Belize is situated on the eastern Caribbean coast of the Central American land corridor, and is south west of Cuba. Mexico and Guatemala form its borders from the north east to the south.
One of the most amazing sights in this Central American country must be the huge underwater sinkhole at Ambergris Caye on the Lighthouse Reef– The Great Blue Hole – a natural phenomena at 407ft deep and 984ft across. Deep diving is very popular here to ‘shark watch’ in the crystal-clear waters and to investigate the underwater stalactites in the many caves. For those not qualified to do deep diving, snorkelling is a good way to catch some of the intense atmosphere the blue waters purvey.
Belize is also home to the second longest coral reef in the world, the Belize Barrier Reef, and is made up of some 450 cayes (small islands). This presents excellent opportunities for scuba diving, snorkelling, fishing and a multitude of other water sports.
Inland, there are Mayan ruins at Caracol and Xunantunich amongst many others. These have been partially restored, but there are many other sites hidden away in the deep jungle that are untouched. As well as the ruins, there is a huge cave system containing the second largest underground chamber in the world at well over ¼ mile long. Some of the caves can be accessed by swimming into them, but for those who like to keep dry, there are many to walk down into.
A trip to some of the wildlife reserves is a definite for the nature lovers, as Belize supports an astonishing array of flora and fauna in the shape of orchids, dazzling displays of brilliantly coloured flowers draped over the tree canopies, and cashew, guava and mahogany trees. Animals range from ocelots and jaguars to tapirs and manatees, all in settings guaranteed to impress every visitor.