Belize Country Information

Lonely Planet Belize is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Explore the ancient Maya site of Caracol, dive the world-renowned Blue Hole, or spot toucans in the wild -all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Belize and begin your journey now!

Inside Lonely Planet Belize:

• Color maps and images throughout
• Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
• Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
• Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices
• Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
• Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - music, cuisine, Ancient Maya, history, wildlife, land & environment, weddings & honeymoons, diving & snorkeling, politics, travel with children
• Covers Belize District, Northern Cayes, Northern Belize, Cayo District, Southern Belize, Tikal, Flores, Guatemala and more

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Belize, our most comprehensive guide to Belize, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled.

About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveler community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travelers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.

Belize is a rising star. With all of the natural allure of Costa Rica, it adds to the mix towering ancient pyramids, superb scuba diving and snorkeling (along the world’s second-longest coral reef system), and a culture that’s warm and welcoming. Author Ali Wunderman has been covering the country for years and uses her expertise to help you craft the vacation of your dreams.

Frommer’s Belize contains:

Exact pricing so there’s never any guessing.

A star rating system to make scanning the book quicker and easier.

Opinionated advice, with no-holds-barred reviews of hotels, tours, restaurants, attractions, and nightlife in all price ranges.

In-depth discussions of the history, cultural and wildlife of the country.

Money-saving tips and tricks to help your dollar go further, whether you’re a luxury-seeker or a backpacker.

Maps throughout the book, and a fold-out map in the back to help you better navigate.

Frommer’s has been the most trusted name in travel for 60 years for a reason. Let us help you create an extraordinary adventure in Belize.

• Flexible itineraries, from the weeklong best of Belize to three weeks exploring the whole country
• Strategic advice for water sports lovers, foodies, wildlife enthusiasts, and more, plus suggestions for supporting local businesses and exploring ethically and sustainably
• The top outdoor adventures: Hike rainforests filled with medicinal trees and howler monkeys, snorkel the second-largest coral reef in the world, go spelunking in ancient underground caves, or hop through the vibrant cayes
• Unique experiences and can't-miss highlights: Canoe to a farmers market to sample fresh pupusas and cashew wine, and cool off beneath the waterfalls. Marvel at Mayan archaeological sites or experience a traditional homestay in Punta Gorda. Relax on the beach all day, and spend your night dancing barefoot in the sand to the sound of Garifuna drums
• Honest advice on when to go, what to pack, and where to stay, from Belize expert Lebawit Lily Girma
• Full-color photos and detailed maps throughout
• Essential background on the landscape, climate, wildlife, and culture, plus handy phrases in Kriol, Garifuna, and Q'eqchi' Mayan
• Helpful recommendations for health and safety, traveling solo, and suggestions for LGBTQ visitors, travelers with disabilities, and seniors

Belize has SO much to offer - but where do you start?  

SURE you want to see snorkel wiith sting ray and sharks, of course, you want to see the Blue Hole but there is so much more that makes Ambergris Caye magic. For this author, it is the small things that made her fall in love with Belize’s most popular destination, Ambergris Caye.  Little BIG Experiences.

50 Big Experiences gives you the inside scoop on:

• Golf cart Adventures
• Where to get the best local eats from breakfast tacos to fresh fruit popsicles
• How you can live like a local
• Try some DIY fly fishing
• An afternoon trip to Caye Caulker
• And lots more from someone who lives on Ambergris Caye...

This humorous, informational, tips and trivia-filed guide includes maps, a bonus 9 activities for your “required” afternoon trip to Caye Caulker (our sister island just 30 minutes away) and lots and lots of things to do.

Small BIG experiences that will have you dreaming of returning to Belize.

''Rebecca Coutant takes readers off the beaten track on a local's journey through Ambergris Caye with her informative, humorous guide...a must-read for anyone visiting Belize's most popular destination. '' — Ali Wunderman, author of Frommer's guidebook to Belize

• Lonely Planet Belize

#1 best-selling guide to Belize *

Lonely Planet Belize is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Explore the ancient Maya site of Caracol, dive the world-renowned Blue Hole, or spot toucans in the wild; all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Belize and begin your journey now!

Inside Lonely Planet Belize:

• Color maps and images throughout
• Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
• Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
• Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices
• Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
• Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - music, cuisine, Ancient Maya, history, wildlife, land & environment, weddings & honeymoons, diving & snorkeling, politics, travel with children
• Over 40 maps
• Covers Belize District, Northern Cayes, Northern Belize, Cayo District, Southern Belize, Tikal, Flores, Guatemala and more

The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Belize, our most comprehensive guide to Belize, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less traveled.

• Looking for more extensive coverage? Check out Lonely Planet Central America on a Shoestring.

Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet

About Lonely Planet: Since 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel media company with guidebooks to every destination, an award-winning website, mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveler community. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travelers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves.

*Best-selling guide to Belize. Source: Nielsen BookScan. Australia, UK and USA

• FODORS

• Water Proof
• GPS Compatible * Full UTM Grid*

National Geographic's Belize Adventure Map, created in cooperation with Biodiversity & Environmental Resource Data System (BERDS) of Belize and Academex Digital Publishing, is a complete travel guide to this coastal Central American country. Hundreds of points of interest, a road network and topographic features and combined in one expertly researched map showing the country in its entirety along with neighboring areas in Guatemala, Mexico and Honduras. Also provided is background information of the country's various districts, highlighting each area's unique features. While the reverse side of the map provides valuable information of such popular destinations as the Belize Barrier Reef, The Blue Hole and Tikal, illustrated with stunning photographs. Inset maps of Belize City, San Pedro and Tikal provide extra detail of these hotspots.

A user-friendly index of protected areas, including national parks, bird and wildlife sanctuaries, natural monuments and archeological, forest, marine, public and private reserves, will help you find your adventure site. Then, plan your route with the mapped road network which includes major roads as well as dirt and gravel roads, for those wishing to travel off the beaten path. Additional transportation features mapped include airstrips, ferry routes and harbors. Along the way, find cultural, historical, ecological and adventure points of interest, such as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Maya sites, ruins, lighthouses, caves, beaches, museums and areas for wildlife viewing, sailing, snorkeling, diving and fishing.

Every Adventure Map is printed on durable synthetic paper, making them waterproof, tear-resistant and tough — capable of withstanding the rigors of international travel.