Belize

Paul Harding, Ray Bartlett, Ashley Harrell

Tikal & Flores(Guatemala)

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SouthernBelizep194

CayoDistrict

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NorthernBelize

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NorthernCayes

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Welcome to Belize . . . . . . 4

Belize Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Belize’s Top 22 . . . . . . . . . 8

Need to Know . . . . . . . . . 18

First Time Belize . . . . . . . 20

If You Like . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Month by Month . . . . . . . 25

Itineraries . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Diving & Snorkeling . . . . 33

Belize Outdoors . . . . . . . 40

Travel with Children . . . . 46

Regions at a Glance . . . . 50

BELIZE DISTRICT . . . 54Belize City . . . . . . . . . . . . 56North of Belize City . . . . 69Burrell Boom . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Community Baboon Sanctuary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Crooked Tree . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Old Northern Highway . . . . 75West of Belize City . . . . . 77Old Belize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Monkey Bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Along the Coastal Road . . . . . . . . . . 81Gales Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

NORTHERN CAYES . . . . . . . . . . . . 83Ambergris Caye . . . . . . . 85Caye Caulker . . . . . . . . . 112Other Northern Cayes . . . . . . . 128Cayo Espanto . . . . . . . . . . 128Turneffe Atoll . . . . . . . . . . . 128Lighthouse Reef . . . . . . . . 129Half Moon Caye . . . . . . . . 130Long Caye . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

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Contents

NORTHERN BELIZE . . . . . . . . . . . 133Orange Walk District . . 135Orange Walk Town . . . . . . 135Lamanai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140Río Bravo Conservation & Management Area . . . . 144Corozal District . . . . . . . 145Corozal Town . . . . . . . . . . . 146Cerro Maya & Copper Bank . . . . . . . . . . . 152Sarteneja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153

CAYO DISTRICT . . . 156Belmopan . . . . . . . . . . . . 157Around Belmopan . . . . . 163Hummingbird Highway . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164Belmopan to San Ignacio . . . . . . . . . . 167Spanish Lookout . . . . . . . 170San Ignacio . . . . . . . . . . 170Southeast of San Ignacio . . . . . . . . . . 179Mountain Pine Ridge Area . . . . . . . . 184Caracol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186Northwest of San Ignacio . . . . . . . . . . 188Bullet Tree Falls . . . . . . . . 188Southwest of San Ignacio . . . . . . . . . . 189San José Succotz & Around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191Benque Viejo del Carmen . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

SOUTHERN BELIZE . . . . . . . . . . . 194Stann Creek District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196Dangriga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196Mayflower Bocawina National Park . . . . . . . . . .200Central Cays . . . . . . . . . . . 201Hopkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205Sittee Point . . . . . . . . . . . . 210Sittee River . . . . . . . . . . . . 212Maya Center . . . . . . . . . . . 212Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary . . . . . . 213Placencia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215Red Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225Toledo District (Deep South) . . . . . . . . . 225Punta Gorda . . . . . . . . . . . 225Around Punta Gorda . . . . . . . . . . . 232Big Falls & Indian Creek . . . . . . . . . . . 235San Miguel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237San Pedro Columbia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237San Antonio . . . . . . . . . . . . 238Blue Creek . . . . . . . . . . . . .240

TIKAL & FLORES, GUATEMALA . . . . . . 241Tikal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242Yaxhá . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247El Remate . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249Flores & Santa Elena . . . . 251

Belize Today . . . . . . . . . . 258

History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260

Ancient Maya . . . . . . . . 270

People of Belize . . . . . . 277

Rhythms of a Nation . . 280

Belize Cuisine . . . . . . . . 283

Wildlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

Land & Environment . . 292

Directory A–Z . . . . . . . . 298

Transportation . . . . . . . 306

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314

Map Legend . . . . . . . . . . 319

UNDERSTAND

SPECIAL FEATURESDiving & Snorkeling . . . . 33

Belize Outdoors . . . . . . . 40

Ancient Maya . . . . . . . . 270

Wildlife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286

SURVIVAL GUIDE

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MayflowerBocawinaNational Park

Cockscomb BasinWildlife Sanctuary

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ActunTunichilMuknal

Belize City

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Belize in a Week

If time is short you can either spend it relaxing in one place or plan carefully and experi-ence the best of Belize. This short itinerary covers the best of Belize, allowing time for beaches, islands and inland adventure.

Start in Belize City but head straight to the water taxi terminal and book a ticket to laid-back Caye Caulker or more upbeat San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Either place makes a good base for exploring the reef. After two or three days on the cays, return to Belize City and catch the bus straight to San Ignacio. This relaxed traveler town in Cayo District is the base for visiting Actun Tunichil Muknal cave, Caracol, Xunantunich, Barton Creek Cave and more. If you only have time for one, we recommended Actun Tunichil Muknal cave. Track back down the Hummingbird Hwy to Hopkins for some beach time and Garifuna drumming. Finish with a tour up to Mayflower Bocawina National Park for a day of hiking to waterfalls and ziplining through the jungle. Alter-natively, visit the chocolate factory at Maya Center and make the excellent detour into the ‘jaguar reserve’ of Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary.

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This itinerary starts in the quaint mestizo town of Corozal, just south of the Mexican border. Spend one day in Orange Walk Town, where you can cruise the New River and explore the Maya ruins at Lamanai. Then head east to the small fishing village of Sarteneja for some amazing wildlife watching at Shipstern Conservation & Man-agement Area.

From Sarteneja, catch the fast ferry to San Pedro. Stay on either Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker, but allow yourself at least four days to chill out in a hammock, kayak out to the reef, frolic with the fish and feast on fresh seafood.

When you head back to the mainland, don’t bypass the animal-lovers’ sights outside Belize City in the Belize District, including the Community Baboon Sanctuary and the Belize Zoo. If you’re into birds, spend a night or two around the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary. Further west in Cayo, base yourself in or around San Ignacio and take four or five days experiencing regional adventures, whether it be delving deep into the caves at Actun Tunichil Muknal or Barton Creek, horseback riding, climbing the tall temples at Caracol or Xunantunich, or all of the above.

By now you have been away from the Caribbean for way too long, so spend a few days in the coastal village of Hopkins to absorb some Garifuna rhythms. From here, you can hike the beautiful jungle trails at Mayflower Bocawina National Park or Cocks-comb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. From Dangriga, arrange a boat out to Tobacco Caye for a day of snorkeling on the reef.

Head south to Placencia to enjoy lovely sandy beaches, lively bars and lots of water sports. If time permits, indulge your tropical-island fantasies with a week-long stay at Glover’s Reef, which has an irresistible low-key vibe and brilliant diving and snorke-ling. Finish up in Punta Gorda, the southernmost town in Belize from where you can explore the Deep South.

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CockscombBasin Wildlife

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CrookedTree WildlifeSanctuary

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Ian Anderson's CavesBranch Jungle Lodge

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Exploring Belize’s Deep South can take just a couple of days, but to truly appreci-ate the village life, allow five days.

Punta Gorda is a chilled-out, slightly ramshackle coastal town and a natural spot to begin your trek. There are budget digs in PG but if you’d like to experience some luxury, book yourself in at Cotton Tree Lodge or Copal Tree Lodge. The true beauty is in exploring the villages, chocolate-making enterprises and cultural tours out of PG. One of the best circuits is from Big Falls, then head off the highway to San Miguel, where you can stay with a local family before moving on to San Pedro Columbia, which you can use as a base to explore nearby Lubaantun. Later, head to the small Maya village of San Antonio, detouring for a hike and a swim at beautiful Río Blanco National Park, or caving at Blue Creek Cave.

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If you only have a week to spare, make a base on one of the Northern Cayes, where you have access to an impressive range of activities on land and sea.

Choose laid-back Caye Caulker or busier San Pedro, as they are closest to the mainland. From here, you can take snorkel or dive trips to Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef, the latter home to the amazing Blue Hole.

You can also use either of these islands as a base for day trips to the mainland. Spend a day in the Belize District to visit Belize Zoo or the Maya ruins at Altun Ha.

It’s an easy trip to eastern Cayo District, where you can go cave-tubing in the No-hoch Che’en Caves Branch Archaeo-logical Reserve or ziplining through the forest canopy. You can also head north to the Maya ruins at Lamanai, enjoying a peaceful boat ride on the New River along the way.

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Across the border and within easy reach lie the glory and splendors of the ancient Maya world: ancient ruins surrounded by lush rainforests, and a few really lovely towns thrown in for good measure. Taking it all in would take months, so we suggest a five-day compromise.

Leaving San Ignacio on the morning of the first day, head directly to El Remate. The lakefront town makes a lovely base and has accommodations in all budget ranges. Head to Tikal early the next morning and spend the day exploring this fascinating ancient Maya city. Having made arrangements to spend the night at one of Tikal’s three hotels, you can enjoy the sunset from the top of Temple lV at your leisure. Spend the first half of the third day exploring Tikal further (it’s worth it) before heading back to El Remate to relax.

On your remaining days, hang out in Flores and soak up the town’s island am-bience, perhaps taking a half-day trip to one of the parks, villages or smaller ruins that are in the area.

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If beaches and diving aren’t your thing, head west to the caves, hikes and Maya ruins of Cayo district.

Start at the traveler-oriented San Ig-nacio to get a feel for the town, visiting the Maya site of Cahal Pech and the green iguanas at San Ignacio Resort Hotel. San Ignacio has plenty of good budget hotels and restaurants, so save your money for a night at one of the excellent ecolodges in the region. Arrange a tour to explore the amazing ritual cave of Actun Tunichil Muknal, and/or the superb Maya ruins at Caracol, either of which will take up all of your second day. A third option is canoeing through Barton Creek Cave and ziplin-ing at Calico Jack’s.

On your third day, wake up early and do a half-day trip to either Xunantunich or El Pilar before checking into one of the better hotels or ecolodges in western Cayo: Mahogany Hall is closest to El Pilar, while the fabulous Ka’ana Resort & Spa is closer to Xunantunich. Other stand-outs include Black Rock Lodge and the Lodge at Chaa Creek.

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SEND US YOUR FEEDBACK We love to hear from travelers – your comments keep us on our toes and help make our books better. Our well-traveled team reads every word on what you loved or loathed about this book. Although we cannot reply individually to your submissions, we always guarantee that your feed-back goes straight to the appropriate authors, in time for the next edition. Each person who sends us information is thanked in the next edition – the most useful submissions are rewarded with a selection of digital PDF chapters.

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OUR READERSMany thanks to the travelers who used the last edition and wrote to us with helpful hints, useful advice and interesting anecdotes: Andy Proctor, Carol Malko, Chris Bandy, Mark van Laarschot, Nils Macharis, Nirmala Singh-Brinkman, Paul Spizman Shane McCar thy, Thomas Huettner

WRITER THANKSPaul HardingIt was a pleasure to meet many wonderful people on my travels in Belize. Thanks for chats and advice to (among others) Deborah in Corozal, Jo and Caz in Punta Gorda and Daniel in San Ignacio. Thanks at Lonely Planet to Alicia Johnson and to my co-writer Ashley Harrell. Most of all thanks and hugs to Hannah and Layla at home for their patience and love.

Ray BartlettThanks first and always to my family and amazing friends, for letting me go on these adventures and still remembering me when I get back. To the incred-ible Alicia J, for the editorial wisdom and for speedy answers when I needed them. To all people I met or who helped along the way, especially Virginia, Mereja, Nathalie, Valerie, Peggy, Marlon, Ismael, Jane, Kelsey, Stuart, Rachna, Flor, and so many others. Thanks so much. Can’t wait to be back again soon.

Ashley HarrellThanks to editor Alicia Johnson and co-author Paul Harding for being lovely to work with, Stacey Auch for the best road trip ever, David Roth for becoming a scuba diver, Richard Harrell for braving the Blue Hole, Ronni Harrell for letting Dad visit, Kat Marin for the good company and the help, Tacogirl for the invites and the floaties (sorry!), Kelly Samuels for the cookies and the good times, and Joanne Edwards for being a riot and pleasure to know.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSCover photograph: Tobacco Caye, Belize, Duarte Dellarole/Shutterstock ©

Behind the Scenes

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

313BEH

IND TH

E SCENES

THIS BOOKThis 7th edition of Lonely Planet’s Belize guidebook was researched and written by Paul Harding, Ray Bart-lett and Ashley Harrell. This guidebook was produced by the following:

Destination Editor Alicia JohnsonSenior Product Editor Saralinda TurnerRegional Senior Cartogra-pher Corey HutchisonProduct Editor Alison RidgwayBook Designer Fergal Condon

Assisting Editors Katie Connolly, Bruce Evans, Jodie Martire, Sarah StewartAssisting Cartographers Alison Lyall, Katerina PavkovaCover Researcher Naomi ParkerThanks to Gwen Cotter, Bailey Freeman, Jenna Myers, Kirsten Rawlings

314

Index

Map Pages 000Photo Pages 000

Aaccessibile travel 298accommodations 298-9, see

also individual locationsactivities 23-4, 25-7, 40-5,

see also individual activities, individual locations

Actun Tunichil Muknal 168air travel

to/from Belize 306within Belize 308

Altun Ha 11, 76, 76, 11Ambergris Caye 10, 85-111,

86, 96, 10, 35, 48accommodations 95-103activities 87-94drinking & nightlife 107-8entertainment 108-9festivals & events 95food 103-7shopping 109sights 85-7tourist information 110tours 94-5travel to/from 110-11travel within 111

animals 286-7, see also individual species

area 259area codes 19art galleries, see museums

& galleriesATMs 303

Bbargaining 21bathrooms 304Baymen 262-3beaches 22

Ambergris Caye 91, 10Caye Caulker 112, 114, 30

Hopkins 205Koko King 112Kukumba Beach 78Placenia 15, 215, 15Secret Beach 104The Split 113

beer 285Belize Barrier Reef Reserve

System 289Belize Central Prison 77Belize City 56-69, 58, 62

accommodations 60-4activities 58-9drinking & nightlife 66entertainment 66festivals & events 60food 64-5history 56medical services 67shopping 66-7sights 56-8tourist information 67tours 59travel to/from 67-70travel within 69

Belize District 50, 54-82, 55accommodations 54food 54highlights 55travel seasons 54travel to/from 56

Belize Zoo 16, 80, 16Belmopan 157-63, 162,

160-1accommodations 157-60entertainment 162food 160-2history 157sights 157tourist information 162travel to/from 163

Benque Viejo del Carmen 192-3

bicycle travel, see cyclingBig Falls 235-7birds 288-9

birdwatching 23Bacab Adventure & Eco

Park 70Caye Caulker 112, 118Cockscomb Basin Wildlife

Sanctuary 41Crooked Tree Wildlife

Sanctuary 13, 73, 13Gales Point Wildlife

Sanctuary 82Guanacaste National

Park 163Half Moon Caye 17, 17Río Blanco National

Park 239Río Bravo Conservation &

Management Area 144Shipstern Conservation

& Management Area 153-4

black howler monkeys 72, 286

Belize Zoo 80Blue Creek 240Cockscomb Basin Wildlife

Sanctuary 214Community Baboon

Sanctuary 16, 71-3, 16Crooked Tree Wildlife

Sanctuary 73Mayflower Bocawina

National Park 201Monkey Bay 78

Bliss, Henry Edward Ernest Victor 60

Blue Creek 240, 30Blue Hole Natural

Monument 9, 130, 8-9boat travel

to/from Belize 308within Belize 308-9

Boca del Rio 90, 38books 258border crossings 306-8brukdown 281-2budgeting 19Bullet Tree Falls 188-9Burrell Boom 70-1

bus travelto/from Guatemala 308to/from Mexico 307within Belize 309

business hours 19, 303butterfly farms

Chaa Creek Natural History Center & Butterfly Farm 189

Community Baboon Sanctuary 72

San Pedro Columbia 238Shipstern Conservation &

Management Area 154Tropical Wings Nature

Center 192

Ccabañas 298cacao 231calendar system, Maya

275-6camping 298canoeing 43-4car travel

to/from Mexico 307to/from the US 309within Belize 309-10

Caracol 14, 186-7, 187, 14Carnival 12, 60, 12cathedrals, see churches &

cathedralscaves 22

Actun Tunichil Muknal 168

Barton Creek Cave 179-80

Blue Creek Cave 240, 30Che Chem Ha 193Cuevas de Ak’tun Kan 251Nohoch Che’en Caves 15,

163, 15Río Frio Cave 185St Herman’s Blue Hole

National Park 164-5Tiger Cave 237

caving 41, 47, 79, 163

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

315IN

DEX C

-G Caye Caulker 11, 112-27,

114, 2, 5, 11, 30accommodations 120-4activities 113-18drinking & nightlife 126entertainment 126festivals & events 119food 124-6history 112shopping 126sights 112-13tourist information 127tours 118-19travel to/from 127travel within 127

Cayo District 51, 156-93, 158-9

accommodations 156food 156highlights 158-9travel seasons 156travel to/from 157

Cayo Espanto 128cell phones 18, 304Central Cayes 201-5Cerro Maya 152-3Chan Chich Lodge 145child sex tourism,

prevention 302children, travel with 46-9chocolate 26, 231

Ajaw Chocolate 171, 173Che’il Chocolate Factory

212Chocolate Festival of

Belize 26, 26 Eladio’s Chocolate

Adventure 238Ixcacao Maya Belizean

Chocolate 233Christ of the Abyss 90, 38churches & cathedrals

Lamanai 142, 143Nuestra Señora de los

Remedios 251St John’s Cathedral 57

climate 18, 25-7, 18climate change 307Cockscomb Basin Wildlife

Sanctuary 213-15coffee 285Community Baboon

Sanctuary 16, 71-3, 16Consejo 150consulates 300Copper Bank 152-3Corozal Town 146-52, 147

accommodations 148-9drinking & nightlife 150

festivals & events 148food 149-50history 146shoppping 151sights 146-8tourist information 151tours 148travel to/from 151-2

costs 19counting system, Maya 274credit cards 303Creole people 277-8crime 259crocodiles 93, 288Crooked Tree 73-5Crooked Tree Wildlife

Sanctuary 13, 73, 13cruise ships 258crystal skulls 239currency 18, 303customs regulations 300cycling 308

Ambergris Caye 92-3Caye Caulker 118Cockscomb Basin

Wildlife Sanctuary 214Cypress Garden 91

Ddangers, see safetyDangriga 196-201, 198

accommodations 197-9activities 197drinking & nightlife 199festivals & events 197food 199shopping 199-200sights 196-7tourist information 200travel to/from 200

Deep South, see Toledo District

deforestation 293diarrhea 301disabilities, travelers

with 298diving & snorkeling 22,

33-9Ambergris Caye 87-91,

35, 48Belize City 59Blue Hole Natural

Monument 9, 130, 8-9Boca del Rio 90, 38Caye Caulker 113Central Cayes 34Cypress Garden 91Gladden Spit 36Glover’s Reef 39, 204

Half Moon Caye 131, 38Hol Chan Marine Reserve

34, 86Hopkins 205Laughing Bird Caye 36-7Lighthouse Reef 39,

129-32Long Caye 131Mexico Rocks 90Northern Cayes 33-4Placencia 215Plum Caye 203Punta Gorda 226-7San Pedro 87-8, 48Silk Cayes Marine

Reserve 36Sittee Point 210Southern Cayes 36-7South Water Caye 202Thatch Caye 203Tobacco Caye 202, 35Turneffe Atoll 37-9, 128

drinks 285driver’s licenses 310driving, see car traveldrugs 302drumming, Garifuna 10,

279, 280, 10, 26Hopkins 205Punta Gorda 227

EEast Snake Caye 233economy 258-9ecotourism 24, 292-3, 299El Gran Carnaval de San

Pedro 25El Mirador 248El Remate, Guatemala

249-51electricity 300embassies 300emergencies 19energy 293, 296environment 292-6environmental issues

258, 293Esmerelda 91ethnic groups 277-9etiquette 21events 25-7, see also

individual locationsexchange rates 19

Ffamily travel 46-9festivals & events 25-7, see

also individual locationsfilms 258

first-time travelers 20-1fish 287-8fish feeding 94fishing 44-5

Ambergris Caye 91-2Belize City 59Caye Caulker 118Gales Point Wildlife

Sanctuary 82Glover’s Reef 204Placencia 216Punta Gorda 227Turneffe Atoll 129

Flores, Guatemala 52, 251-6, 242, 252

accommodations 253-5activities 251-2drinking & nightlife 256food 255-6sights 251tourist information 256tours 251-2travel to/from 256

food 283-5, 300, see also individual locations

Frenchman Caye 233fuel 310

GGales Point 81-2gardens, see parks &

gardensGarifuna people 10, 278-9,

10, 26Dangriga 196-201, 198drumming 10, 205, 227,

279, 280, 10, 26food 284Garifuna Settlement Day

27, 26Hopkins 205-10, 10, 16music 281

gay travelers 302gibnuts 287Glover’s Reef 9, 204-5,

9, 42Goff’s Caye 56golf carts 311Guatemala 52, 241-56, 242

accommodations 241border crossings 307-8Flores 52, 251-6, 242,

252food 241Santa Elena 251-6, 254territorial disputes 268Tikal 52, 242-7, 242,

244-5

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Guatemala continuedtravel seasons 241 travel to/from 307-8Southern Highway 240

guesthouses 298-9

HHalf Moon Caye 17, 130-1,

2, 7, 17, 38Harvest Caye 224health 300-2hieroglyphics 273-4hiking 13, 40-1

Bacab Adventure & Eco Park 70

Caye Caulker 118Cockscomb Basin

Wildlife Sanctuary 214

Mayflower Bocawina National Park 13, 201, 13

Río Blanco National Park 239

history 260-9British settlement 262-5independence 266-7Maya 260-1, 270-6recent 267-9US relations 265

hitchhiking 311Hol Chan Canyons 91holidays 303honeymoons 116Hopkins 16, 205-10, 206,

10, 16, 26horseback riding 41, 43

Belmopan 164Hopkins 205San Ignacio 181, 189Stann Creek District

205, 42hot sauce 200howler monkeys, see black

howler monkeysHummingbird Highway 15,

164-7, 15hurricanes 71, 259

Iiguanas 288

Ambergris Caye 102Belize Zoo 80Blue Creek 240Caye Caulker 112

Cockscomb Basin Wildllife Sanctuary 214

Community Baboon Sanctuary 72

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary 73

Green Iguana Conservation Project 171

Half Moon Caye 131Lamanai 143

immigration 304-5, 306independence 266-7Indian Creek 235-7insect bites 301insurance

car 310health 300travel 302

internet access 302internet resources 19itineraries 28-32, 28, 29,

31, 32

Jjabiru storks 289jaguars 16, 80, 286, 16johnnycakes 284

Kkayaking 43

Dangria 197Glover’s Reef 9, 204,

9, 42Nohoch Che’en Caves

Branch Archaeological Reserve 163

Placencia 218Punta Gorda 227Sibun River 79

Kekchí people 278Big Falls 235Blue Creek 240San Miguel 237San Pedro Columbia 237

kungo muzik 282

LLa Isla Bonita 95La Ruta Maya Belize River

Challenge 25, 44Lamanai 12, 140-3, 141,

2, 12languages 18, 259legal matters 302lesbian travelers 302LGBT+ travelers 302Lighthouse Reef 129-30

Lime Caye 233literature 258Little Belize 155live-aboard boats 34lobster season 26-7local transportation 311lodges 299Long Caye 131-2Lubaantun 237-8, 239, 238

Mmacaws 289Madonna 95maize 274manatees 287, 23

Ambergris Caye 86, 91, 95

Belize City 59, 61Caye Caulker Marine

Reserve 113, 115, 117, 119

Frenchman Caye 233Gales Point Wildlife

Sanctuary 81St George’s Caye 89Swallow Caye Wildlife

Sanctuary 113Temash-Sarstoon

National Park 233maps 303marine reserves 294-5

Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Reserve 85-6

Blue Hole Natural Monument 9, 130, 8-9

Caye Caulker Marine Reserve 113, 114, 30

Hol Chan Marine Reserve 34, 86

Port Honduras Marine Reserve 233

Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve 233

Silk Cayes Marine Reserve 36

South Water Caye Marine Reserve 34

Mask Temple 12, 142-3, 2, 12

Maya calendar system 275-6

Maya Center 212-13Maya Mountain Research

Farm 237Maya people 278

calendar system 275-6counting system 274food 274, 284history 260-1, 270-6

Living Maya Experience 235

Maya Center 212-13medicine 290music 282Toledo District 14,

236, 14Maya sites 24, 270

Actun Tunichil Muknal 168Altun Ha 11, 76, 76, 11Barton Creek Cave

179-80Blue Creek 240Cahal Pech 171Caracol 14, 186-7,

187, 14Che Chem Ha 193El Mirador 248El Pilar 188Lamanai 12, 140-3, 141,

2, 12Lubaantun 237-8, 239,

238Nim Li Punit 235, 235Pacbitun 181Tikal 52, 242-7, 242,

244-5Uxbenka 239Xunantunich 11, 191-2,

191, 11, 23Yaxhá 247-9

Mayflower Bocawina National Park 200-1, 13

measures 303medical services 300-1Mennonites 155, 279Mess, Florencio 282mestizos 262, 277Mexico

Chetumal 111, 151travel to/from 306-7

Mexico Rocks 90mobile phones 18, 304money 18, 19, 303Monkey Bay Wildlife

Sanctuary 78-81monkeys, see black howler

monkeysmosquitoes 301motorcycle travel

to/from Mexico 307within Belize 309-10

mountain biking, see cycling

Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve 184-6

museums & galleriesBenque Viejo House of

Culture 193Corozal Museum 146

Map Pages 000Photo Pages 000

317IN

DEX M

-S George Price Center for

Peace & Development 157

Gulisi Garifuna Museum 196

House of Culture 171Image Factory 57Lamanai Museum 141Museo Santa Bárbara

251Museum of Belize 57Pen Cayetano Studio

Gallery 196Poustinia Land Art Park

192-3Sa’c Tunich 180Traveller’s Heritage

Center Museum 57music 24, 280-2

NNabor, Paul 282national parks & nature

reserves 292, 294-5, see also marine reserves, wildlife reserves

Bacab Adventure & Eco Park 70

Bacalar Chico National Park & Marine Reserve 85-6

Blue Hole Natural Monument 9, 130, 8-9

Caye Caulker Forest Reserve 112-13

Chaa Creek 189Columbia Forest Reserve

237Guanacaste National

Park 163Half Moon Caye Natural

Monument 17, 130-1, 2, 7, 17, 38

Mayflower Bocawina National Park 200-1, 13

Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve 184-6

Río Blanco National Park 239

Río Bravo Conservation & Management Area 144-5

Shipstern Conservation & Management Area 153-4

St Herman’s Blue Hole National Park 164-5

Temash-Sarstoon National Park 233

newspapers 303Nim Li Punit 235, 235

Nohoch Che’en Caves 15, 163, 15

Northern Belize 51, 133-55, 134

accommodations 133food 133highlights 134history 135travel seasons 133travel to/from 135

Northern Cayes 51, 83-132, 84

accommodations 83food 83highlights 84travel seasons 83travel to/from 85

Ooil 259, 296Old Belize 77-8Old Northern Highway 75-7opening hours 19, 303Orange Walk Town 135-40,

137accommodations 138-9drinking & nightlife 140festivals & events 139food 139-40sights 136tourist information 140tours 136-40travel to/from 140

outdoor activities, see activities

Pparanda 281parks & gardens

Bacab Adventure & Eco Park 70

Belize Botanic Gardens 189Branch Mouth 171Poustinia Land Art Park

192-3passports 305, 306Peters, Wilfred 282Petro Caribe 259petroleum 259Placencia 15, 215-25,

216, 15accommodations 218-21activities 215-17drinking & nightlife

222-3festivals & events 218food 221-2shopping 223-4tourist information 224

tours 217-18travel to/from 224travel within 224-5

planningBelize basics 18-19Belize’s regions 50-2budgeting 19calender of events 25-7children, travel with 46-9first-time travelers 20-1internet resources 19itineraries 28-32, 28, 29,

31, 32travel seasons 18,

25-7, 18plants 290-1Plum Caye 203-4politics 259, 266-9population 259postal services 303poverty 259public holidays 303punta 280Punta Gorda 225-32. 228

accommodations 228-30

activities 226-7drinking & nightlife 231-2festivals & events 228food 230-1shopping 232tourist information 232tours 227travel to/from 232travel within 232

punta rock 280

Rradio 303Red Bank 225red-footed booby birds 17,

130-1, 2, 17religion 271-2, 273, 278reptiles 288river-tubing 45

Angel Falls 165Big Falls 235Bullet Tree Falls 188Cockscomb Basin

Wildlife Sanctuary 214Hopkins 207Maya Center 213Nohoch Che’en Caves 15,

163, 15road rules 310ruins

Altun Ha 11, 76, 76, 11Cahal Pech 171

Caracol 14, 186-7, 187, 14

Cerro Maya 152El Mirador 248El Pilar 188Lamanai 12, 140-3, 141,

2, 12Lubaantun 237-8, 239,

238Nim Li Punit 235,

235Pacbitun 181Río Bravo Conservation

& Management Area 144

Tikal 52, 242-7, 242, 244-5

Uxbenka 239 Xunantunich 11, 191-2,

191, 11, 23Yaxhá 247-9

rum 171, 285

Ssafety 259, 304

caving 41hitchhiking 311road 310women travelers 305

sailing 44Ambergris Caye 92Caye Caulker 117Placencia 216

San Antonio 238-9San Ignacio 17, 170-9, 172,

180-1, 17accommodations 174-5activities 171-3drinking & nightlife 178entertainment 178food 175-8shopping 178sights 171tourist information 178tours 173-4travel to/from 179travel within 179

San José Succotz 191-2San Miguel 237San Pedro Columbia

237-8Santa Elena, Guatemala

251-6, 254accommodations 253-5activities 251-2drinking & nightlife 256food 255-6sights 251tourist information 256

318

IND

EX S-Z

Santa Elena, Guatemala continued

tours 251-2travel to/from 256

sargassum seaweed 98Sarteneja 153-5Secret Beach 104Seine Bight 223September celebrations 27Shark Ray Alley 12, 91, 12sharks 12, 287-8, 12Sharp, Marie 200Sittee Point 210-11, 206Sittee River 212smoking 303snakes 288snorkeling, see diving &

snorkelingSouth Water Caye 34,

202-3Southern Belize 52, 194-

240, 195accommodations 194food 194highlights 195travel seasons 194travel to/from 196

Spanish Lookout 170spas

Ambergris Caye 93-4Caye Caulker 118Chaa Creek 189Old Northern Highway 75

stand-up paddleboarding 45Stann Creek District 196-

225, 42

TTackle Box Canyons 90tap water 302 tapirs 286-7taxes 303taxis 311telephone services 19, 304Thatch Caye 203-4theft 304Three Kings of Belize 282

tick bites 301Tikal, Guatemala 52, 242-7,

242, 244-5accommodations 246-7food 246-7sights 243-6tourist information 247tours 246travel to/from 247

time 18, 304tipping 21, 303Tobacco Caye 201-2, 35toilets 304Toledo District 225-40,

226, 14Toledo Ecotourism

Association 230toucans 289tourism 258tourist information 304,

see also individual locations

transportation 306-11travel seasons 18, 25-7,

18, see also individual locations

travel to/from Belize 306-8travel within Belize 19trekking, see hikingTres Cocos 90Tuffy Canyons 91Turneffe Atoll 128-9turtles 288

Ambergris Caye 86Caye Caulker Marine

Reserve 113Gales Point Wildlife

Sanctuary 81St George’s Caye 89

TV 303

Uunemployment 259Uxbenka 239

Vvacations 303vaccinations 301

visas 18, 304-5volunteering 305

Arcas 251-2Belize Bird Rescue 167Belize Wildlife & Referral

Clinic 167Northern Cayes 89

Wwalking, see hikingwater 302waterfalls

Big Drop Falls 201Big Rock Falls 184Billy Barquedier

Waterfall 165Bocawina Falls 201Five Sisters Falls 184-5Peck Falls 201Río Blanco Falls 239Río On Pools 185Thousand Foot Falls

185weather 18, 25-7, 18websites 19weddings 116weights 303West Snake Caye 233whale sharks 287wi-fi 302Wild Cane Caye 233wildlife 22-3, 286-91, see

also individual specieswildlife conservation

Belize Bird Rescue 167Belize Wildlife & Referral

Clinic 167Green Iguana

Conservation Project 171

wildlife reserves, 294-5, see also butterfly farms, marine reserves, national parks & nature reserves

Aguacaliente Wildlife Sanctuary 233

American Crocodile Education Sanctuary 93

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 213-15

Community Baboon Sanctuary 16, 71-3, 16

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary 13, 73, 13

Gales Point Wildlife Sanctuary 81-2

Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary 78-81

Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary 113

wildlife-watching 22-3, see also individual animals

windsurfing 45women travelers 305work 305World Heritage sites

289

XXunantunich 11, 191-2, 191,

11, 23

YYaxhá, Guatemala 247-9yoga

Ambergris Caye 93-4Belize City 59Caye Caulker 118Placencia 217

Zziplining 43

Big Falls 235Hummingbird Highway

165Maya Center 213Mayflower Bocawina

National Park 201Nohoch Che’en Caves

Branch Archaeological Reserve 164

San Ignacio 181zoos 16, 80, 16

Map Pages 000Photo Pages 000

319

Walking Tour detourWalking Tour

Path/Walking Trail

BeachBird SanctuaryBuddhistCastle/PalaceChristianConfucianHinduIslamicJainJewishMonumentMuseum/Gallery/Historic BuildingRuin

Sento Hot Baths/Onsen

ShintoSikhTaoistWinery/VineyardZoo/Wildlife SanctuaryOther Sight

DivingBodysurfing

Sleeping

Eating

Entertainment

Shopping

Drinking & NightlifeCafe

BankEmbassy/ConsulateHospital/MedicalInternetPolicePost OfficeTelephoneToiletTourist InformationOther Information

AirportBorder crossingBus

CyclingFerry

Underground station

MonorailParking

Metro station

Petrol stationSubway/Subte stationTaxiTrain station/RailwayTram

Other Transport

LighthouseHut/Shelter

Beach

LookoutMountain/VolcanoOasisParkPassPicnic AreaWaterfall

River, CreekIntermittent River

Swamp/Mangrove

Reef

Canal

Water

Dry/Salt/Intermittent Lake

Glacier

Mudflat

Beach/Desert

Airport/Runway

Cemetery (Christian)

Cemetery (Other)

Park/Forest

Sportsground

Sight (Building)

International

DisputedRegional/SuburbMarine ParkCliffWall

Capital (National)Capital (State/Province)City/Large TownTown/Village

State/Province

CampingHut/Shelter

Canoeing/KayakingCourse/Tour

SkiingSnorkelingSurfingSwimming/PoolWalkingWindsurfingOther Activity

LaneTertiary

TollwayFreewayPrimary

StepsPlaza/Mall

Pedestrian overpass

Secondary

Unsealed roadRoad under construction

Tunnel

Cable car/Funicular

Gate

Sights

Activities,Courses & Tours

Sleeping

Eating

Drinking & Nightlife

Entertainment

Shopping

Information Routes

Boundaries

Hydrography

Areas

Geographic

Population

Transport

Note: Not all symbols displayed above appear on the maps in this book

Map Legend

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their first travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Franklin, London, Melbourne, Oakland, Dublin, Beijing and Delhi, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

Published by Lonely Planet Global LimitedCRN 5541537th edition – July 2019ISBN 978 1 78657 492 3© Lonely Planet 2019 Photographs © as indicated 201910 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reasona-ble care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maximum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

OUR WRITERSPaul HardingSouthern Belize, Cayo District, Northern Belize As a writer and photographer, Paul has been traveling the globe for the best part of two decades, with an interest in remote and offbeat places, islands and cultures. He’s an author and contributor to more than 50 Lonely Planet guides to countries and regions as diverse as India, Belize, Vanuatu, Iran, Indonesia, New Zealand, Iceland, Fin-land, Philippines and – his home patch – Australia. Paul also wrote the Plan,

Understand and Survival Guide sections.

Ray BartlettGuatemala Ray has been travel writing for nearly two decades, bringing Japan, Korea, Mexico, Tanzania, Guatemala, Indonesia, and many parts of the United States to life in rich detail for top industry publishers, newspapers and maga-zines. His acclaimed debut novel, Sunsets of Tulum, set in Yucatán, was a Mid-west Book Review 2016 Fiction pick. Among other pursuits, he surfs regularly and is an accomplished Argentine tango dancer. Ray Bartlett currently divides

his time between homes in the USA, Japan and Mexico.

Ashley HarrellBelize District, Northern Cayes After a brief stint selling day-spa coupons door-to-door in South Florida, Ashley decided she’d rather be a writer. She went to journalism grad school, convinced a newspaper to hire her, and starting covering wildlife, crime and tourism, sometimes all in the same story. Fueling her zest for storytelling and the unknown, she traveled widely and moved often, from a tiny NYC apartment to a vast California ranch to a jungle cabin in Costa Rica, where

she started writing for Lonely Planet. From there her travels became more exotic and farther flung, and she still laughs when paychecks arrive.

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

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© Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’