Southern Belize

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Belize

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Fisherman cleaning fish on jetty at Tobacco Caye.

Mark Read

Overview

Southern Belize is the country's most absorbing cultural melting pot, with a strong Garifuna influence around Dangriga and Hopkins, and Belize's largest Maya population down in Toledo. Nature is rich here too, where open savanna and citrus-filled farmland give way to forested hills dotted with Maya villages, ruins and national parks primed for adventurous jungle trekking.

01 / Attractions

Must-see attractions

Living Maya Experience
Southern Belize
Two Kekchí families in Big Falls village have opened up their homes as a cultural experience for visitors and both are excellent. The Cal family…
Mayflower Bocawina National Park
Southern Belize
This beautiful 11-sq-mile park of jungle, mountains, waterfalls, walking trails, swimming holes and small Maya sites lies about 16 miles southwest of…
Lubaantun
Southern Belize
The Maya ruins at Lubaantun, 1.3 miles northwest of San Pedro Columbia, are built on a natural hilltop and display a construction method unusual in the…
Nim Li Punit
Southern Belize
The Maya ruins of Nim Li Punit stand atop a natural hill half a mile north of the Southern Hwy, near the village of Indian Creek. The site is notable for…
Temash-Sarstoon National Park
Southern Belize
The tiny Garifuna fishing community of Barranco (population 160), about an hour's drive from Punta Gorda, is the access point for Temash-Sarstoon National…
Uxbenka
Southern Belize
The Maya ruins of Uxbenka are close to the village of Santa Cruz on the road from San Antonio. The site is mostly undeveloped and the visible part is…
Río Blanco National Park
Southern Belize
The 105-acre Río Blanco National Park, just west of Santa Elena village, is a compact protected wildlife area that's home to a variety of flora and fauna…
Chaos Oasis
Southern Belize
One of the stranger things you're likely to see in Belize is this 'Earth Ship' structure, made even more incongruous because it's so close to the entrance…