Top Tourist Destinations in Belize

Formerly British Honduras, Belize is a country in Central America composed of many cultures and speaking many languages. Though Kriol and Spanish are widely spoken, it is the only country in Central America where English is the official language. The top tourist destination of the country is probably the site of one of the most amazing geographical phenomena on earth.

Great Blue Hole

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Believed to be the largest feature of its kind in the world, the Great Blue Hole is an underwater sinkhole situated 100 km (62 mi) off the mainland of Belize. Formed as a limestone cave system during the last glacial period when sea levels were much lower, the circular-shaped hole has a diameter of more than 300 m (984 ft) and a depth of 125 m (410 ft). The Great Blue Hole is one of the top diving spots in the world–made famous by Jacques-Yves Cousteau who brought his ship the Calypso to the hole to chart its depths. This incredible geographical phenomenon is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System—the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Belize.

Maya Ruins

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Belize is part of the southern Maya lowlands of the Mesoamerican culture area. Historically, the most important and the largest Maya ruin is Caracol or El Caracol (“snail, shell”) situated near the Guatemalan border. It was the center of one of the largest Maya kingdoms and today contains the extant remains of thousands of structures. The site was first reported in 1937 by a native logger named Rosa Mai while searching for mahogany hardwood trees. The second tallest structure is “El Castillo” or Xunantunich, believed to be built in three stages in the 600s AD, 700s AD, and 800 AD.

Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve

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Mountain Pine Ridge Forest is a nature reserve in southern central Belize established in 1944 to protect and manage the native pine forest. Covering an estimated area of 106,352 acre (430 sq km), the site is home to a variety of large mammals including cougars, jaguars, ocelots, white-nosed coatis and the endangered baird’s tapir—the national animal of Belize. It is also home to a wide variety of birds and a few frog species. Other notable features include a cave at Barton Creek believed to extend up to 7.2 km (4.5 mi).  Archeological explorations have uncovered a large number of Mayan relics along the ledges of the river. Another cave, the Rio Frio has the largest cave entrance in the country.

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