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WHERE TO GO |
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Almost every visitor will have to spend at least some time in Belize
City , even if only passing through, as it's the hub of the country's
transport system. First-time visitors may be shocked by the decaying
buildings and the pollution of the Belize River, but it's possible to
spend many pleasant hours in this former outpost of the British Empire.
In contrast, Belize's capital, Belmopan , is primarily an administrative
centre with little to offer visitors.
Northern Belize is relatively flat and often swampy, with a large
proportion of agricultural land, though as everywhere in Belize there
are Maya ruins and nature reserves. Lamanai , near Orange Walk, is one
of the most impressive Maya sites in the country, and the lagoons here
and at Sarteneja and Crooked Tree offer a superb protected habitat for
wildlife. Adjacent to the Guatemalan border is the vast Rio Bravo
Conservation Area .
The largest of the cayes, Ambergris Caye , draws more than half of all
tourists to Belize, their main destination being the resort town of San
Pedro . To the south, Caye Caulker is the most popular of the islands
amongst independent travellers. Many of the less developed cayes are
becoming easier to reach, and organized trips are available to the
atolls of Lighthouse Reef and Glover's Reef .
In the west, the Cayo District has everything for the ecotourist: Maya
ruins and rainforest, rivers and caves, with excellent accommodation in
every price range in the main town of San Ignacio . Caracol , the
largest Maya site in Belize, is now a routine day-trip from San Ignacio,
while the magnificent ruin of Xunantunich is also within easy reach.
Dangriga , the main town of the south-central region, serves as a
jumping-off point for the little-visited central cayes and Glover's Reef
atoll, as well as for trips to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary .
On the coast, the quiet Garífuna village of Hopkins sees more visitors
every year, while further south the delightful and laid-back Placencia
Peninsula has some of the country's best beaches . Most visitors to
Punta Gorda , the main town in the far south of Belize, are on their way
to or from Puerto Barrios in Guatemala. If you venture inland, however,
you'll come across the villages of the Mopan and Kekchí Maya, set in
some of the most stunning countryside in Belize and surrounded by the
only true rainforest in the country, dotted with caves, rivers and ruins. |
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