BELIZE FAMILY ADVENTURE HOLIDAY

Family Holiday Overview

Belize is an abnormal blip on the Central American radar; peaceful, democratic and English-speaking with a 'go slow' motto and an ingrained love for spicy food. Sandwiched between Mexico and Guatemala, the former colony of British Honduras is an outpost of steamy jungles, ancient Maya ruins, idyllic offshore islands, breezy reggae beats, laid-back locals and epic skies. It’s all of Central America’s bounty rolled into one.

Inland Belize boasts mind-boggling wildlife with toucans, iguanas, howler monkeys, coatimundis, tapirs and jaguars. Tangled in the rainforests lurk millennium-old Maya ruins complete with jungle-clad temples, friezes and plazas and sacred cave complexes set deep within the forest. On the coast, snorkelling and diving reign supreme with an underwater world of coral-encrusted reefs, sandy cayes and the iconic Blue Hole. Stretching 185 miles, the dazzling necklace of the Belize Barrier Reef is home to vivid marine life including turtles, eagle rays, whale sharks and curiosities such as the Christmas tree worm.

The 'cherry on top' of the Belizean coconut pie, is undoubtedly the local people who are among the friendliest you could ever meet. Mestizo, Maya, Garifuna, Creole and Mennonites all coexist in Belize, creating an infectious, unique vibe that is hard to resist.

Interesting Facts

  • As part of the second-largest barrier reef system in the world, the Belize Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an incredibly diverse marine ecosystem stretching for more than 180 miles off the coast
  • Belize has the only Jaguar reserve in the world, known as the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
  • The former capital Belize City was almost completely destroyed by Hurricane Hattie in 1961. Afterwards, the capital city was moved to Belmopan, now the smallest capital city in the World
  • The tallest building in Belize is a Mayan temple
  • In 1971, famed marine biologist Jacques Cousteau discovered what had long been the sole province of local fisherman – the Great Blue Hole, a unique diving site in the middle of an offshore coral atoll.
  • When Queen Elizabeth II visited Belize, she was served with one of the country’s finest delicacies – gibnut meat. Locally referred to as the “Royal Rat”, this large rodent looks something like a cross between a chipmunk and a tapir and tastes similar to rabbit
  • Belize’s Black Howler Monkeys are one of the top 10 loudest animals in the world
  • Some of the exotic names for Belize’s natural wonders include the Peanut-Head Lantern Bug, the Red-footed Booby Bird, the Lady-of-the-Night Orchid and the False Vampire Bat

Choose Your Belize Family Adventure Holiday