Road trip Belize – 10 day itinerary and top sites

Belize is a country that doesn’t get a lot of press in Europe. Therefore my husband and I started our road trip around Belize with zero expectations. The original idea was to spend a few days in the country to see the major sites and go diving. This was part of a larger trip in Central America. However, as I was doing my research, I gradually grew more enthusiastic about this little gem tucked away between Mexico and Guatemala.

My husband and I ended up making a 10 days’ road trip around Belize. It included some of the absolute highlights of our Central America trip! We enjoyed the dense jungle, visited remote Mayan sites, explored the excellent National Parks and dived the second largest coral reef in the world. Whatever it is you are looking for on a holiday, Belize has it all. Here are our 10 day itinerary and practical tips if you too want to explore Belize.

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR A ROAD TRIP IN BELIZE

Before arriving in Belize, I fully expected travel to be hard work, similar to other experiences in Central America. I was completely wrong – getting around in Belize is super easy. Bear in mind these practical tips though when you are preparing a road trip around Belize. These were mostly also nice surprises that will fire your enthusiasm about planning a trip to Belize.

• Language: English is the official language in Belize – a legacy of the British colonial rule. After making my way around Mexico and Guatemala in rudimentary Spanish, it was super relaxing to be able to communicate in English. Spanish is also common as is the Belizean Creole and a number of minority Mayan languages;  
• Currency: the currency of Belize is Belize Dollar (BZD or BZ$), a currency which I couldn’t buy in Europe prior to our trip. However, all shops and services accept (and welcome) US dollars. The Belize dollar is set to the US Dollar at a rate of 2 BZD = 1 USD. Both currencies are interchangeable, meaning you might pay for something in US dollars and get change in Belize dollars. ATMs dispense Belize dollars and they don’t always accept foreign cards (credit nor debit). We brought US dollars with us as a back-up and used most of them;
• Safety: To us, Belize felt like the safest of all Central American countries we visited. We went off-beat and remote places, not just the touristy ones with lots of fellow travelers around. We also felt like we were being treated fairly, unlike in certain other countries where I’ve had to constantly be alert to rip-off attempts. That said, we did not go to Belize City, which has a particularly nasty reputation;
• Roads & transport: we toured Belize in a rental car which I vividly recommend. Roads in Belize are limited. Paved roads are extremely limited. This means public transport is slow and even more limited. Therefore self-driving is the best option. If you don’t have your own vehicle, you will end up paying a lot for taxis and tours to get to the places you want to visit. You need a sturdy, high-clearance car and 4-wheel drive is not an excessive luxury;
• Conservation: I was impressed by how advanced Belize is when it comes to sustainable living and conservation. The country issued some pioneering laws to ban offshore oil drilling and limit fishing to prevent damage to its coral reef and marine protected areas. Belize is also taking leaps in the war against single use plastic. People take waste management very seriously (no littering) and in all hotels we were offered unlimited water refills for free, provided we had our own reusable bottle.

DAY 1 – 4: CAYO DISTRICT – TOTAL JUNGLE IMMERSION

XUNANTUNICH MAYAN SITE

The starting point of our road trip around Belize was the Guatemalan border at Benque Viejo del Carmen in the Cayo district. There is no reason to stop in Benque – it’s a small, unattractive border town. If you need groceries or other suppliers you will find more options in San Ignacio just 30 minutes further on the Western Highway. Even though this is the main thoroughfare, the road is full of potholes and in generally bad condition.

Barely five minutes into the country, the first adventure awaits. We decided to stop at the Mayan site of Xunantunich. It is a small site (max. 2 hours to visit), but getting there is half the fun. Xunantunich lies at the opposite site of the river Mopan and the only way of getting there is a mechanical ferry operated by hand. For the record, there are operators, you don’t have to turn the wheel yourself. Xunantunich is signposted and it is obvious where to queue for the ferry. The crossing is free, but most passengers give a small tip to the operator.

Xunantunich sits on a hill and its main temple “el Castillo” can be climbed. The result is a 360˚ view of the Mapan river valley, nearby San Ignacio and the surrounding fields.

JUNGLE ACCOMMODATION: BLACK ROCK LODGE

Our accommodation for our stay in the Cayo district was Black Rock Lodge, on the banks of the Macal river. The lodge is located at the end of a very bumpy dirt road off the Western Highway, but it is totally worth the effort of getting there. We stayed in a cabin right in the middle of the jungle, waking up and going to sleep with the sound of birds and howler monkeys. Delicious breakfast à la carte and a fixed menu, communal dinner are available.

The staff at Black Rock can organise tours and activities all around Cayo. We had our own car and went around independently, but we did join a canoe trip down the Macal river. My husband and I both loved it – the river is calm, so we could relax, go for a swim and get the binoculars out to spot birds and other wildlife.

I vividly recommend finding accommodation on the banks of the Macal river and getting the jungle experience. Apart from Black Rock, there are several other lodges. You can check accommodation options for Cayo here and make your choice.

MOUNTAIN PINE RIDGE FOREST RESERVE & CARACOL

The drive to the Mayan site of Caracol, through the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve is not for the faint hearted. Although the site is located at barely 80 kilometres from San Ignacio, getting there on the unpaved road takes a good three hours. Add to that the military checkpoints and complete absence of any services and you know you’re in for an adventure. Going to Caracol independently is an undertaking that needs quite some preparation. Check out my separate post with all you need to know before driving to Caracol if you are thinking of going.

Caracol is the largest Mayan site of Belize. In its heydays, the size and power of the city were comparable to Tikal, the famous Guatemalan site not very far away. Caracol’s main structure, Caana or “the sky palace” is 42 metres high. Climbing in in the Belizean sun is an ordeal, but once you see the 360˚ degrees view that awaits at the top, this is quickly forgotten. Being surrounded by kilometres of untouched jungle in every shade of green feels pretty special.   

BARTON CREEK CAVE & MENNONITE COMMUNITIES

Ruins are not the only places where you can explore Mayan heritage in Belize. The cave systems, once used as burial sites or for ceremonial purposes, are equally interesting. We chose to visit Barton Creek Cave. The drive to Barton Creek was only half the distance compared to Caracol, but the experience was even more rugged. I was grateful that we rented a sturdy car when navigating the rocky road, rickety bridges and even making a river crossing! The drive aside, visiting Barton Creek Cave is easy.

The cave system starts at the very end of the road and the only house nearby is “Mike’s Place”. Belgian-Canadian immigrant Mike provides canoes and guides for a tour of the cave. Even though the tour was pricey (60 USD per person), the experience was worth it. If you are planning to visit the cave, check out my detailed blog post about visiting Barton Creek in your own car.

The few people we saw on the way to Barton Creek were part of the Mennonite community. An estimated 12000 Mennonites live in Belize, the majority around San Ignacio. They are a traditional, conservative community of descendants of Dutch anabaptists. They make an extraordinary sight in the streets of Belize with their blonde hair, blue eyes and traditional clothing.

ST HERMAN’S BLUE HOLE NATIONAL PARK

Do not confuse St Herman’s Blue Hole with the famous Blue Hole dive site off the coast of Belize. Whilst St Herman’s Blue Hole National Park was not a highlight of our road trip around Belize, it was just perfect for a one-day stop to break up the journey from Cayo to the coastal regions. As a bonus, it sits right on the Humminbird Highway, often deemed the most scenic road in Belize. In my opinion, Belize has got very many scenic roads, but the Hummingbird is indeed amongst the gorgeous ones.

Two points of interest in the National Park are accessible on independent visits. Firstly, hike the loop from the visitor centre to St Herman’s Cave and back. If you have a flashlight, you can enter the cave and walk for a couple hundred metres. If you want to descend any deeper, you need a guide. Second, hike to the Blue Hole. This is a nice swimming hole where you can also take a dip and cool down. All the hike in this National Park are easy, with options to make them longer or shorter.

DAY 5 – 8: STANN CREEK DISTRICT – OCEAN LIFE AND GARIFUNA CULTURE

BELIZE BARRIER REEF AND THE CAYES

After our time in the jungle, we opted for a complete change of scenery. We checked into Hamanasi resort in Hopkins. The resort is a small-scale setup on the beach. It is also a PADI diving centre, which we specifically searched for as we were keen to discover the famous barrier reef of Belize.

There are dive sites for all levels of experience off the coast of Belize. My husband and I opted for two days diving to see the most popular sites on the barrier reef. The surface intervals provided an opportunity to explore some of the smaller keys, which are true tropical paradises. If you’re not into scuba diving, consider joining a snorkel tour. Even though options are a bit more limited, you will still get great views of the coral reef and the variety of exotic fish.

HIKING AND CHASING WATERFALLS

If I have to make a choice, I am more of a jungle addict than a sea addict. After two days of diving, we hit the inland National Parks again. Hopkins is a perfect base to visit both Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Mayflower Bocawina National Park, so we stayed in Hamanasi. We spent a day in each of these parks, but taking an extra day would definitely not be excessive!

Cockscomb Basin markets itself as the “world’s first jaguar preserve”. Whilst chances of seeing the elusive jaguar are slim, wildlife and birds are abundant. I loved the network of hiking trails. We purchased a map at the visitor centre and followed the advice of staff to hike the Tiger Fern Trail and Ben’s Bluff Trail. Both offer a combination of waterfalls and viewpoints.

Mayflower Bocawina National Park offers an equal variety of trails including many, many waterfalls and swimming opportunities. We hiked to Antelope Falls, along a well-preserved albeit extremely steep trail. This is definitely the highlight of the park. Subsequently, we also hiked to Bocawina falls. Rather than starting from the visitor centre, we cheated and drove the car to the next car park at the trailhead. The 40°C afternoon heath was really getting to us by that point!  

A TASTE OF THE DEEP SOUTH

If you have more than 10 days to spend on your road trip around Belize, I’d recommend doing the Deep South (i.e. the Toledo District) justice by spending several days here. We only fitted in a day trip from Hopkins to Placencia and Monkey River. This wasn’t originally part of the plan, but since Monkey River came recommended by several other travelers we met, we decided to include it. Admittedly, when I first heard of Monkey River, I assumed it was some kind of zoo. Google quickly taught me that it is a tiny village just off the coast. It is only accessible by boat and home to – drum roll – a large concentration of howler monkeys.

DAY 9 – 10: ORANGE WALK – SMALL TOWN LIFE AND MAYA RUINS

We spent the final days of our road trip around Belize in Orange Walk. This is the main town of the Orange Walk district and perfect if you are in need of facilities such as banks or shops. I was in desperate need of new sun screen and found the largest selection I’ve seen in Belize. Other than that, there is not a lot too see in Orange Walk and our main reason for staying there was the proximity of Lamanai Mayan site. We stayed two nights in the family-owned Lamanai Riverside Retreat. I loved our wooden cabin, with a deck overlooking the New River. The owner was super friendly and chatty. I contacted him prior to our arrival to organise the tour to Lamanai which was perfect.

LAMANAI MAYAN SITE

Lamanai is amongst the larger Mayan sites in Belize. Its strategic location as a trade post on the New River brought prosperity to the city from the 4^th century BC onwards. A boat trip on the New River is the best way to reach the site. The alternative is a long, bumpy 4×4 ride. We opted for the boat.

The tour to Lamanai lasts about six hours. Getting from Orange Walk to Lamanai takes close to two hours, so we spent a lot of time in the boat. The boat trip was fun though. We were part of a small group of five people and lucky to have a knowledgeable guide with a great eye for wildlife. We spotted crocodiles, turtles and a variety of birds along the way. Add to that four beautifully excavated Mayan temples (as well as several other structures) with very few visitors and you know that this was a successful day!

CERRO MAYA

We wouldn’t have visited Cerro Maya archeological site if it weren’t for the enthusiastic German chap on the Lamanai tour who raved about it. The site is tiny compared to other Mayan sites we had visited in Belize and elsewhere in Central America, but the seafront setting makes it unique. Although you can’t see this, a significant part of the site is now under water which I found a fascinating thought. Although not many structures have been excavated, those that have are rather special. They feature masks and decorations and clearly show how floor were added to the temples throughout generations of rulers.

When we finished our visit, we were super hungry and somehow the soggy sandwiches we had picked up in Orange Walk didn’t appeal. We followed signs to Cerros Sands resort, our expectations up high. Lunch at Cerros Sands was an extraordinary experience. Most of the resort turned out to be a building site. We followed the sound of metal blasting from the restaurant and encountered a group of American sailing tourists, dressed like hardcore bikers. Reluctant at first, we sat down. However, the welcome was warm and the food was up to standard, but it was an all-round weird experience.

TRAVELLING ONWARD?

The visit to Cerro Maya concluded our road trip around Belize. From here, we drove onward to the Mexican border in Corozal. The plan was to visit the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve and then make our way along the Riviera Maya to Cancún.