Belize Travel Guide

You can visit Belize at any time of the year. It never gets too cold for sightseeing around Maya ruins, the rain forests, and the Caribbean Coast. There are two seasons in Belize: rainy and dry. During the rainy season, it’s a little more difficult to visit the rainforest.Belize’s main season for visitors is from November to April. This is the dry season, and the best time to visit the beach. The height of the rainy season is from July to October, and Belize’s hurricane season happens from August to October.

The tourist high season happens during the dry season, which coincides with the winter season in the U.S. and Europe. If you’re looking for less crowded beaches, you can visit Belize during the rainy season. During the rainy season you can also expect pay somewhat less at hotels.

Belize is a subtropical Caribbean country. Belize’s landscape can be divided into four regions: the mountains, the rainforest, the Caribbean coast, and the Caribbean islands.Most of Belize is flat, but toward the west the landscape becomes mountainous. Doyle’s Delight is the highest peak, at 3,805 feet (1,160 m). Belize’s coast lies on the Caribbean Sea. You’ll find rainforest covers almost half of inland Belize.

Belize has islands off the coast called cayes (pronounces “keys”). These Caribbean islands have palm trees and mangrove forests. They are surrounded by bright-blue water that is studded with coral reefs and atolls.

Belize is in the Central Standard Time (CST) zone and is six hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (UTC-6:00). There is no daylight savings in Belize, so during daylight saving in the U.S., the time in Belize is one hour behind CST in the U.S.

Yes. When leaving Belize on a flight, you have to pay a departure tax of $39.25. Most of the time, this is already included in the price of your flight, but it's a good idea to double-check anyway. If you're leaving Belize by land, you'll be charged a $15-20 departure tax, depending on how long you were in the country.

Belize does not have the same seasons as North American and Europe. There are only two seasons in Belize – the dry season and the wet season. The dry season lasts from December to May, and the wet season lasts from June to November. It rains almost three times as much in the southern portion of the country as it does in the north. You’ll typically experience the sunniest, nicest weather in Belize between the months of March and May.The temperature during the dry season is usually around 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26 C). It gets down as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 C) during the wet season.

Belize, at 8,867 square miles (22,965 sq km), is the second smallest country in Central America (second to El Salvador). It also has the lowest population density in all of Central America, with only 340,844 permanent residents. This contributes to the tranquility of Belize’s forests and beaches.

You can stay for up to 30 days in Belize without a tourist visa. If you plan to stay more than 30 days you will need a tourist visa, which costs $25 USD per month for the first 6 months.If you stay longer than 6 months on a tourist visa, the monthly fee for your tourist visa will be $50 USD per month. For stays longer than 6 months, you may be asked to provide documentation to explain the length of your stay.

Belize is on the Carribean Coast of Central America. It borders Guatemala to the west and south, and Mexico to the north.

Yes, Belize is very family friendly. Belizeans share a fairly conservative culture, and every destination will have something for every member of your family, no matter what age.Younger children will be amazed by the variety of colorful plants and animals. Older children will leap at the chance to scramble up a Maya ruin, or zip-line through the rainforest canopy. Take the whole family to listen to the country's distinctively Caribbean style of music.

Belize is famous for its intense dive sites, but keep in mind that these marine reserves also provide an opportunity for swimming and snorkeling, or just taking a bike ride. But if you're interested in learning something new as a family, consider getting a professional dive master to show you the ropes at one of Belize's incredible reefs.

U.S. citizens are required to have a passport that's valid for their entire stay in Belize. Citizens from the U.S., British Commonwealth, Finland, Greece, Denmark, Italy, Iceland, Leichtenstein, Tunisia, Turkey, Switzerland, Spain, Mexico, Uruguay, and Luxemburg don't need a visa. You're given a 30-day tourist pass upon arrival; if you want to stay longer than 30 days, you can visit an immigration office in Belize to get a new stamp or else cross the border and return.All travelers are technically required to have proof of onward travel or return flights and proof of sufficient money, although this is rarely checked.

There are sometimes hurricanes in Belize, although they usually only take place during the rainy season. Belize’s rainy season lasts from June to November. Hurricane season happens toward the end of the rainy season, and hurricanes are most likely to happen between August and October.Belize’s most recent earthquake occurred in 2009, when a magnitude-7.1 earthquake destroyed several homes in the Toledo district. Earthquakes are not common in Belize, but they are possible – Belize sits on top of several fault lines and tectonic plates.