Zanna Van Dijk
The Americas

Belize Active Travel Guide | What To Do In Belize + A 10 Day Itinerary

Belize is a tiny country in Central America which packs a serious punch. Despite it only having a population of around 400,000, there is SO much to do in this little slice of paradise. My Active Travel Guide will take you through what to do in Belize, including a 10-day example itinerary.

The benefit of Belize’s small size is that you can be hiking through the jungle in the morning and snorkelling with sharks in the afternoon. With 50% of the country being protected by national parks and environmental laws, it is a destination for nature lovers looking to get outdoors, experience Maya culture and go on underwater adventures.

The Practicalities:

Getting There:

At the time of writing, there aren’t direct flights from the UK to Belize, but you can easily catch a connecting one via the USA. We flew via Atlanta with Delta Airlines and it was pretty seamless.

Getting Around:

You can easily rent a 4×4 car from Belize airport if you want to take yourself around the mainland. However, most hotels offer well-organised day trips to the main attractions nearby, so I would highly recommend those if you want to avoid renting a car.

When To Visit:

The Belize dry season is from November to May. We visited in January and were a little unlucky with a rainy patch passing through during our trip, however, after speaking to the locals, they said coming in March/April is the best time for near guaranteed wall-to-wall sunshine.

How Long To Stay:

I would say you need a minimum of a week to experience a taste of Belize, ten days if you want to hit all the key sights, and longer if you want to enjoy it at a relaxed pace.

Where To Stay:

We chose to stay in a selection of hotels and resorts (detailed below), as they offer easy day trips, well-organised excursions and packed lunches which just made our lives so much easier. Plus, they were rather plush and served up the most delicious food!

Prices:

Belize is a country which you can travel on a range of budgets, it is a well-trodden stop on Central America backpacking routes so there are affordable hostels and street food vendors. However, there are also luxurious five-star resorts and private islands if you want to treat yourself.

Belize Active Travel Guide: An Example of a 10-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive at Belize City & transfer to Ka’Ana Resort.

Day 2: Explore Caracol Maya Temple & Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve.

Day 3: Go on an adventure to ATM Cave.

Day 4: Transfer to The Banks & hike around their on-site trails.

Day 5: Go tubing through St Herman’s Cave & swim in the Inland Blue Hole.

Day 6: Hike up Antelope Waterfall in Mayflower Bocawina National Park.

Day 7: Travel to Placencia & catch a boat to Ray Caye.

Day 8: Scuba dive around Ray Caye & Silk Caye.

Day 9: Snorkel around Ray Caye & Laughing Bird Caye.

Day 10: Travel home.

Accommodation:

We split our time between three boutique resorts, all of which blew us away.

Ka’Ana Resort, San Ignacio:
A small luxury hotel with a secluded exclusive feel, nestled deep in the jungles of Western Belize. They offer a whole host of adventure tours and their on-site restaurant is incredible.

The Banks, Sibun River Valley:
A seriously plush series of private villas in a secluded rainforest valley. The rooms are gorgeous, service is incredible and the food is out of this world. The resort even has its own hiking trails, rope bridges and horseback riding on-site.

Ray Caye Private Island:
A more luxurious option in the famous Cayes of Belize, this private island only has a handful of rooms and is the perfect place to relax in the sun. The food was our favourite of the whole trip and there’s plenty of diving, snorkelilng and water sports on your doorstep.

What To Do and See In Belize:

Caracol Maya Temple:

Belize is home to numerous Maya archaeological sites, with Caracol being one of the least visited, which is exactly why I recommend you head there! It is away from the crowds and the lack of footfall means you will practically get the place to yourself. It is located in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, covers almost 25,000 acres and is home to the tallest Maya structure in Belize – giving incredible views over the surrounding jungle.

Visit Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve:

Yes, you read that right—a pine forest in Belize! A stark contrast to the surrounding jungle! This reserve is home to Big Rock Falls, one of our favourite spots in Western Belize and the perfect place to go for a refreshing swim. You can also pop to the nearby Rio On Pools where you will find a series of natural swimming pools and mini waterfalls.

Explore ATM Cave:

It’s pretty widely agreed that this is one of the best activities in all of Belize! Actun Tunichil Muknal is ranked by National Geographic as one of the top ten caves in the world. It is one of the most important Maya sites in Belize, as the Maya believed caves were portals to the underworld, and many sacrifices were made there. A guided tour of this natural wonder will entail hiking through the jungle, crossing rivers, crawling through caves, swimming through pools, climbing over rocks and climbing ladders. It is one hell of an adventure and a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Hike In Mayflower Bocawina National Park:

This gorgeous national park is only 11 square miles but it is jam-packed with mountains, waterfalls, jungle, swimming spots and even Maya sites. Plus, it gets far fewer tourists than other nearby reserves. I highly recommend hiking up to the top of Antelope Falls. It is a proper adventure with rope-assisted sections and steep ascents, you are rewarded at the top with epic views and a secret swimming spot. Then you have the option of rappelling back down or you can return on foot.

Go Tubing in St Herman’s Blue Hole National Park:

When I think of Belize, I think of tubing—it is an iconic activity which you can’t miss when you visit this country! St Herman’s Cave is the perfect place to do it, you basically float down a river on a huge inner tube and explore an incredible cave as you go, all while learning about Maya history. Afterwards, I recommend heading to the Inland Blue Hole which is also in this national park, a bright blue cenote which is a great spot for a swim in the sunshine.

Experience Belize Barrier Reef:

Belize is home to the biggest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere, which is so pristine that it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I recommend heading to the quieter waters of Southern Belize to have the best experience. We stayed at Ray Caye and explored nearby Silk Caye and Laughing Bird Caye, where we were lucky enough to spot an abundance of turtles, eagle rays and nurse sharks as we snorkelled and scuba dived. This is also an area known for frequent whale shark sightings in season!

Got more time?

If you are able to spend two weeks in Belize then I would recommend adding in a couple of extra stops at:

If you found this article useful, check out my other travel guides:

Safe travels!

Zanna x

(Disclaimer: this was a gifted trip in collaboration with the Belize tourism board, all opinions are my own.)

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