During our 3-month backpacking trip around Central America, we made a last-minute decision to spend two weeks in Belize. And it turned out to be one of the best travel decisions we made in years! That’s because not only is Belize jaw-droppingly beautiful but it’s so welcoming. In fact, it’s the locals that make Belize one of the best countries we’ve ever visited!
With two weeks in Belize, you’ll be able to tick off the country’s most bucket-list-worthy destinations, places like Caye Caulker, Placencia, and San Ignacio. As well as do some truly memorable tours – our favorites include snorkeling the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and exploring the ATM Caves.
Plus, because Belize is so small (it’s the 48th smallest country in the world) it means you’ll be able to cover a lot of ground over the two weeks. The below itinerary has you spending an average of 4 nights in each place. We’re big fans of slow travel here and I think spending a couple of nights in a place is so much better than a rushed visit!
So, what are you waiting for? Here’s our itinerary for spending two weeks in Belize. As I said, it features its most popular tourist spots as well as a few hidden gems. I’ll also tell you how long to spend in each destination, tell you why each place listed is worth visiting, and list the best hotels, restaurants, and things to do in each spot.
How did we get to Belize?
We came from Puerto Barrios, Guatemala to Belize via boat. This takes you to Punta Gorda in Belize and our boat was a small panga (it fits around 35 people). A one-way journey costs $50 USD. It’s quite a bumpy hour-long ride. And you likely will get splashed so it’s a good idea to protect your valuables in plastic.
Note that you will need to clear Guatemalan Immigration before being allowed on the boat. The Immigration building is one block from the Municipal Pier. Here, you must pay an exit fee of $10 USD.
It’s also worth noting that on entry to Belize, you are required to show where you are staying for your first night. So, you will need to have at least your first night’s accommodation booked in advance and have that ready to show to Belizean immigration.
Alternatively, you can fly from London Heathrow to Belize City – there are indirect options only available. Stops in LAX and Atlanta airports are common stopovers on this route. Most major airports in the U.S. fly direct to Belize City.
How did we spend two weeks in Belize? –
- 4 nights in Placencia
- 1 night in Belize City
- 4 nights on Caye Caulker
- 1 night at Belize Zoo
- 4 nights in San Ignacio
Placencia (4 nights)
When we got off the boat in Punta Gorda we headed straight for Placencia as we were keen to have a couple of days relaxing on a white sand beach. So we hopped on a public bus from Punta Gorda to Dangriga and got off at Independence/ Mango Creek. This took around an hour and 40 minutes. There, we changed to a bus directly to Placencia (this one was 1.5 hours long). We were on a budget so we were trying to keep costs down, it cost us approximately $10 USD.
Located on the Southern Coast, Placencia Beach is one of the most popular (and most beautiful) beaches in Belize. We spent 4 nights here, just chilling out on the white sand beach, going for lazy strolls through the small town and harbor area, and eating good food.
What to do in Placencia:
It’s a famous spot to go swimming with whale sharks as the waters surrounding Placencia are teeming with these majestic creatures between March and June. Unfortunately, because we visited in February we weren’t able to go swimming with whale sharks. But, it’s been added to the list for our next visit!
From Placencia, you can also go hiking in nearby Bocawina National Park or go on a boat tour along the Monkey River, where you can spy howler monkeys.
A great, but splurge-worthy restaurant here is the one at the Turtle Inn (which is owned by Francis Ford Coppola). It’s a super-luxurious place to stay if you have the budget! We also loved the coffee at Chillpoint Placencia and ate at Rumfish and Secret Garden Placencia for dinner during our 4 nights here.
As I said, Placencia is for me, the best beach in Belize. But, during the rainy season, there’s lots of seaweed on the shore. So, if you want to avoid swimming in seaweed be sure to visit Placencia from May until October.
Where to stay in Placencia:
We stayed at Lydia’s Guesthouse a two-storey hostel that’s situated right on the beachfront. It’s on the quiet part of the beach, so, you’ll often find you have it to yourself. And to walk into Placencia town will take around 10 minutes along the sandy boardwalk. There are six private rooms here (which we stayed in) and six dorm rooms. The bathrooms are shared but there’s one on each floor.
Belize City (1 night)
From Placencia, we took a public bus to Belize City – the biggest city here. It was once Belize’s capital. But, after a hurricane in 1961 destroyed Belize City officials made the decision to make Belmopan the capital.
It’s the most populated city in Belize (with around 65,000 people calling the city home). So, it’s a great place to see if you’re keen to see how the locals really live. I’ll be honest, we only stayed the night in Belize City as we had a boat to catch to Caye Caulker the next morning. But, we did spend a few hours in the afternoon, admiring the colonial architecture in the downtown area. Two must-see buildings here include St. John’s Cathedral and the Museum of Belize.
For dinner, we really like our meal at Bird’s Isle restaurant on Albert Street. It has a lovely outdoor seating area.
Where to stay in Belize City:
We stayed at the Golden Bay Belize Hotel, a lovely small hotel with sea views. Our room here was spacious. And they have a rooftop bar, where we had a drink before heading out for dinner.
Caye Caulker (4 nights)
One of the main reasons we came to Belize was to spend some time on Caye Caulker, a laid-back island that’s known for its epic diving, colorful wooden buildings, and stunning beaches. The motto here is “Go slow” and that perfectly encapsulates the pace of life here.
We got the ferry to Caye Caulker from Belize City with San Pedro Belize Express which was a 45-minute journey. Ticket prices start from $18 USD.
What to do on Caye Caulker:
As I said, many tourists come here to dive into the Belize Barrier Reef – which is the second-largest reef system in the world. The first is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. The bucket-list dive here is the Blue Hole, which is 124 meters deep. We were meant to dive in the Blue Hole but decided against it as it’s only suitable for divers with a PADI Advanced Open Water certification. It’s also regarded as one of the most dangerous dive sites in the world – with over 200 people said to have lost their lives completing this dive.
We decided to go snorkeling in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve instead, and it turned out to be our favorite activity from our time in Belize. You can read more about our tour below.
Otherwise, we spent our days here wandering the town’s sandy streets stopping along our walk for a coffee (we really liked Ice & Beans Cafe). It’s really easy to walk around Caye Caulker as there are no cars (just golf carts and the odd small delivery truck to watch out for) and it’s really small – just 5 miles by one mile.
Our favorite restaurants on the island included Wish Willy Bar & Grill (they have awesome BBQ food) and Meldy’s (famous for her fried chicken).
While you’re here you also HAVE to try fryjacks (deep-fried pieces of dough) – they are a tradition Belizean breakfast dish. One of the best spots on Caye Caulker to try there is Errolyn’s House Of Fryjacks – it’s tiny but super-popular!
I’ve listed my top things to do with four days in Caye Calker below –
Hol Chan Marine Reserve:
The Hol Chan Marine Reserve is like the Great Barrier Reef but better. I’ve dived at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef three times, and this dive in Belize trumps it massively. Sorry Australia!
This Hol Chan snorkeling tour visits one of the most famous spots in the reserve – Shark Ray Alley, which, yep, you guessed, is home to dozens of reef sharks, stingrays, and even West Indian manatees. This well-rated tour is 5 hours long and includes snacks, a guide, and transport to the boat from Belize City. It costs from $90 USD per person – which is great value for money.
Take the ferry to Ambergris Caye:
On one of our days here, we decided to get the ferry over to Ambergris Caye, which has a very luxurious vibe. It’s the most developed of Belize’s islands and attracts a wealthy clientele. It’s a great place to shop as there are several boutique stores here. And Secret Beach – a popular beach is a great place to spend a lazy afternoon.
Where to stay in Caye Caulker:
We spent 4 nights at Caye Caulker Plaza Hotel, a 3-star hotel that’s just 200 meters from the beach. Our room came with a balcony, which was nice to sit out on in the evening and watch the sunset. They also have dorm rooms available here, if you’re on a budget.
Belize Zoo (1 night)
We also stayed the night at Belize Zoo, actually staying at the zoo in a wooden cabin. It was such a unique experience and we could hear the animals growling, etc throughout the night. We did a night tour while there, it started around 6 pm. This is the best time to do a tour at the Zoo as most of the animals here are nocturnal, meaning they come to life at night.
Belize Zoo is not like a normal zoo because most of the animals here have been rescued from households! Yep, some people decided to have a jaguar as a pet and couldn’t handle it so luckily, the zoo stepped in.
There are 43 different species of animals at this ‘backyard zoo’ which is what the founder (Sharon Matola) refers to it as. You’ll find jaguars, tapirs, coatamundis, crocodiles, and more here!
The zoo is spread over 30 acres and it’s located about halfway between Belize City and Belmopan. We came here straight off the boat from Caye Caulker – we got the bus from Belize City towards Benque and asked to be let off at Belize Zoo. This dropped us on the main road at the entrance to the zoo and we walked the few minutes to the ticket counter. The bus ride cost us about $4 BZ (around $2 USD).
Belize Zoo’s motto is the best little zoo in the world and I have to agree. Entry to Belize Zoo costs from $40 BZ ($20 USD) for adults. We paid around $120 USD for the both of us to stay the night in Belize Zoo. We picked the Pine Cabin (which comes with air-con) and a shared bathroom.
San Ignacio (4 nights)
San Ignacio is a naturally stunning town nestled in the Cayo District. It’s from here that you can explore the famous ATM Caves or visit the mighty Xunantunich Mayan Ruins. The Macal River runs through the town and this is a popular swim spot for locals and you can also go kayaking on it. We spent many an afternoon, sitting on the river’s stony shore admiring the scenery and watching out for birds like Green Kingfishers and Mangrove Swallows.
There’s also a great little market that’s held along the banks of the Macal River – Saturday is the best day to visit as this is when there’s the most stalls. Artists and farmers come from all over Belize to sell their goods here!
As for where to dine out in San Ignacio – we loved the Guava Limb, which is considered to be one of the best restaurants in Belize.
As I said, one of the best things we did during our time in Belize was a tour of the ATM Caves. You can read all about our experience in this awe-inspiring cave system below.
ATM Caves tour:
The ATM Caves (aka Actun Tunichil Muknal Caves) is a 7 km cave system that was used as a Mayan burial site, so there are lots of skulls and skeletons inside. The caves are uber-important to the local people so you cant just rock up at the cave and go in yourself, you have to book a tour with a registered tour guide (there are only 15 guides who can do this tour so be sure to book ahead).
You can book the tour through your hotel like we did, or at any travel agency in San Ignacio.
Most of the cave system is filled with water, really deep water like a swimming pool, and you must hike 2km through the jungle to get to the entrance of the cave. So being fit is highly recommended. The caves are really dark, so you have to wear a headlamp at all times. Once inside the cave, it’s surreal, as if you’re in an Indiana Jones movie or something. There are different chambers inside with skulls and bones and old Mayan artifacts scattered everywhere. Everything is left exactly how it was when the first explorers found it.
You also aren’t allowed to bring cameras into the cave (which is why we don’t have any photos of the inside).
My tour suggestion for ATM Caves:
This full-day tour from San Ignacio has over 130 5-star rating reviews and it’s very similar to the one we did. It costs from $145 USD per person. It includes round-trip transport, a local guide and a riverside lunch.
Where to stay in San Ignacio:
We stayed at Mana Kai Camping & Cabins, which is just on the outskirts of town, close to the river. It was a really peaceful place to stay and our room was a small wooden cabin. From the little balcony of our cabin we were able to watch hummingbirds, green parrots, woodpeckers and toucans.
A special mention goes to Yellow Belly Backpackers. Which is regarded by many as one of the best hostels in Central America! They have both private and dorm rooms with AC. And overall it’s a really social place to stay.
Xunantunich Ruins (Day trip)
The Xunantunich ruins are one of the most famous Mayan ruins in Belize – at it’s peak this “city” was home to around 200,000 people. The Castillo is the shining star of these ruins, it’s the tallest structure here and you can climb to the top of it and take in the views.
Xunantunich means “stone woman,” and the ruins are aptly named because the ghost of a woman is said to haunt the Castillo! These ruins were first discovered in 1890, and surprisingly excavations still continue to this day!
The ruins are located just 20 minutes from San Ignacio, so it makes sense to come here from San Ignacio. This guided tour to Xunantunich Ruins leaves from San Ignacio and is 3-4 hours long. It costs from $85 USD per person.
Because there are not many accommodation options close to the ruins, we recommend heading for Belize City for one night before your flight home.
Thanks for Reading!
Hope you enjoyed this detailed list of the top things to do with two weeks in Belize. As I said, we didn’t originally have Belize as part of our Central America itinerary but we’re so glad we made the last-minute decision to visit here. As it turned out to be one of our favorite countries we’ve ever visited. The slow pace of life here, the friendly locals, and the picture-perfect beaches are what will have us returning to Belize!
Quick facts about Belize –
- Belize is an English-speaking country, which makes communication easy for English-speaking tourists.
- The currency here is the Belizean dollar, but U.S. dollars are widely accepted, often at a fixed rate of 2 Belizean dollars to 1 U.S. dollar.
- When planning your visit, consider the weather; Belize has a tropical climate, with a dry season from November to April and a wet season from May to October.
Before you go, you may also enjoy reading some of my most popular blog posts, like –
Why Travel to Cuba – 11 of our Favorite Reasons
Spend a day with me as I stroll through Havana, Cuba
El Salvador Travel Guide – Everything You Need to Know
10 Reasons to Visit El Salvador (Updated for 2025)
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Last Updated on February 6, 2025 by snaphappytravel