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you have to see it to “belize” itWRITTEN BY Maria VV. SSnyder

EVERY WWRITER TTRIES TTO AAVOID UUSING CCLICHÉS,

but “good things come in small packages” is the perfect

way to describe Belize.

Approximately the size of Massachusetts, this small

Central American country is chock full of adventure and

history, and contains a tropical paradise. The bonus with

Belize’s petite size is you can sample a wide variety of

activities in a short period of time.


Belize’s biggest boast is its 185-mile

Barrier Reef, which is the second longest

continuous barrier reef in the world. The

reef runs along Belize’s entire coastline,

and protects hundreds of offshore islands

or cayes (pronounced “keys”) and atolls

that lie between the reef and the

mainland. The diverse selection of

underwater flora and fauna make this

area one of the best scuba-diving and

snorkeling sites in the world.

The cayes come in a variety of sizes,

from a tiny patch of sand to a size that

can support resorts and other vacation

destinations. The beauty lies in having the

choice to stay where you either get the

deserted-island vibe or need the night-life

resort town energy.

Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye are

two islands that offer numerous hotels

and resorts. While you won’t find wide

white-sand beaches in Belize, you’ll still

find access to the warm crystal-clear

Caribbean waters and plenty of docks with

deck chairs for sunbathing.

And don’t forget to visit one of the

three open-ocean atolls. Turneffe Island

Atoll, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, and Glover’s

Reef are unique formations of rings of

limestone, mangrove, and coral cayes that

surround a protected saltwater lagoon.

To get to Belize’s cayes or anywhere

else in the country, first you must go

through Belize City, the transportation

center. With its cruise ship docks and the

only international airport in the country,

Belize City is a mid-sized port city located

at the mouth of the Belize River. Belize

City has an unfortunate reputation, but if

you stick to the most popular tourist areas

and use caution, you should be fine.

North of Belize City is Orange Walk

Town and Corozal Town. Primarily swamp

and mangrove, this is the area where you

will find the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha,

Lamanai, Cerros, and Santa Rita.

Altun Ha is accessible from Belize City

and is a well-preserved site that has

several mid-sized pyramids surrounding

two large central plazas. Retaining its

traditional name, Lamanai features three

large pyramids and is considered the most

picturesque ruin in Belize.

The Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

is also located in northern Belize. The

sanctuary is home to more than 250

species of birds and is the primary nesting

Belize may be limited in size,

but the possibilities for adventure

are unlimited.“ ”

Left: El Castillo, the partially-excavated and largest pyramidfound at the Mayan ruin site ofXunantunich, rises 130 feet abovethe main plaza.Next page: A colorful resortsurrounded by many of theabundant plant life in Belize.

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44 (((b))) magazine | w i n t e r 2 0 0 8


site of the endangered jabiru stork, which is the

largest bird in the Americas. Cruising the

network of lagoons in a dugout canoe is the

best way to explore this sanctuary.

The Maya Mountains in Western Belize

offer a vacationer a chance to explore

numerous caves, sinkholes, jagged peaks,

underground rivers, and waterfalls. These

limestone mountains rise to more than 3,000

feet and are the source of many rivers. One of

the most popular adventures in this area is to

take an inner tube ride on the slow-moving

Caves Branch River, which winds through a

network of limestone caves.

Western Belize is also home to the Cayo

District. Considered the heart of Belize’s

Mayan world, this area is a wonderful

ecotourism destination and home to the

impressive Mayan ruin of Caracol. Caracol is

the largest known ruin in Belize. A great city-

state that thrived during the classical era, it is

located within the Chiquibil Forest Reserve. Its

main pyramid, Caana (Sky Palace), reaches a

height of 136 feet and is the tallest manmade

structure in the entire country.

Other Mayan ruins can be visited while in

western Belize. The sites of Xunantunich and El

Pilar are close to the town of San Ignacio.

Xunantunich is easy to find and is well

excavated. It was a thriving Mayan city from

600 to 900 A.D. and has a tall pyramid that

offers a spectacular view of the countryside.

Spanning some 100 acres, El Pilar is a

huge site with more than 25 known plazas.

Located near the Guatemala border, the

excavation of the site is in the early stages but

shows promise of being considered one of the

major sites of the region.

Southern Belize can be broken into two

major districts, Toledo and Stann Creek. Toledo

is at the outer edge of Belize and is populated

with lesser-known Mayan sites. It’s a great

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location for ecotourism as it’s home to the

richest, wettest, and most undisturbed

rainforest in all of Belize.

Stann Creek’s claim to fame is the

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary &

Forest Reserve. An immense protected area

that spans rugged forested mountains,

Cockscomb was created as the world’s only

jaguar preserve. Belize hosts the densest

concentration of jaguars in the entire world.

But you’ll be able to see Belize’s other four

wildcat species, which are the puma, ocelot,

margay, and jaguarondi, as well.

Cockscomb is also a birdwatcher’s

paradise and it is home to more than 300

species of resident and migratory birds.

Inside the sanctuary you can see Victoria’s

Peak, the country’s highest mountain.

Belize might be limited in size, but with

its Mayan ruins, clear Caribbean waters, cave

explorations, abundant wildlife, and plenty of

jaguars, the possibilities for adventure

are unlimited. ) )) )

Maria V. Snyder is a world traveler and

New York Times bestselling author of novels such

as Poison Study. Visit www.mariavsnyder.com.

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Some helpful websites:

>> www.travelbelize.org (Belize Tourism

Board)

>> www.belizenet.com

>> www.belizeforum.com

>> www.belizex.com

>> www.caracol.org (Caracol Mayan Ruins)

>> www1.lanic.utexas.edu/la/ca/belize

(Latin America Network Info Center –

hosted by the University of Texas)

Left: A jaguar walks along a trail inCockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary andForest Reserve, the world’s only jaguarpreserve.

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46 (((b))) magazine | w i n t e r 2 0 0 8


w i n t e r 2 0 0 8 | (((b))) magazine 47

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