Central America is one of the most attractive regions in the world and Belize is located on the north eastern coast, bordering Mexico and Guatemala. Belize is a British colonial heritage site with English as the official language, and it is a country with strong ties to Latin America and the Caribbean. The advantage of travelling to Belize is the opportunity to explore its exotic environment, its historical legacy, and diverse cultural customs, as well the entertainment and shopping opportunities.
Exotic Environment: Exotic Nature and Wildlife
Located in Central America, Belize is known for its picturesque scenery. Belize has around 400 kilometers of coastline with breathtaking white-sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and palm trees. This is a truly tropical paradise with a diverse sea life in the bays and around the barrier reefs, offering a peaceful atmosphere in comparison to the increasingly crowded beaches around the world. Belize is also one of the few countries that strongly protects its natural resources and wildlife with 36% of its land falling under official protection. Exactly because of the diverse flora and fauna, Belize is the ultimate diving destination, home to over 170 plant species and over 240 marine floras making this aquatic paradise into not only a diver’s dream, but also a tourists’ utopia. One of the most beautiful scuba diving areas, Ambergis Caye, with close to perfect visibility and a vibrant marine life around the coral reef. The water temperature ranges between 80-83 °F in April and May, and the inner area of the reef close is quite sandy and the water is shallow, with minor areas covered by sea grass. The marine life includes soft and hard corals like tube -, and vas sponges, as well as particular animals such as the nurse shark, whale shark, manta ray, and a variety of angel fish, along with shrimps and brittle stars.
Historical Heritage & Cultural Diversity
Belize is a known Mesoamerican ancient civilization and has always been an active commercial hub. A former Mayan occupied territory, Belize was a hierarchical society with strong beliefs in Gods and Kings or Lords, as well as high priests who governed the population. After the socio-economic degradation of the Mayans, as well as the Spanish conquest, the British have taken over with the first settlements initiating numerous conflicts between the natives and themselves. Slavery has become widespread and the last colonies have only gained independence in 1960s. These occupations and various migrations have resulted in a diverse ethnical background of the Belizean citizens. Most of Mestizos and Spanish speak English, Belize Kriol fluently. The historical ruins left behind by the Mayans include some of the major touristic attractions, some of these being Altun Ha, a Rockstone Pond Village, and Caracol, another eminent Mayan site that is home to numerous hieroglyphs telling stories of the local empire.
Entertainment and Shopping
Because of its natural resources, Belize is a great place to go cycling and playing cricket. Some of the nightlife activities include night diving, an exhilarating underwater experience in the blue depths nearby the coral reefs. The nightlife is vibrant ranging from bars to clubs, one of them being the Jaguar’s Temple Night Club with possibilities of exploring local drinks with local rum. Shopping opportunities include the native arts, as well as golden and silver jewelry.  Other shopping opportunities include stores such as the Caribe Creations, a local store in San Pedro, where one can find clothing with tropical prints true to Belizean fashion. For more information on Belize and tourism visit Travel Belize.
Xeki writes about leisure, lifestyle, as well as travel, and she currently works at Albatros Travel.
