Planning the Perfect Trip to Belize

Ahhhhh, Belize!  One of my favorite places to visit and one I can’t wait to get back to.  The country is small but diverse and wonderfully peaceful, full of nature, culture and the Caribbean.  If you’re not sold at this point I don’t know what to tell you!  If, however, the aforementioned qualities of this Central American country got your attention I have your back!  Check out my tips for planning the perfect trip to Belize:

Plan for at least five nights

While any amount of time would be great you’d be able to really relax (and visit more than one location!) with five or more nights.  Have a full week?  Even better!  If you’re going to make the trip you should make it count!  Check out some ideas for how to split your time here:

• 5 nights:  3 nights at a jungle lodge, 2 nights at the beach
• 6 nights:  3 nights at a jungle lodge, 3 nights at the beach
• 7 nights:  4 nights at a jungle lodge, 3 nights at the beach OR 3 nights at a jungle lodge, 2 nights on an island, 2 nights at the beach

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

If I’m heading to Belize for seven nights I will usually do four nights at the jungle lodge and three nights at the beach.  These are just some ideas but ultimately it’s up to you and how you prefer to spend your time!  If you’ve got more than a week I would also suggest adding in a few nights in Guatemala at La Lancha in order to visit Tikal – it’s a relatively quick border crossing and I highly recommend it.

Split your visit into (at least) two different areas

While you could easily spend your entire trip by the beach you’ll certainly miss out on how diverse the locations in Belize can be.  Belize’s small size makes it easy to navigate more than one stop.  My biggest piece of advice when planning the perfect trip to Belize:  don’t write off a jungle lodge!  The seclusion, wildlife and flora are reason enough to stop.  Waterfalls, hiking trails and tons of birds & other wildlife will balance out the lack of ocean, I swear!  I always like to start my trips to Belize at Blancaneaux Lodge in the Mountain Pine Ridge Reserve.  From there I head to Placencia to stay at Turtle Inn, directly on the Caribbean and backed by the Placencia Lagoon.  Ambergris Caye, an island in Northern Belize, is another wonderful beachy hotspot.  If you want to go full luxury traveler you can always add a night (or three!) on a private island like Coral Caye…..I’ve done this and can report back that it is well worth it.

Visit at least one Mayan ruin while you’re there

One of my top recommendations for staying in Belize is to explore the ruins!  Due to the high concentration of ruins in Belize you’ll be in close proximity no matter where you stay and it would be a mistake to miss out on even the smallest of sites.   The rich (and deeply mysterious) history surrounding these sites will intrigue you and the sites themselves are great for wildlife spotting.  You can check out a full list of Mayan sites here for when you’re planning the perfect trip to Belize.

Go island hopping

Even if it’s just one!  You can charter a boat or sign up for a snorkeling/island hopping tour.  There are also day trips to islands like Ranguana Caye where you spend the day there and can snorkel, paddle board, play beach volleyball, swim or chill beach side with a cocktail….all before heading back to the dock for late afternoon.

Pulling up to Ranguana Caye

Just remember…..

…..that you can’t go wrong with a trip to Belize!  I don’t usually plan out each day when I travel as I like the flexibility, however I will always have one or two things that I have on my “prefer to do” list (in the past this has included the Mayan site of Caracol and snorkeling).  If you’re looking for more travel resources and inspiration on Belize you can check out the following:

• 5 Things You Must do in Belize
• What to Do in San Ignacio
• Facts About Belize

You can also message me if you have any specific questions or are looking for recommendations on planning the perfect trip to Belize!

Have you been to Belize?