Located on the Caribbean coast, Belize City is the largest city in Belize with a population of 61,461 as of 2022. Belize itself is a relatively new country, having gained their independence from the United Kingdom September 21, 1981.
Founded in 1638 by English lumber harvesters, the original name was Belize Town. The name would stay that way for over 200 years until 1854, when it officially became Belize City. Before the English landed, there had been a small fishing village that went by the name of Holzuz.
Holzuz was in an ideal location for the English (changed to British in 1707). Its location on the central coast while also being a natural outlet for both rivers and creeks, made it the perfect place to build a major port. Making the process of shipping logwood and Mahogany to England much easier.
The area has a strong Afro-Caribbean culture, in part due to the large number of African slaves brought over by the English. Belize City is the historical capital of British Honduras, only to move inland in 1970. Hurricanes are prone to hit the area every few years at the minimum, due to the nature of being on Caribbean coast. In 1961, a category five hurricane slammed directly into Belize City causing widespread destruction.
The colonial government moved both the government and court buildings inland to what is now Belmopan, 67 kilometers (42 miles) inland. It took foreign governments several years to adopt the change, with several embassy’s still located in Belize City.
Belize City is a growing and the countries major port as well as financial and industrial hub. Unfortunately, it was built in marsh lands and is below sea level, like New Orleans. It’s not uncommon to stumble upon the occasional acrid canal or run-down neighborhood. In fact, the city is well known as the most dangerous in Belize thanks to the high amounts of gang violence. However, don’t let this deter you.
The city is full of color with a certain raffish charm. It’s incredibly vibrant with an abundance of culture. It’s a busy metropolitan area that is full of colonial architecture, seaside parks, and shopping areas. Plus, the harbor is almost always full with a plethora of sail boats, perfectly picturesque.
It’s a laid-back city with strong Caribbean vibe. In recent years, the government has taken measures to help tourists feel safe, however, it is still a place where you want to be aware of your surroundings at all times.
The city, and country for that matter, are in a Tropical Monsoon climate with very hot and humid weather all year round. There’s a lengthy wet season from May through February. With a relatively dry season for the other two months of March and April. The temperature is relatively constant with an average of 24°C (75°F) to 28°C (82°F). However, temperatures can get as high as 37°C (99°F) during the summers.
Belize City has become a bit of a tourism hub since cruise ships began to drop anchor just outside of the Bay in 1991. This has helped propagate the tourism sector of the small country. Belize tends to pander to a higher-class tourism due to the type tourists that visit from the cruise ships. This has created a higher end market for tours making them a little more on the expensive side of things.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Located just off the coast of Belize is the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the second largest barrier reef in the world. This barrier reef extends the entirety of the Belize coast and stretches the length of the Yucatán Peninsula. The Belize Barrier Reef System includes the popular attraction The Great Blue Hole. Together these sites make up the Belize UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Named a UNESCO site in 1996, the Belize Barrier Reef System is a series of coral reefs and islands that measures approximately 300 square meters (3,229 square feet). The Great Blue Hole is a massive sink hole in the middle of the ocean near the center of Lighthouse Reef, about 70 kilometers (27 miles) off the Belize shore.
Extending a surprising 318 meters (1,043 feet) across and 124 meters (407 feet) deep, the Great Blue Hole is on just about every Scuba diver’s bucket list. Unfortunately for me, all prices were jacked up during the COVID restrictions. This forced several Scuba shops to close and made it very difficult for excursions to fill to the necessary 10-person limit.
During my time in Belize City, I would have had to make a last-minute trip to Caye Caulker, canceling the last two nights of prepaid accommodations and losing out on the money. If I wanted to make this dive happen, it was going to cost me around $600 US, twice the price. I decided I will be coming back to Belize and doing a specific trip to focus solely on the country. This will allow me to dive into everything this beautiful country has to offer.
If you’re just stopping into Belize City for a short couple of days, then I highly recommend signing up for some Scuba along the coast. It’s worth the price, plus it’s a UNESCO site! I would recommend going through Sea Sports Belize. Sea Sports Belize charges $165 US, but that includes two tanks and all the equipment needed, plus a lunch.
Visitors could also visit the nearby Mayan ruins of Altun Ha. Located only 34 miles north of Belize City and 10 miles from the Caribbean coast, Altun Ha is incredibly accessible and worth the short trip. If time permits, then it’s worth it to go further inland, 3 hours, to the larger site of Xunantunich (pronounced zoo·naan·tuh·nuhch). I enjoyed Xunantunich so much that I will be posting a more in-depth article covering the archeological site in its entirety.
I thoroughly enjoyed my three-night stay in Belize City. However, I don’t really have much reason to come back other than using it as a transfer point. Although, I can’t wait to return to Belize. It’s a country that has a ton to offer but things can get a little tight on a backpacker’s budget. The city has come a long way in terms of both safety and tourism. I would recommend a stop in, but don’t expect the need to spend much time here either.
