Belize: A Promising Vacation Destination

Belize offers a wide array of vacation destinations. If you are thinking of heading anywhere in Central America, Belize is a promising vacation spot. You can visit the rainforests, Maya temples, explore the caves, or travel the many rivers that Belize has to offer.

The Maya temples in Belize are believed to be the heart of the Maya civilization. The Maya civilization was documented to date back to 1500 BC. In 900 AD the population of the Maya empire was thought to reach an astonishing one million people. Some of the evidence of their culture still exists and is still waiting to be explored. The temples, palaces, and ceremonial sites all still hold evidence of the culture that inhabited the region. There are 100’s of these locations left to us today to investigate. There are temples you can climb and museums packed with the jade architecture of the Maya. If you want to be a little more hands on you can even find programs that teach you how the archeologists work and allow you to assist professionals.

40 % of Belize is protected land. There has been a significant movement in the last 40 years to protect the natural wonders and wildlife of Belize. There are many that have started private reserves throughout the country. The natural and diverse land that is protected is teeming with wildlife like you have never seen.

Cave exploration is a huge sport in Belize. Belize has the largest cave system in all of Central America. Amazingly, there are still many caves left undiscovered. In 2006, the longest cave system in Central America was discovered in Belize. It is located next to the Chilquibul River in the Maya Mountains. The Maya believed the cave systems were the passage way to the Xibalba, or the gates to the underworld. They often preformed human sacrifices in the caves to appease the Gods of death. In these caves you can find traces of these rituals. Gifts to the gods litter the caves. Jade statues, decorative and storage pottery, and even skeletons can be found.

The rivers of Belize are an exotic passageway to waiting to be explored. There are small villages all along them that regularly use them as their transportation. A guided tour is the best way to explore the rivers. There are many tours available. In March there is the Annual La Ruta Maya Canoe Race. This race is 4 days long running along the Belize River and finishes at the coast in Belize City. The Caves Branch River runs in and out of many caves as the title indicates. This river is fabulous for slow canoeing and exploring the Maya temples that run along it. The Macal River is where the Annual La Ruta Maya Canoe Race begins. This River runs through much of the rainforest and has many accommodations along its path making overnight excursions a possibility. The Sibun is the main river in Belize. You will find many waterfalls along the Sibun River. The Sibun begins in the Maya Mountains and ends in the Caribbean Sea south of Belize City, traveling through 100 miles of varying terrain. There are many other rivers in Belize to explore but these are some of the more popular ones to travel around on.