You’ve probably heard of Belize. For years, adventurous travelers (and Francis Ford Coppola) have championed its many virtues, speaking of it with a wide-eyed, almost mystical reverence. We’re here to confirm: what you’ve heard is true.
Located just to the south of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Belize is equal parts Caribbean and Central American, offering an astonishingly lush mainland and a vast network of postcard-perfect island beaches. Perhaps no other country on earth is so well positioned — due, in part, to its relatively modest size — to satisfy both a thrilling plunge into jungle archaeology and a white-sand layabout among countless cayes and atolls. Whichever side of paradise you prefer, the best part about Belize is that it’s mostly under the radar for the influencer set, and even the residents aren’t numerous enough to comprise a crowd. For now, and hopefully for decades to come, Belize belongs almost entirely to nature.
THE LANDSCAPE
With 37% of its territory set aside for ecological protection, Belize is a dynamo of rugged beauty and biodiversity. Think howler monkeys, keel-billed toucans, and even a dedicated jaguar sanctuary. The relatively low human population helps, of course, but so does the confluence of the Caribbean and Central American biomes, with niches for every sort of tropical plant and animal between the forested plains to the north and the Maya Mountains to the south.
Make the barrier coral reefs a must-see; part of the world’s second-longest stretch, they protect the marshy coastline like a gilt frame, and are far and away the most popular collective destination in the country. Of particular note is the Great Blue Hole, a favorite of Jacques Cousteau: it’s a magnet for divers and snorkelers of all skill levels, all eager to catch a glimpse of its awe-inspiring stalactites, remnants of a time before it was flooded by rising ocean waters.
THE ATTRACTIONS
Belize is home to the largest system of caves in Central America, with some of the Western Hemisphere’s most awe-inspiring formations. What’s more, many of the most majestic structures are cut through by rivers, and are best explored by tube float or canoe. Some caves can even be traversed via zip line. Does it get any better?
Ambergris Caye, the largest island, is by general consensus the place to be for the young and svelte. Not only are its beaches unspoiled and its mangroves seductive — the primary means of transport is the golf cart, our civilization’s most amusing vehicle. Past sunset, its resorts hum with nightlife and smitten stargazers.
Most come at least in part for the unrivaled Mayan heritage, a staggering 900 sites’ worth of historical wonderment, including Xunantunich in western Belize. There’s nothing quite like attaining the zenith of a stairstep ziggurat to gaze in every direction on lush, uninterrupted tropical foliage.
THE CULTURE
The official language is English, but you may catch strains of Belize Kriol (Belizean Creole) while strolling around. It’s the lingua franca in an impressive sea of languages and dialects, just similar enough to its parent English to sound intelligible at first. Listen in and see if you can tell what else is woven into the fabric of this singular patois.
Come for September Celebrations if you can. This 11-day stretch — bookend by Battle of St. George’s Caye Day and Independence Day — is your best chance for witnessing Belizeans at their most hospitable and extravagant. They only obtained independence in 1981, after all; it’s a young celebration, and boy does it ever burn brightly.
THE HOTELS
If you know us at all, you know we’d have a hard time getting all that excited about a destination whose hotels are anything less than extraordinary. Fortunately Belize’s hoteliers, including a certain famous film director, are up to the task of creating lodgings that are worthy of their setting. And while some resorts tend to sanitize their immediate surroundings, the best hotels in Belize seek to deliver you deeper into the natural attractions and activities the country is known for.
Gaia River Lodge
Cayo District, Belize
Gaia River Lodge immerses you in the Belizean rain forest, and gives you a front-row view of the majestic Five Sisters Waterfalls in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. This immersion comes at some cost, if quick and effortless travel is a priority — but it’s worth the trouble, as this kind of eco-travel experience would be simply impossible in any less remote a location.
Ka’ana Resort
San Ignacio, Belize
The one and only landlocked hotel on this list, San Ignacio makes its home in the Mayan country of western Belize, near the Guatemalan border. You’ll trade surf and sand for archaeological expeditions and rainforest canopy tours — and at the end of the day you’ll have a small-scale, environmentally friendly luxury hotel experience awaiting your return.
Thatch Caye
Dangriga, Belize
Set on a farm a 25-minute boat trip from the mainland, Thatch Caye occupies the merest speck of an island, with five overwater cabanas, four larger casitas with rooftop patios, and a single Family Villa, essentially a triple unit on stilts above the sea. What it may lack in five-star gloss it makes up for in full-immersion eco-tourism — you can’t get much closer to nature than this.
Blancaneaux Lodge
San Ignacio, Belize
Film director Francis Ford Coppola knows a thing or two about staging an epic adventure in the jungle. Suffice it to say that things at Blancaneaux Lodge go quite a bit smoother than they did in Apocalypse Now. This is no dilettante’s experiment, but a highly accomplished, unpretentiously luxurious eco-lodge — and the wood-fired Italian cuisine and Coppola wines don’t hurt a bit.
Turtle Inn
Placencia, Belize
The sequel to Blancaneaux Lodge, Turtle Inn dives deeper into Coppola’s taste for Asian design, featuring Balinese-style cottages and villas and Japanese-style baths. But there’s no mistaking the setting, which is pure Belizean beachfront chill — especially if you opt for a higher level of seclusion at Coral Caye, the hotels’ own private island, home to a single isolated cottage.
Matachica Resort
Ambergris Caye, Belize
Sometimes a hotel’s address says a lot. Matachica’s, officially, is “5 Miles North of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.” Set along a secluded white sand beach and reachable only by motorboat, the place looks more like some bohemian castaway commune than a typical resort, with its small collection of colorful thatch-roofed casitas scattered amidst the palm trees.
Victoria House
San Pedro, Belize
On the fringe of San Pedro, at the south end of Ambergris Caye, Victoria House’s 42 plantation-style rooms spread out over ten acres of white sand beaches and tropical gardens. From here you’ve got unparalleled access to the Belizean Barrier Reef, including such attractions as the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and the sensibly (if frighteningly) named Shark Ray Alley.
Copal Tree Lodge
Punta Gorda, Belize
Set on a 3,000-acre sustainable farm, surrounded by a 15,000-acre rainforest preserve, and comprised of twelve privately sited, low-impact, high-pleasure suites, Copal Tree Lodge is, quite simply, one of the leading eco-hotels on the planet. Copal Tree is also a regular entry on the bucket list of travel-savvy gourmands, wildlife enthusiasts, birders and fly-fishermen (and -women, presumably).
Las Terrazas
Ambergris Caye, Belize
Ambergris Caye isn’t the easiest place on the planet to reach — once you get to Belize you’ve still got a commuter flight and a speedboat ride ahead of you — but it’s worth every mile. Situated right on the white sandy beach, Las Terrazas is a resort in the proper sense of the word — there’s a huge infinity pool, a fine-dining restaurant, a spa and wellness center, the works. All of this at boutique scale: just 37 rooms.
Itz’ana Resort
Placencia, Belize
Placencia is almost comically blessed with travel-friendly attributes: with a perfect white sand beach on one side, and a mangrove-dotted bay and lagoon on the other, it’s ideally positioned for seaside lounging with a side of dolphin-watching and rainforest exploration. It’s got all kinds of hotels, from the merest shacks to impressive luxury boutique hotels like Itz’ana Resort & Residences.