A Complete List of Things To Do in Belize: Big and Small!

Belize is known for so many things: the 2nd longest barrier reef in the world, the hundreds of cayes sprinkled up and down the coast, the Great Blue Hole, the green, dense jungle, the incredible wildlife…

I’ve been living on Ambergris Caye, Belize for over 16 years – and have visited all of the six districts (you can see the map here) and each time I tick off an adventure, two spring up in its place.

8 BIG Reasons why tiny Belize is SO incredibly special.

Belize is so diverse, and so packed with cultural experiences and adventures, that I feel like I’ve hardly scratched the surface.

And a one-week vacation or even a month-long stay in Belize is only going to make you want to explore more.

Belize is a relatively tiny country!  About the size of NJ.  How long could this list be…how long could it get?  Answer:  LONG.  There is SO much to do in this incredible, diverse country, and as soon as I complete one thing, two or three new to-dos replace it.

I want you to PLEASE message me when you discover something amazing…something to add.

Here’s the ULTIMATE BELIZE BUCKET LIST broken down by area of the country.  If I have done it, you can click the link and read all about it.  If I haven’t well…I’ve got work to do.

I’ve BOLDED the ones that I’m just dying DYING to do next.

Things To Do on Ambergris Caye

If you’ve never been here, start with my complete guide to Ambergris Caye.

• Snorkel Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley
• Enjoy a sushi night with San Pedro’s movers & shakers at Blue Water Grill (Tuesdays and Fridays)
• Visit Calvin’s Green Iguana Sanctuary right in the middle of town
• Get painted at San Pedro’s strange and amazing Carnaval celebration party before Lent begins
• Dog Walking for the lovely pups at the Island’s Humane Society:  SAGA
• Learn to make chocolate at The Belize Chocolate Company
• Sail with Captain George on the Rum Punch II
• Celebrate Independence Day in San Pedro with the entire town – September 21st
• Float in an inner tube at the Palapa Bar

• Watch the sunset from The Purple Pelican Restaurant
• Pig Out at the Saturday night Lobsterfest Block Party (early July) – super fun
• Cheer for the chicken at San Pedro’s famous Chicken Drop at Wahoo Lounge on Thursday Evening
• Bet on A Hermit Crab derby on Tuesday Nights at  the Hermit Crab Races at NautiCrab
• Lounge by the huge pool at the huge Alaia Resort
• Sun and shell hunt on a Pink Sandbar on the Leeward Side
• Make Your Own Art at Melody’s Gallery or at a Paint n Splash Party
• Eat Conch Pizza (my favorite) and watch a movie at The Truck Stop, Belize’s only “food truck” park
• Become a Belizean Citizen (it happened for me in August 2023!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

• Eat Sunday breakfast/lunch BBQ and fry jacks at Estel’s Dine by the Sea
• Spend a Night at Gorgeous Victoria House Resort

• Eat Conch Ceviche – At Lily’s or Hurricane’s…FRESH!
• Spend a Night or Two at The Phoenix Resort – the gorgeous oasis right in San Pedro town –  and take a bubble bath
• Visit Blackadore Caye Before Leonardo Di Caprio Moves In (Ok…that’s not happening, I don’t even think he’s involved in the island anymore but it’s still incredibly gorgeous)

• Take a weekend and head north to Tranquility Bay Resort
• Spend a weekend or more at Cayo Espanto Private Island
• Boat Trip up Through Bacalar Chico & the Border with Mexico
• Boat up to Ambergris Caye’s most northern lagoon – Laguna Cantena (entrance is in the Bacalar Chico Canal)

• Get the Grand Slam on fly – head out with a skilled guide, flyfish and land a permit, a tarpon and a bonefish in one day
• Take the Belize Food Tour – either lunch or dinner – and discover San Pedro and eat delicious food
• Write a Guide Book about Ambergris Caye 🙂
• Fly over the Great Blue Hole (the only way to see its shape and beauty)
• Snorkel/dive the Great Blue Hole – the only way to check out the stalagmites and stalactites and the GORGEOUS Half Moon Caye with the HUGE hermit crabs and the boobies (I snorkeled in 2015 – and I want to do it again!)

Things to Do in Belize City and Belize District

• Eat yummy Indian food at Sumathi Indian Restaurant in Belize City
• Eat with the politicians and business leaders in the huge (menu and space) Chinese restaurant, Chon Saan Palace in Belize City
• Photograph the fishing boats from the Swing Bridge in Belize City
• Spend a few hours at the Cruise Ship Tourist Village
• Visit the Belize Zoo

• Visit the Belize Zoo at NIGHT
• Check out the howler monkeys at the Baboon Sanctuary
• Attend the big September Belikin Bash to celebrate Independence Day with music
• Dance at Belize City’s Massive Independence Day Carnival Parade
• Attend a Harley Davidson Rally in Belize

• Ride the Bus on the Mainland
• Tour the Belikin Brewery in Ladyville
• Visit the Museum of Belize in the old city prison
• View the INCREDIBLE Jade Head of Altun Ha – Belize’s Crown Jewel
• Overnight on St. George’s Caye (Belize’s first capital)
• Visit the Aquarium on St. George’s Caye

• Watch the birds- including the massive jabiru storks – feed in the drying lagoons at Crooked Tree Belize – the prettiest little village

Things to Do in Caye Caulker

If you’ve never been, check out my guide to Caye Caulker.

• Swim with a manatee at Caye Caulker’s North Cut
• Go Tubing Around the Island
• Overnight at lovely Sea Dreams Hotel
• Explore the North Side of Caye Caulker including the Pineapple House

• Spend the day sunning at the Lazy Lizard
• Eat at BOTH of Caye Caulker’s Italian restaurants – the tiny homey Pasta Per Caso and Il Pelicano Cucino Italiano
• Drink iced coffee and eat a delicious bag of fresh, fried mini donuts at Ice and Beans
• Feed the hungry tarpon on the lagoon side dock
• Party at Caye Caulker’s Lobster Festival (my favorite lobster fest in Belize)
• Ride the Split to Split Water Taxi from the southside of the split to the north side

• Explore HL Dole’s (not the pineapple guy!) Secret Sanctuary on the way North of Caye Caulker
• Watch the sunset on the leeward side of the caye – Iguana Reef Resort is the spot!
• Delicious dinner at Hibiscus Restaurant

Things To Do in Cayo

You guessed it – I have a Guide to the Cayo District. Check it out.

• Swim into and explore the ATM Cave (now I want to do it again!)
• Canoe into and explore the Barton Creek Caves
• Climb the main structure at the Xunantunich Maya Site in Succotz village
• Adventure to Caracol – Belize’s largest Maya site that still contains the tallest manmade structure in the country!
• Visit Ayala’s Adventures and Natural Pools (check out their FB page)
• Take a Helicopter ride over the 1000 Foot Falls
• Take a tour of Central Farms – the agricultural experimentation and research farm founded in the 1950s just west of San Ignacio
• Lounge on the beach in front of gorgeous waterfalls at Gaia Jungle Resort

• Hold iguanas (if you choose) at The Green Iguana Experience at San Ignacio Resort
• Tube St. Herman’s Cave & Take a Dip in the Inland Blue Hole
• Hike into the jungle and repel down to the Black Hole
• Visit the Belize Botanic Gardens
• Camp out in the REMOTE Chiquibul Forest to help protect the baby Scarlet Macaws from poachers
• Climb to the top of the tower at Sleeping Giant Resort and view the gorgeous valley and the “Sleeping Giant”
• Sweat and EXPERIENCE BELIZE at the largest event of the year:  Belmopan’s yearly Agriculture & Trade Show
• Spend Good Friday in Benque to help make the sawdust carpets for the Easter weekend Passion Play
• Drive the Hummingbird Highway stopping often
• Spend as long as I can at GORGEOUS Chaa Creek Resort
• Take a tour in to Davis Falls – including the hike and the tractor ride
• Have buy some beers at the shady no-man’s border area between Belize and Guatemala called “Champon”

Things to Do in Orange Walk & Corozal: Northern Districts

Check out my guide to Northern Belize.

• Explore Honey Camp – a freshwater lagoon getaway outside of Orange Walk
• New River tour from Orange Walk town to gorgeous Lamanai Mayan Site
• Celebrate Independence Day (September 21st) at the country’s biggest parade in Orange Walk Town
• Attend Corozal town’s Monthly Arts and Crafts fair
• Visit the Santa Rita Maya Site in Corozal (almost!  I saw it thru the fence…it was closed!)
• Eat tacos in the taco capital of Belize, Orange Walk town
• Visit the village of Sarteneja and enjoy the gorgeous views (it’s just about an hour taxi ride from San Pedro)
• See the manatees and monkeys at WildTracks in Sarteneja
• Overnight at Chan Chich Lodge
• See a wild cat at Chan Chich Lodge (I hear it is my best chance!)
• Visit the modern Mennonite town of Blue Creek and walk across the river to Mexico (and the quick look across the river!)

Things to Do In Southern Belize

For my guide on Southern Belize – Hopkins, Placencia and Punta Gorda – click here.

In and around Dangriga/Hopkins

• Stay in this beautiful, interesting-looking AirBnb outside of Dangriga – Pineapple Hill
• Drive the newly paved Coastal Highway – outside of Belize City down to Dangriga
• Visit the tiny remote Creole Village of Gales Point
• Return to Gales Point and explore remote Mullins River Village

• Overnight on beautiful Southwater Caye
• Sleep in a tree house at Hamanasi Resort and take an outside bath in the jungle
• Celebrate Garifuna Settlement Day (November 19th) in Dangriga
• Tour Marie Sharp’s Hot Sauce Factory and taste all the many many flavors
• Visit Pen Cayetano’s Art Studio (my favorite artist in Belize)
• Go Birding in the wetlands around Hopkins & Sittee River
• Visit the Confederate Sugar Mill in Sittee River
• Go on Hopkins’ Bioluminescence Tour or “Burnin’ Wata” Tour
• Attend the Garifuna Drumming school in Hopkins
• Visit Barbara in her bus and sample her essential oils in Hopkins

• Zip Line the longest zip line in Belize – at BocaWina Adventures
• Attend Hopkins’ Annual Mango Festival
• Tour Miss Emma’s FABULOUS FARM outside of Sittee River and discover some really unique fruits like the velvet apple (I’ve heard that she passed away during COVID – does anything know what happened to this incredible farm?)
• Spend a week unplugged at Glover’s Atoll Resort (leaving from Hopkins village)
• Tour Sanctuary Belize before it has been shut down as the largest foreign investment real estate scam in FTC history (I wonder what happened to this gorgeous private island?)

Things to Do In Placencia

• Attend February’s Placencia Sidewalk Art & Music Festival – buy a piece of Belizean art!
• Take the Hokey-Pokey water taxi from Independence to Placencia

• Explore the very stylish Itzana Resort and maybe have a drink at the hidden speakeasy
• Eat Tutti Frutti Gelato two times in one day in Placencia Village
• Go Find the Scarlet Macaws that feed in tiny Red Bank Village in January or February (outside Placencia Village)
• Enjoy the sunset and a gorgeous meal at Muna Rooftop Restaurant
• Slide down a natural water slide at Cockscomb Jaguar Reserve wth Doyle
• Eat breakfast, dinner & dessert at Maya Beach Bistro (I need to do it again now that there are new owners!)

• Attend The End of the World Half/Full December Marathon on the Placencia Peninsula
• Go on the Monkey River Tour – from Placencia to Monkey River town and up the river
• Take a day trip to Ranguana Caye
• Celebrate July’s LobsterFest in Placencia
• Taste the craft beers at the Hobb’s Brewery Barge
• Overnight at Coppola’s Turtle Inn (with a butler!)
• Hang out at what looks like the ultimate party caye – King Lewey’s Island
• Bowl at Jaguar’s Lanes – the only regulation bowling alley in the country! Maya Beach, Placencia

Things to Do in Punta Gorda

• Visit the Earth Ship near the Lubuntaan Maya Site outside of Punta Gorda
• Visit the Lubaantun Maya Site
• Celebrate Garifuna Settlement Day in Punta Gorda including the church service in the Garifuna Language
• Walk the amazing Street Festival at the Annual Chocolate Festival
• Make tofu with Gomier at Gomier’s Restaurant in Punta Gorda town
• Make traditional food and crafts in a Maya Village with the Living Maya Experience
• Visit the Largest Commercial Butterfly Farm in the World (there’s even a popular novel written about this spot)
• Take Garifuna drum lessons at Warasa Drum School
• Stay at Copal Lodge in Punta Gorda – take Jeff so he can fly fish
• Visit the legendary Garbutt’s Fishing Lodge in Punta Gorda
• Snorkel and visit the Sapodilla and Snake Cayes
• Explore Blue Creek Cave outside of Punta Gorda
• Admire the gorgeous Maya Bags at their shop

So there you go – this list should be you started on Things To Do in Belize 🙂 Please please please – send me your list of things that you have done and activities that you are dying to do.

I want to grow this list! And…I want to check off each and every item.