And another thing...

The birds

SPECIES

GALORE

No need to be a twitcher to appreciate Belize’s riotous birdlife. It’s not just eye-catching show-offs like toucans and scarlet macaws but coastal flamingos and myriad species of effervescent hummingbirds to spot, too.

WHY SO MANY?

The juxtaposition of sea, mountains, rainforest, and migratory routes ensures a rich mosaic of habitats attractive to the recorded 500 species.

WHERE TO SEE THEM?

Important Bird Areas (IBAs) delineated by the Audubon Society list hotspots including Cockscomb Basin and Guanacaste National Park, while at sea, Half Moon Caye and the Great Blue Hole are top of the list.

Caye to Paradise

Pronounced ‘key’, Belize’s barrier reef’s 450 paradisiacal coral atolls’ white sand beaches and turquoise lagoons suit all visitors, whether it’s families, honeymooners, luxury-seekers, or backpackers. Accessed by resort transfers and water taxis, each caye varies in character. Ambergris Caye is popular with luxury resorts and golf courses. Quieter and more laid-back is Half Moon Caye, known for its protected frigate bird colony.

No barrier to finding Nemo

Belize’s 10,000-year old barrier reef is a Utopian experience for divers and snorkellers. The second largest reef on Earth is redolent with bright corals and pretty fish –swim with manatees and sharks (look out for hammerheads) and explore the Great Blue Hole, a photogenic sinkhole within Lighthouse reef. In keeping with a sustainable ethos, a 375ft-long ship has been sunk at Blackbird Caye to create a world-class wreck dive to take visitor pressure off other natural reefs.

Creole cooking

Stir Belize’s exotic produce and creoleinfused cultures into a cooking pot and the inevitable outcome is a moreish cuisine. Start the day with Caribbean-style Johnny cakes – flour and coconut puffs. The staple is rice-and-beans eaten with meat or more lavishly, lobster. Cochinita pibil is a classic Maya dish of slow-roasted marinaded pork while abundant seafood ensures the ceviche is freshly divine. And do try the cashew wine.