Discovering Belize: A Guide for First-Time Visitors

With so many wonderful options to choose from, it can be difficult for a first-time visitor to Belize to know where to start.

If you’re coming to Belize for the first time, here are some popular options:

Go Caving

Belize has hundreds of caves. Whether you’re an experienced spelunker or have never before had the courage to enter a cave, Belize has some truly thrilling adventures, including visiting the undisturbed remains of human beings sacrificed to the gods by ancient Maya priests in Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Cave.

Visit a Maya Ruin

The ancient Maya once dominated the landscape from El Salvador all the way up to Mexico, and Belize was the heartland of that civilization. Today, visitors can explore enormous pyramids, temples, ball courts, and intricately carved buildings where giant causeways still lead to fields that were once used to feed hundreds of thousands of inhabitants.

Check out the Belize Zoo

Less a traditional zoo and more of an education center, the Belize Zoo was founded as a rescue facility for injured and abandoned animals. Every resident of the Belize Zoo is indigenous to the country, and the facility is the first of its kind in Belize to be completely accessible to individuals in wheelchairs or with reduced mobility.

Visit an Island

With hundreds of islands, you can’t go wrong. Top spots like Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye (“caye” is the local term for an island and is pronounced “key”) just a short distance from Belize City offer delicious seafood, fun water sports like kite and wind surfing, and are close to some of the top snorkeling and diving spots on the Belize Barrier Reef, including the Belize Blue Hole and Shark Ray Alley.

Go Snorkeling or Scuba Diving

Often described as a huge natural aquarium, the crystal clear waters and white sandy seafloor make Belize a world-class destination for snorkeling and scuba diving. The Belize Barrier Reef is home to an astonishing variety of marine life, including whale sharks (the largest fish in the ocean), anemones, dolphins, manatees, and hundreds of species of fish.

Relax on the Beach

Sometimes, all you want is to relax on a gorgeous sugar sand beach and admire the view. Belize has beaches in spades with more than 200 miles of coastline on the Caribbean and hundreds of offshore islands.

Black Orchid resort is a beautiful jungle resort located just a short drive from the international airport in Belize City. Black Orchid offers all-inclusive Belize vacations to ensure that first-time visitors experience all the best that Belize has to offer.

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