Living it up for less in Belize

Tour guide

Belize's guide certification program ensures that the visitors who hire guides will get encyclopedic experts well versed on topics including history, culture, and wildlife. Adventure excursions such as cave canoeing or archaeological site exploration are not only safer but vastly more interesting with guides. And, because guides are often locals, they can offer fascinating insight into the places you visit.

To find guides, visit the Belize Tourism Board online.

(Photo: Anita Henry)

Garifuna drummers

Belize may be small, but it's an incredibly diverse country, with sizeable Creole, Garifuna, Mestizo, Maya, and Mennonite populations, plus citizens of English, Spanish, Lebanese, Chinese, and East Indian descent as well. It's possible to visit and stay in traditional Garifuna, Maya, and Mennonite villages. Costs are reasonable, and you can do things like visit with families, watch or participate in daily life, and eat traditional foods.

(Photo: Tony Rath)

Julia's Rooms

The Toucan Trail is an excellent resource for travelers on a budget. The site lists hotels and guesthouses with prices under $60 a night, though many are even cheaper. Plus, the website is packed with activity ideas, event listings, and profiles of locals you might meet while on the Toucan Trail.

(Photo: Naturalight Productions)

Under the sea

Belize's barrier reef is the second largest in the world (after Australia's Great Barrier Reef) and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The warm Caribbean waters offer great visibility and a colorful underwater world, and make the country a popular destination for snorkeling and diving.

Prices vary depending on whether you're just doing a little independent snorkeling or are embarking on a guided trip. The tourism bureau has more information about snorkeling and diving.

(Photo: Tony Rath)

Barton Creek Cave

Belize isn't just beaches and warm water. In the country's interior, cave exploration, wildlife viewing, and archaeological site visits are just a few of the activities you'll find. At Barton Creek Cave in the Cayo District, canoers follow the creek through a cave where the ancient Maya went to offer sacrificial gifts to their gods.

Belize's interior offers adventures for every budget. The tourism board is a great place to start your research about caving, and to familiarize yourself with the districts of the country.

(Photo: Anita Henry)

Lodge at Chaa Creek

Because Belize, like many other Caribbean destinations, is affected by the hurricane season, prices tend to drop at many hotels and resorts during the summer and fall months. For instance, at Chaa Creek Lodge in eastern Belize's Cayo District, guests will find lower prices on the jungle resort's rustic but elegant cottage accommodations from May to mid-December. Activities and some meals are built into the price, and a riverside casitas camp offers cheaper accommodations for budget travelers.

(Photo: Chaa Creek)

Red beans and rice

You can find food from all over the world and at prices across the price spectrum in Belize. Expect to pay the most for resort dining, where the level of service (and, oftentimes, the added bonus of purified water) boosts prices.

Popular local dishes available all over Belize include rice and beans, usually served with chicken or another meat, potato salad, and a healthy dash of Belize's own Marie Sharp's hot sauce; and fry jacks, a delicious bread that accompanies many meals.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

Belizean sunset

The Belize Tourism Board website can be a great resource for trip planning, with a forum where visitors can ask questions, a place to submit planning queries directly to the Tourism Board, and links to current travel sales and discounts.

(Photo: Tony Rath)

Caracol

Though only a fraction of Belize's thousands of Maya archaeological sites have been excavated, visitors can find many that are open to the public throughout the country. Caracol, in the Cayo District, is the country's largest excavated complex.

Maya archaeological sites are generally far off the beaten path, so visiting with a licensed tour guide can not only make it easier to reach sites, but can boost the overall value of an excursion by providing the sort of expertise that brings history alive.

(Photo: Christine Sarkis)

Mata Chica

San Pedro on Ambergris Caye is one of Belize's most popular vacation destinations. Even if you don't stay at a luxury property on the island, you can still visit for lunch or dinner and soak up the sun and atmosphere. For instance, Mata Chica Beach Resort welcomes non-guests at its oceanfront bar, open-air restaurant, and spa; and Rojo Lounge at the Azul resort serves up conch-shell pizzas, grilled lobster salad, some of Belize's best ice cream, and a host of other dishes at lunch and dinner daily.

(Photo: Christine Sarkis)

Robert's Grove

Belize is among the most expensive destinations in Central America, but it's also one of the most beautiful, accessible, and visitor friendly. English is the national language, U.S. dollars are the unofficial currency in many tourist destinations, and though it's pricier than its neighbors, Belize is still very affordable by North American standards.

(Photo: Christine Sarkis)