Belize City — Your Gateway to Adventure

Belize City, known for its crystal clear waters and vibrant coral reefs, is fast becoming a popular cruising destination due to its authentic culture, Mayan ruins, and magnificent ecotours. This adventurer’s wonderland is the perfect place to go out and explore!

Best Things to Do in Belize City

From lush tropical rainforests to stunning Mayan ruins and the beautiful barrier reef, the city of Belize is an absolute feast for the senses! The area’s colorful mix of Mayan, British, Latino, Garifuna, and Creole influences can be seen and felt in the flavors, the language, and the streets that greet you the minute you get off the boat.

Whether you’re an animal lover, nature enthusiast, history buff, or adrenaline junkie, there’s no shortage of things to do in Belize!

About Belize City

Belize Town, as Belize City was then known, was founded in 1638 as a logging camp that became a central shipping post for its mahogany  thanks to its proximity between the inland rivers and the sea. Once the former capital of British Honduras, today Belize City is the largest city in Belize and the financial, cultural, and political hub of the country.  It is also the entry port for cruisers wishing to explore the country’s history and natural wonders.

The city itself is divided into two parts — Northside and Southside — that are connected by four bridges, one of them being Old Belize Swing Bridge, the only manually operated one in the world. The city is small and walkable, with narrow streets and a mix of rich colonial architecture alongside newer cement buildings. Belize City has three universities, a Memorial Park, and an interesting history through its city highlights, including:

Belize City Cruise Port — one of five major ports in Belize and the city’s premiere port facility handling cruise ships, tankers, containers, and more. Hop on a tender boat (due to the area’s shallow waters) to the Tourism Village and grab a photo standing by the colorful, iconic Belize sign. From here it’s a quick walk or ride to many of the area attractions.

The Baron Bliss Lighthouse — this red and white lighthouse, standing since 1885, pays tribute to Belize City’s biggest benefactor — a British born world traveler who spent time off the country’s coast in his yacht and befriended the local fishermen. While on his yacht he grew terminally ill and willed the majority of his inheritance to Belize despite never having set foot on land.

St John’s Cathedral — the oldest Anglican church in Central America and the oldest surviving link to the city’s colonial past, this structure was built out of imported orange bricks by slaves in the 1820s. Step inside to see the beautiful mahogany pews and sunlight streaming through the church’s colorful stained glass windows.

Museum of Belize — housed in a 19th century prison, this museum is a great way to learn the history of this fascinating city. See an old prison cell, admire the Mayan artifacts, and appreciate the eclectic works of art including jade carvings and death masks.

One of the most unique ways to experience the city is with a party bus tour! Take in Belize attractions and shoreline as you sip a drink from the 30-item open bar and listen to live music. Your tour guide will point out the city landmarks and share fascinating facts about the area and its people. There will be plenty of opportunities to stop for photos, as well as for karaoke and even limbo contests during this two hour party that is basically a club on a bus.

Best Things to Do in Belize

Cave Tubing

Enjoy the natural beauty of the Mayan underworld as you go tubing through one of Belize’s many intricate cave systems. This tour is a big draw for cruisers and other visitors to Belize as it is a fun, family-friendly way to experience nature that everyone can do.

You and your friends will grab your tubes and take a hike  — and a river crossing — to the entrance to the cave system. You will then tie your individual tubes together, adjust your headlamps, and go “butts up” for a relaxing float through the limestone caves, passing under stunning stalactites and stalagmites along the way. Keep an eye out for the bats overhead! The rushing water sounds surrounding you in the darkness and sacredness of the caves makes for a truly surreal yet enchanting experience.

Please note: the water can be low in some spots and the riverbed is rocky, so wear water shoes to protect your feet and bring along a change of clothes as you will get wet.

Altun-Ha Mayan Ruins and Xuanantunich ruins

If cave tubing is Belize’s top attraction, the Mayan ruins are right behind! These ruins are the remnants of what were once thriving cities and major trading hubs for the ancient Mayan civilization.

Altun-Ha

Nestled in the jungle, the city of Altun-Ha became a major center for trade, connecting interior Mayan cities to Guatemala and the Caribbean coast by 200 B.C. It was also a primary religious center with 13 Mayan temples and two plazas spread out across five miles.

To date, only a small portion of the city has been excavated; many exotic items have been uncovered, indicative of a wealthy citizenry. These include jade, the largest piece to date being a carved jadeite head of Kinich Ahau, the Mayan Sun god, weighing almost nine pounds!

Walk through the site with its well preserved temples and imagine what it must have been like standing in the plaza while the priest came down from the 54 foot high Temple of the Masonry Altars (also known as the Sun God Temple) with messages from the gods. A hike above the ruins will give you a panoramic overview of the city and stunning jungle views. While at Altun Ha your guide will share information on the Mayan civilization and culture, including how they harvested the rain forest plants for medicine.

Xunantunich

The Xunantunich ruins are located in the Cayo District of Belize, close to the border of Guatemala. This city rose to prominence up to 900 A.D. and was a thriving ceremonial center. The city’s midpoint rested on a limestone ridge overlooking the Mopan River, with settlements radiating out from it. At its peak, Xunantunich was home to nearly 100,000 inhabitants.  

Here you will find El Castillo (the Castle), a 130 foot temple and the second tallest building in Belize. Legend has it that this pyramid is sometimes visited by the ghost of a woman. The amazing stucco frieze on the temple’s upper walls denote jaguars, serpents, and other deity masks. Take a minute to touch the stone and feel at one with the Mayas as you learn about the rituals and ceremonies that defined the people who lived there.

Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center

Here’s your chance to see jungle animals in their natural habitat when you visit the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center. This great little gem was founded in 1983 to rescue animals — many of them who came to this facility injured, abandoned, orphaned, or donated from sister zoos.

Inside this zoo’s lush savanna you will meet over 150 animals, all housed in large, open habitat enclosures that allow you to get a close look. Meet up with the Zoo Manager for a brief introduction, then marvel at the exotics such as the playful spider monkeys, graceful deer, harpy eagles, scarlet macaws, iguanas, and colorful toucans. Several exotic cats make their home here, as well as the tapirs (Belize’s national animal).

The Tropical Education Center (also known as the Belize Zoo Lodge) sits adjacent to the zoo and was created in 1994 to host student groups, campers, and others throughout the year. It offers lodging, a library, and a lecture hall, and many activities including river canoe trips, trail hikes, and night tours of the zoo. This center helps the zoo fulfill its mission around wildlife conservation, research, and education.

Belize Rum Factory

Travel back in time to the exciting history of rum making in Belize with a visit to Travellers Liquor Heritage Center. Starting in 1953 as a humble bar by the then 12 year old (yes!) Jaime Omario Perdomo, Sr to serve travelers passing through, today it tends to cruise passengers who come to see the rum making process first hand. View ancient rum making equipment including a giant cast iron pot and vintage bottle-capper machine, then watch the workers through a glass window distilling the rum. You will also visit the dark aging room where the rum is being stored in oak barrels, in various stages of aging — ranging from one to eight and even 15 years of age.

Complete your tour with a delicious sampling of rum punch made with one of their award winning rums while you enjoy the great stories told here. You can also try one of their mouthwatering rum flavors such as coconut or spiced rum for an additional fee. Bottoms up!

Jungle Jeep Tours

This exciting Jeep adventure will take you into the rain forest to experience the wild side of Belize. You’ll board a Jeep and leave the bustling city behind, discovering the rich history and ecosystem of Belize while making your way to the Jeep Safari base camp.

Once at the camp you’ll climb into your own Jeep and follow your English speaking guide through wet mangroves and gravel roads to bumpy dirt paths. You’ll feel like you’re in a jungle movie as you bounce over rocky terrain and wind your way through muddy trails, admiring the flora and fauna along the way.

Zip Lining Adventure

Experience the rainforest from the air with a heart-pumping zip lining circuit that has you sailing past toucans, Howler monkeys, and much more. This eight-run circuit has ten platforms nestled up to 100 feet high in the lush canopy, taking you along lines that start out short and get progressively harder, up to 1,000 feet long.

Safety is paramount as you will be expertly fitted with all the safety gear and given a brief demonstration — then it’s time to glide along double lines (for added stability and safety) with guides at each platform to clip you in and receive you. Feel the wind in your hair as you zoom across the winding Cave Branch River, giving you a major adrenaline feel plus panoramic jungle views.

Shark Ray Alley, Hol Chan Marine Preserve, and Caye Caulker by Boat

If water adventure is more your style, Belize delivers: home to an impressive 185-mile long barrier reef, Belize is a veritable paradise for snorkeling and is easily the best part of a cruise for many participants.

Hol Chan Marine Preserve

Get up close and personal with stingrays, nurse sharks, and more on a snorkeling excursion to Hot Chan Marine Preserve. This protected channel is the oldest preserve in Belize and one of its top dive spots thanks to the countless marine life.

Explore the colorful coral formations teeming with more than 160 species of tropical fish, including barracudas, groupers, angelfish, and snappers. Marine sponges, moray eels, lobsters, and sea turtles round out your underwater adventure.

Shark Ray Alley

Located inside Hol Chan Marine Preserve is Shark Ray Alley, a special section named by local fisherman who noticed sharks and stingrays appearing in the water as they cleaned their catch each day.

As soon as your boat nears the area, you will start seeing these magnificent animals appearing out of nowhere as they come in hopes of scoring some fish. Enter the shallow, crystal clear waters and get ready for the experience of a lifetime being in the water with about 40 sharks and stingrays swimming all around you! Watch in amazement as the feeding frenzy unfolds, and feel free to reach out and pet them.

Just steps from the reef is Caye Caulker, an old fishing village and the second largest island in Belize. Take a few minutes here to explore this laid-back island with its shops, restaurants, and hotels. Pop into the bar for a refreshing rum punch, or relax on the white sandy beaches as you unwind from your snorkeling adventure.

With captivating Mayan temples, untouched cave systems, and exotic jungle wildlife, Belize City is the perfect choice for a cruise vacation. Come experience all this vibrant city has to offer through one of our exciting shore excursions.