Belize Regions - Naturally Belize

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Belize by Region

North

Orange Walk

Lamanai one of the oldest and most impressive Mayan sites in Belize can be found here. Orange Walk is a beautiful part of the country, plentiful rainforest is home to over 200 species of birdlife as well as howler monkeys, crocodiles and iguanas. The Rio Bravo Conservation Management Area can also be found in this district.

West

Cayo

Easily accessible from Belize City, the Cayo is home to beautiful and remote jungle, a vast underground cave network and Classic Mayan sites such as Caracol and Xunantunich. It is also the centre of many adventure activities such as caving, cave tubing, horse-riding, mountain biking and kayaking.

South

Southern Coast - Dangriga & Hopkins

Dangriga is a bustling town and is the gateway to several island resorts and to Glovers Reef Atoll. The reef is approx. 30 minutes by boat and there is some spectacular snorkelling and diving in the South Water Caye Marine Reserve. Hopkins is a small, friendly Garifuna town that has lots of character, it offers a good base to combine activities on the reef and inland.

Southern Coast - Placencia

The most beautiful beaches in Belize are found along the Placencia peninsula and at the southern tip is the vibrant town of Placencia. Plus the barrier reef is a 45 minute boat ride from the shore and there are an array of snorkelling and diving opportunities here. Whale sharks can usually be found off the coast of Placencia between April and June around the full moon

Punta Gorda and Toledo district

This region has wetlands, rivers, waterfalls and vast areas of protected rainforest. There is excellent birdwatching at the Aguascalientes Lagoon. Over half the population here are Kekchi and Mopan Maya living in villages surrounding Punta Gorda. The reef can be accessed from here, diving trips take place to the Sapodilla Cayes and snorkelling can be found at Snake Cayes which is closer to the shore.

Main Islands

Ambergris Caye is the largest and most developed of all the islands. The main town is called San Pedro and has a large selection of hotels, bars and restaurants. The reef is closest to the shore here, only a 5 minute boat ride making it ideal for snorkellers, and children, sites such as Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark-Ray Alley are popular trips.

Caye Caulker lies to the south of Ambergris Caye and is less developed. The reef is only 1.5 km away and Caye Caulker is closer to many of the best known dive sites, such as the infamous Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye on Lighthouse Reef and also the Turneffe Islands.

Belize Regions

Belize map showing Regions and Towns

Main Islands

Map of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker