beach is the best beach on Ambergris Caye. Picture a Caribbean paradise: powdery white sand, turquoise water, no waves, and warm, calm sea. That’s Secret Beach.
When we visited, it was the only beach on the island without heavy sargassum seaweed. Since it’s located on the west side of the island, facing the mainland, the currents carrying the seaweed don’t reach Secret Beach.
The best way to get there is by renting a golf cart. In fact, golf carts are the main way people get around Ambergris Caye. We rented ours for two days from a small local rental shop on the road between our hotel and downtown San Pedro, and the price was about half of what the hotel was charging. It was absolutely worth it.
If you’re staying on Caye Caulker, I’d definitely recommend taking a boat over to Ambergris Caye to spend some time at Secret Beach. Boats run regularly between the two islands, and you can simply show up at the pier and buy a ticket.
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Exploring the island by bike and golf cart
Our hotel on Ambergris Caye provided bikes for guests, and they quickly became the main way we got around between the hotel and downtown San Pedro. Many hotels offer complimentary bikes, but if yours doesn’t, there are plenty of rental places around town.
You can even bike to Secret Beach, but since we were traveling with young kids — one riding on the back of an adult bike and the other on a small children’s bike — we decided renting a golf cart would be easier.
And honestly, after trying both, we realized golf carts really are the most convenient way to get around Ambergris Caye.
We found a local rental shop on the way to downtown San Pedro, negotiated the price, and arranged to pick up the cart the next morning. We spent the entire day exploring the island and returned it that evening. I took a photo of the shop so we’d remember it the next day — you can see it in the photo above. But there are several similar rental places around town where you can easily rent a cart.
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Mayan Ruins of Altun Ha
Altun Ha, another important Mayan archaeological site, is located on the Belize mainland. Even if you’re staying on Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye, it’s possible to visit Altun Ha a day trip, but keep in mind that it makes for a very long day. If visiting Mayan ruins is a priority for you, I’d really recommend spending at least one night inland.
Since we had already explored several Mayan ruins in both Belize and Guatemala, we decided to leave Altun Ha for another trip. However, if you’re not planning to visit the San Ignacio region, Altun Ha can be a great way to experience Belize’s Mayan heritage.
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Which island to stay on in Belize: Caye Ambergris or Caye Caulker?
Since most of the main activities along the Belize coast can be done from either Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker, the choice really comes down to the kind of atmosphere you’re looking for.
Ambergris Caye is the larger and more developed of the two islands. It’s a good choice if you’re looking for better infrastructure, a wider range of hotels and vacation rentals, and plenty of restaurants and bars around San Pedro. For families, Ambergris Caye tends to be the easiest and most comfortable option. We chose it while traveling with young children, and it worked really well for us.
Caye Caulker, on the other hand, is smaller, quieter, and much more relaxed. Life moves at a much slower pace there, perfectly matching the island’s motto: “go slow.” It’s a great choice if you’re after a more laid-back atmosphere, and it tends to attract backpackers and budget travelers who enjoy its relaxed vibe.
Both islands are beautiful in completely different ways, so in the end, it really depends on the kind of experience you want to have in Belize.
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I hope you enjoyed our guide on what to do in Belize! For more details on our complete Belize itinerary, along with all our tips to Guatemala (which we visited on the same trip), check out the blog. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram!
Here are the websites I always use to plan my trips:
– 🛌 Accommodation: Booking
– ☀️ Tours & activities: Civitatis & Get Your Guide
– 📱 eSIM for mobile data: Airalo e-SIM – use promo code DANAE2375
– 🚗 Car rental: RentCars – use promo code DANAE
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Here are our posts about other destinations in South and Central America:
Guatemala
Colombia
- The best of Colombia – 12-day itinerary
- What to do in 3 days in Bogotá
- What to do in Cartagena de Indias – Colombia
- How to visit Tayrona National Park – the most beautiful beaches in mainland Colombia
Chile
Argentina
- El Calafate and Perito Moreno Glacier – the best of Argentinan Patagonia
- The best of Ushuaia – A 4-day itinerary for spring and autumn
- Northern Argentina: complete 10-day itinerary through Salta and Jujuy
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All our posts about traveling in Brazil, be sure to check them out before planing a trip to my home country:
- Brazilian Amazon – How to visit the Amazon Rainforest
- What to do in Alter do Chão: Exploring amazonian beaches and rainforests in Brazil
- What to do in Chapada dos Guimaraes, Mato Grosso
- The best tours to do in Bonito, Brazil, in 4 days
- Ultimate guide to Bonito: Exploring the southern Brazilian Pantanal’s hidden paradise
- Complete guide to visiting Lençóis Maranhenses: Tips and essential itinerary
- Chapada das Mesas – Complete itinerary: what to do, where to stay, how to get there
- What to do in Pirenópolis: ecotourism and history in the interior of Goiás
- Chapada dos Veadeiros – Complete guide: best waterfalls, accommodations and tips
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