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Wedged
into the northeastern corner of Central America between Mexico's
Yucatán peninsula and the Petén forests of Guatemala, Belize
offers some of the most breathtaking scenery anywhere in the
Caribbean. The country actually consists of marginally more sea
than land, with the dazzling turquoise shallows and cobalt depths
of the longest barrier reef in the Americas just offshore.
Here, beneath the surface, a brilliant, Technicolor world of fish
and corals awaits divers and snorkellers. Scattered along the
reef, a chain of islands – known as cayes – protect the
mainland from the ocean swell and offer more than a hint of
tropical paradise. Beyond the reef lie the real jewels in Belize's
natural crown – three of only four coral atolls in the
Caribbean.
Belizeans recognize the
importance of conservation and their country boasts a higher
proportion of protected land (over 40 percent) than any other.
This has allowed the densely forested interior to remain
relatively untouched, boasting abundant natural attractions,
including the highest waterfall in Central America and the world's
only jaguar reserve. Rich tropical forests support a tremendous
range of wildlife, including howler and spider monkeys,
tapirs and pumas, jabiru storks and scarlet macaws; spend any time
inland and you're sure to see the national bird, the very visible
keel-billed toucan.
Despite being the only Central
American country without a volcano, Belize does have some rugged
uplands in the south-central region, where the Maya Mountains
rise to over 1100m. The country's main rivers rise here, flowing
north or east to the Caribbean, forming along the way some of the
largest cave systems in the Americas, few of which have
been fully explored. These caves often bear traces of the Maya
civilization that dominated the area from around 2000 BC until
the arrival of the Spanish. The most obvious remains of this
fascinating culture are the ruins of dozens of ancient cities
rising out of the rainforest.
Officially English-speaking,
and only gaining full independence from Britain in 1981, Belize is
as much a Caribbean nation as a Latin one, but one with plenty of
distinctively Central American features, above all a blend of
cultures and races that includes Maya, mestizo, African and
European. Spanish is at least as widely spoken as English, but the
rich, lilting Creole is the spoken language understood and
used by almost every Belizean, whatever their first tongue. You'll
hear this everywhere – and though based on English, it's less
comprehensible to outsiders than you might expect.
With far less of a language
barrier to overcome than elsewhere in the region, uncrowded Belize
is the ideal first stop on a tour of the isthmus. And, although
it's the second-smallest country in Central America (slightly
larger than El Salvador), the wealth of national parks and
reserves, the numerous small hotels and restaurants, together with
plenty of reliable public transport make Belize an ideal place to
travel independently, giving visitors plenty of scope to explore
little-visited Caribbean islands as well as the heartland of the
ancient Maya.
Click here to go to Belize Web site. |
