May 2020
Rough Draft: Belize
Due to the COVID quarantine, I am creating rough draft, “off the shelf” travel itineraries for when travel resumes normal operations so we do not waste any time getting out and exploring!
As requested by you (yay!) for a week trip to Belize in Central America. Now if you know how I travel, I have no problem getting on a plane for 24 hours, staying for a few days, and turning straight back home. I have limited vacation time so I suck every bit of life I can out of a the trips. For most, this is probably an itinerary you tack onto a more extended Central America trip. There is so much in that area it would not be difficult to find a paired destination. Many itineraries I found actually plan for 10 days or more so I had to make a few cuts.
What I found most interesting is the ying and yang of Belize as there are pristine beaches coupled with historic jungles – it is like have two trips in one. There are so many areas to “beach” and to “jungle” but for a 7 day trip I had to pick one of each.
What is there to do?
Beaches
- There are a few different “Cayes” or beaches to choose from and each has their own appeal. Two of the more popular ones while researching are Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. Some people also include the southern island of Placencia to their trip as well.
- Activities from any of the Cayes are pretty much the same:
- Visiting the Great Blue Hole
- Scuba diving here comes with a hefty price and requires you to have PADI certification (of which we do not have)
- Flying over the Great Blue Hole (spectacular view!)
- Snorkel the Belize Barrier Reef – second largest in the world!
- Try kite / wind surfing
- Learn to spearfish
- Eat Fryjacks!
- Visiting the Great Blue Hole
Jungle
- There is a lot of jungle in Belize and many hidden surprises to be discovered!
- San Ignacio is a great base for many of the activities in the jungle
- Mayan Ruins – the area is surrounded by so many ruins
- Tikal – in Guatamala and requires a guided tour to visit
- Xunantunich – does not require a tour and can visit yourself
- Cahal Pech Archaeological Reserve – accessible from the town
- Caves
- Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) Tour – you will get wet
- Crystal Cave Tour – you will not get wet
- Mayan Ruins – the area is surrounded by so many ruins
- Cockscomb Basin Forest Reserve – southern part of the country that gives you the chance of seeing jaguars (had to cut this one due to the travel time)
Where to eat?
Each part of the country has many options for travelers. A bonus when traveling along the coast is the opportunity to indulge in fresh seafood. San Ignacio also has a weekly farmers market I would love to check out. Have a list of the recommended spots I stumbled upon after the itinerary.
Based on the above information and the proximity of each activity, here is how I would structure 7 days in Belize, excluding the travel time to get there.
| Day 0 | Arrive in Belize City Transfer to San Ignacio |
| Day 1 | Actun Tunichil Muknal Tour |
| Day 2 | Mayan Ruins |
| Day 3 | Transfer to Caye Caulker |
| Day 4 | Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef |
| Day 5 | The Great Blue Hole Fly Over Tour Speer fishing or Kite Surfing |
| Day 6 | Day trip to Ambergris Caye |
| Day 7 | Departure |
For places to each in each of these areas, I found the following place that came highly recommended:
| San Ignacio |
Caye Caulker |
| Cayo Twist (vegan ice cream)
Ko-Ox Han Nah Pop’s Restaurant The Guava Limb Restaurant | Reina’s
Errolyn’s House of Fryjacks The Happy Lobster Enjoy Restaurant Ice and Beans Cafe Medly’s Restaurant The Lazy Lizard Chef Kareem’s Unbelizable There are TONS of Bars/Grill places on the island |
If you have been to Belize, let me know what I missed and what your favorites are!
We got the ability to test this itinerary in 2022 and visited Belize for five days!