Is Belize Worth Visiting? Honest Thoughts and My Favorite Moments

A trip across the pond to Europe? Fly west to Hawaii? Maybe a visit to Belize? Today, I’m making the case for why Belize is worth visiting!

My wife and I visited Belize for the first time in June 2026. You’ll probably realize this wasn’t the busy season; it was, in fact, the beginning of the rainy season. Luckily, we had one day of rain and the rest was pretty nice (or even too hot).

Over the course of 9 days, we snorkeled, ate yummy food, enjoyed beach time, learned Mayan history, explored Belize’s numerous cave systems, and so much more. It was a BLAST! And I hope that with a little more research, you too get to experience the wonders of Belize.

Is Belize Worth Visiting?

I really enjoyed visiting Belize, and it’s definitely worth a visit, but I’ll be honest: it wasn’t on my radar for 98% of my life. Growing up in Arizona, a place like Belize wasn’t even a thing I thought about. But after getting married in Costa Rica and spending 10 days honeymooning there, my wife and I realized we wanted to explore more of Central America.

Wanting a less expensive trip and having to figure out weather concerns in mid-June, we landed on Belize. And we’re so glad that we did. Now, I’m normally a mountain person, so a trip to the Alps or something like that is more my cup of tea.

However, my wife wanted a relaxing vacation, and neither of us wanted to deal with jet lag. One big benefit is how easy it is to get to Belize from the US (and especially Denver for us). I think the total flight time was under five hours.

Considering how small the country is, you can do and see a lot – even if travel throughout Belize is not efficient (it’s not terribly slow, but you don’t have 75 mph freeways).

This is one reason we enjoyed visiting Belize. We got to explore the Caribbean and go snorkeling, relax, and get our tan on. Then, we switched gears, put on our bug spray, and headed into the jungle for cave tubing, ziplining, and Mayan ruins.

All in all, it was one heckuva trip and gave us such an appreciation for the country, culture, and all the amazing things to do in Belize.

To recap why Belize is worth visiting:

• Less expensive than other Caribbean spots
• Lots to do on the water and land
• People are super kind
• Lots of history/culture
• Easy to reach from 2/3s of the USA
• Hardly any time zone change

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My 5 Favorite Moments Exploring Belize

1. Exploring the Caves

I had no idea Belize’s cave system was so intense, extensive, and epic. Belize has over 300 documented caves and easily thousands more, thanks to its limestone landscapes.

We were the day’s first guests at the ATM Cave, canoed a half mile into the Barton Creek Cave on our final day, and floated through the Nohoch Che’en Caves after ziplining. All are well worth it and unique.

2. Learning Mayan History and Seeing Ruins

While the coastal areas have a less extensive Mayan influence, the jungle areas have so much history. We loved visiting the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins (even though it was sweltering hot and humid) and learning how integral this community was to the region.

Then, we were incredibly lucky to have a well-known archaeologist staying at Jade Jungle. We peppered him with more questions than he surely expected!

3. First time in the Caribbean

Another favorite moment from visiting Belize was my first time in the Caribbean Sea. The water was so blue and clear, and the white sands were almost unrealistic. Snorkeling here was an 8.5/10.

I feel it would have been higher, but storms and windy conditions were touch-and-go before and during our stay, and they clouded the water a bit.

4. Underwater Beauty

This continues on the above. Even though we may not have had 10/10 conditions, it was the best snorkeling and water views I’ve ever had. The coral was phenomenal; we saw a manatee (twice!) and got to enjoy the Belize reef without anyone else around us. Then, on our final excursion day, we spent time with nurse sharks and stingrays in absolutely clear water.

5. Tasty Food

I’m all about trying new food in new areas (to an extent…), and the food in Belize was fantastic. I loved the local twists on things, and the all-inclusive resorts gave us plenty to eat. Using local ingredients let us try new creations and dishes I wouldn’t have experienced at home.

If you’ve been to Costa Rica, it’s in the same ballpark.

Tips for Visiting Belize

Keep an eye on AC

Not every place has air conditioning, and for most of the year, that might be okay. But we were there during a heat wave (upper 90s highs), and the gorgeous, remote Jade Jungle Resort didn’t have AC.

Now, it did have fans, which we maxed out, but the evenings were very warm before temperatures dropped.

I would imagine June, July, and August are the months when you’ll really want to consider AC vs. no-AC and double-check the weather forecast. If it hadn’t been 90 and had been 81, the no-AC would have been less of a deal.

Super easy travel from the US

This is one of the biggest pros to visiting Belize. While there are some direct flights from Denver, they’re not every day of the week. To fly Southwest (and use our companion pass), we took an easy two-hour flight to Houston, then a two-hour flight to Belize City.

That’s just a little bit longer than flying to Miami and without as big a time zone change.

Surf and Turf

I think the best way to explore Belize is to do the surf-and-turf itinerary. We spent nine days in Belize and split our time between the ocean and the jungle.

Having half the trip focused on relaxation, water activities, and enjoying food/drinks, and then transitioning into a more adventure-focused trip was perfect.

However, I’m not sure there’s a definitive answer about which one you should do first. I think there are pros and cons to both.

Part of me says it’s best to spend the first four days relaxing and disconnecting from a busy life before getting active. On the flip side, I can also see how people would enjoy adventuring first and then wrap up the last half of their trip with a mai tai in hand on a white-sand beach.

All-inclusives make life easy

We had never done all-inclusives before, but found them phenomenal for our trip. Staying at Shaka Caye and Jade Jungle was fantastic, and they handled all of our travel to and from the airport. Usually I’m the one who plans every detail of a trip. But this time, I turned off my brain and let others handle the driving and coordination.

Now, I don’t think most people would say Belize is the number one spot for all-inclusives, but they did a pretty good job, and I had few complaints.

Lobster Season Doesn’t Start Until July 1

If you want lobster, you’ll have to hold off on visiting Belize until July. We were there mid-June and obviously would have loved lobster, but our vacation timeline had to be mid-June, or my wife would have lost her PTO.

Final Thoughts on Whether You Should Visit Belize

An estimated 375,000 Americans visit Belize, according to recent numbers, making the USA the largest source of overnight guests in this small Central American country. Even though it wasn’t on my radar for much of my life, I’m so glad my wife and I headed south. Expanding our horizons, meeting new people and cultures, and experiencing fun adventures and activities is the foundation of what travel is all about.

Belize is so worth visiting, and I know that if you give it a chance, you’ll see why the country is incredibly special.

Until next time, adventurers, stay safe.

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