Belize Facts

About The Country of Belize

Belize, Central America Facts

Still undiscovered, often mis-located and usually misspelled… Belize is a fantastic country, and well worth visiting. This page will tell you everything about Belize that you want to know. Learn how your Belize adventure holiday can be a memorable one.

Where is Belize on the map? Tucked into a forgotten corner of the Caribbean, Belize has remained apart from the growth of the rest of the region. Belize is in Central America, and it harbors the region’s last unspoiled marine and rainforest environments and offers some of the most exciting adventure travel anywhere. Belize is also inexpensive to get to and easy to travel in. English is the official language, and US dollars are accepted throughout the country. There are enough incredible places to explore to keep you coming back for years to come.

“Belize Time”

Traveling in Central America can be wonderful, relaxing experience. The pace of life is much slower in Belize, compared to what most guests are used to back home, so it is best to think of it as “I’ll be there in five minutes” when referring to Belize time.

Belize Facts

Not only is it a fascinating place to visit, but it is also easy and inexpensive to get to, English is the official language, and it is a great winter destination as it enjoys a warm winter climate. The population (about 380,000) is about the same as Tampa, Florida, and the country itself is about the size of New Hampshire. The society is multicultural, consisting of African-European Creoles, Spanish-Indian Mestizos, African-Indian Garinagus, Mayan Indians, and a few Europeans, North Americans, and Asians. Belizeans are, for the most part, genuinely friendly people, who lead a laid-back Caribbean lifestyle.

Belize is on Central Standard Time and they do not observe Daylight Savings Time. The water is safe to drink in most areas, and the Belize health care system is among the highest quality in Central America.

You have heard references to British Honduras in the past. Belize was known as this from 1862 – 1973. The country became self-governing in 1964 and an independent Commonwealth realm in 1981, with Queen Elizabeth II as head of state.

Belize dollars have been pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of BZ$2 to US$1 since 1978 and US dollars (bank notes only) are accepted throughout the country, although you should expect to get any change back in Belize dollars.

The government of Belize approved “The Expansion of Fisheries Replenishment (No-Take) Zones,” which will increase the total area of Belize’s protected waters from 4.5 percent to 11.6 percent.

In addition, the country already protects vast areas of rainforest and is known for its incredible wildlife. From whale sharks to tapirs, toucans to jaguars, it is certainly worth visiting.

Belize City

Although the capital city is Belmopan, the largest city in the country is Belize City. After Hurricane Hattie struck in 1961 and caused huge damage (estimated 70% damage to buildings), the government decided to construct a new capital in 1962, started construction in 1967 and completed in 1970.

Belize was known as British Honduras until 1973; at that time they named the country after their largest city. Even today, when locals say they are “going to Belize”, they mean the city, not the country. Belize gained their independence from Britain in 1981.

Belize Weather

Belize enjoys a subtropical climate, somewhat similar to that of South Florida.The temperature in Belize is typically in the 70s to mid-90s. There is a “wet” and a “dry” season, with the dry season lasting approximately from early December through May. Rainstorms can occur during the dry season, but they are usually brief. Over the past few years, changes in global weather patterns have made the dry and wet seasons less predictable. Hurricanes are a potential threat from July to late October. The worst hurricane in recent memory that affected our island in a significant way was Hurricane Iris, which struck Placencia in southern Belize in October 2002. Visit our Belize weather page for a month-by-month weather description.

Tourism in Belize

Despite what you may have heard, Belize remains a little-visited country; the number of international visitors to Belize is about one-half the number that visits Costa Rica. Cancun alone gets four times the annual number of visitors to all of Belize. Only about 35% of Belizean visitors are from the United States and well over half of the tourists go to either Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker. The next most-popular destination is the Cayo District, the area around San Ignacio. The smartest thing the Belize tourist can do is avoid the crowded locations and avoid holiday travel if you can. If you cannot, go to a place with strict guest maximums rather than a place that takes as many people as they can possibly hold, without being able to adequately provide for everyone. To find the best deal on Belize tickets, we publish a regularly updated list of fares from 33 US and Canadian cities to help with your search for flights.

Belize Medical

On all of our trips we are far from medical care. Guests should bring all medications for chronic or recurring ailments. Recent medical and dental exams should be completed to ensure that you are fit for travel, and you should carry health insurance documents.

Our trips are not overly-strenuous, you don’t need to be an athlete, but you must be capable of moderate to vigorous exercise a few hours each day. We cannot evaluate your fitness; you must determine if your own fitness is appropriate. If you are overweight, in poor physical condition, or have special medical considerations you should call us first and consult with your physician before signing up for a trip.

Out on our island we are somewhat isolated from the typical medical risks of the tropics. Everyone should be up-to-date on their tetanus shot. Tetanus shots are good for ten years unless you have an exposure; if so you should get another shot at five years. You should also talk to your doctor about allergic reactions to marine life, and bring appropriate medications that your doctor recommends. Those who travel inland should consider taking precautions to prevent malaria and/or hepatitis. Both zika and dengue fever have been reported, but there is no treatment for either. There is no threat of malaria, dengue fever, zika, or hepatitis on our island, and at the present (August of 2017) the risk is low for each of these diseases country-wide.

If considering malaria medication, you need to remember that a course needs to be started two weeks prior to departure. Most travel clinics and many Internet sites will recommend malaria protection for all parts of Belize, but mosquito control in larger metropolitan areas has eliminated mosquito habitats close to human population settlements. Both zika and dengue fever can be contracted from infected mosquitoes as well. Please don’t ask us to tell you whether to get protection for malaria, even doctors do not agree; it is a personal choice. Malaria pills are bad for you, but getting malaria is worse. The only true protection against mosquito-borne illnesses is to not get bitten by a disease-infested mosquito. The best prevention for bites is to wear a bug repellent that contains at least 25% DEET and to wear long sleeve pants and shirts when in areas where mosquitoes are currently present (carry them in your daypack for quick access if mosquitoes show up.)

Hepatitis A is contracted through infected water; our drinking water is safe on all of our trips. If you plan to travel extensively in remote areas before or after our trip you should consider the Hepatitis A vaccination. For more info see the CDC website.

The biggest health hazard on our trips is the threat of sunburn. Be careful the first few days, a bad sunburn can ruin the rest of your trip. Also, seasickness can occur on travel days out to the island.

Our guides are trained in First Aid, but cannot be expected to serve as doctors. All participants should be sure their own medical coverage is adequate. We assume no responsibility regarding provision of medical care. Before your adventure, the best precautions are don’t get hurt and make sure you are in good health the week before the trip. For more details on avoidable problems, please refer to Our Hints for a Better Vacation. Remember you will be in an isolated area 35 miles off shore with no medical helicopter available in the country; there is no emergency room and you can’t call 911, although we do have emergency contact with the mainland.