Belize
Belize Holiday
Bordered by Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea, Belize was formerly known as British Honduras. Belize boasts miles of beautiful coral reefs, ancient ruins, tropical rainforests, exotic wildlife and a wonderful mixture of cultures. The government's approach to eco-tourism should ensure the country remains a nature lovers haven well into this century.
The Belize Discovery Tour includes a trip to Lamanai where you can see magnificent Mayan ruins, and a stay in the capital Belize City. The tour can be combined with San Jose in Costa Rica and Cancun, the Mayan Highlights tour or the Highlights of Costa Rica tour.
Belize has the ingredients of an all-round paradise. Its coral reef, in length second only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, is a diver's delight, enclosing shimmering turquoise waters dotted with more than 175 tiny sand and coral isles known as cayes. Inland, two-thirds of the country is covered with thick forest, home to howler monkeys, armadillos, tapirs and jaguars. Beneath the forest floor lie buried the remains of undiscovered Maya sites, hidden for more than a thousand years.
At the base of the Yucatan peninsula, bordered by Mexico and Guatemala and fringed by the Caribbean, this pocket-sized country measures 280 km (174 miles) from top to bottom and 110 km (68 miles) across at the widest point. About a quarter of its 200,000 population lives in Belize City on the coast, and fewer than 5,000 in the inland capital, Belmopan. The official language of Belize is English-it was ruled by Great Britain for almost two centuries and was known as British Honduras until 1973. But the population is a very varied mix of Garifuna (African-Indian), Creole, Mestizo (Spanish-Indian), Maya, together with Chinese, Lebanese, Italians, and a community of German Mennonites. As a result, you'll hear a multitude of languages spoken in the streets of Belize City. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy-citrus fruits, bananas and sugar cane-together with timber and, increasingly, tourism.
If you feel some affinity with the temperamental hero of The Mosquito Coast, you'll love Belize-the movie was filmed here. If you've ever fantasized about wandering untamed lands, exploring long-lost cities, lazing on empty beaches, swimming in pure lagoons, you may find that this is the place of your dreams.