Belize: Maya sites, Garifuna culture and local flavours
Explore Maya ceremonial caves and cities, visit a Garifuna village, and sample Belizean and Maya cooking.
Belize’s cultural experiences range from Maya cities and ceremonial sites to Garifuna culture and local food. These places offer ways to explore the country’s history and traditions, as well as its landscapes.
Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave
Parks & Nature, Cayo District
This river cave near San Ignacio was a sacred Maya ceremonial site. A guided visit involves wading and swimming past ancient pottery and calcified skeletal remains.
Altun Ha
Things to do, Belize District
Altun Ha’s grassy plazas and climbable temples include the Temple of the Masonry Altars. Its visitor centre explains finds from the Maya site, where the jade head of Kinich Ahau was unearthed.
Caracol
Things to do, Cayo District
Deep in the Chiquibul Forest, Caracol was a major Maya city with plazas, causeways and tombs. Its great pyramid, Caana, remains the tallest man-made structure in Belize.
Elvi's Kitchen
Food & Drink, Belize District
Elvi’s Kitchen serves Belizean and Maya flavours, including conch fritters and fish in mojo de ajo. The restaurant has operated in San Pedro since it began as a takeout burger stand in 1974.
Hopkins Beach
Beach, Stann Creek District
Hopkins Beach fronts the Garifuna village of Hopkins, where fishing boats, drumming schools and small beach cafes share the shoreline. It’s a place to pair time by the water with living Garifuna culture.
Lamanai
Things to do, Orange Walk District
Lamanai’s jungle-wrapped Maya temples stand beside a lagoon, reached by a wildlife-rich boat ride up the New River. Ruins of two Spanish churches and a small museum add to the visit.
Xunantunich
Things to do, Cayo District
At this hilltop Maya city near the Guatemalan border, visitors cross the Mopan River by hand-cranked cable ferry. El Castillo has restored friezes and can be climbed for views over the Cayo countryside.