Special tourist police have tempered Belize’s daunting reputation as Pirate City. Stay in the city’s main tourist areas to avoid petty crime and harassment and avoid purchasing marijuana, you may be set up by the police, or robbed.
Just Bring It
There are some duty free stores in Belize City, but no one really comes here to shop, so don’t bank on picking-up must-have items here. Pack your own insect repellent, waterproof and high-SPF sunscreen – you’ll need it everywhere.
Outdoor Chic
Leave the dressy resort wear and heels at home – sturdy hiking shoes, and comfortable, light cotton clothing with long sleeves and pants are best for protection against sun, thorny brush and pests like ticks.
Bug Off
Bring plenty of military-strength bug repellent and make sure accommodations provide fine mosquito netting before you book; otherwise you’ll suffer the stinging bites of the sand flies that invade coastal areas when the air is calm.
No Plastic
Be aware that credit cards are rarely accepted outside resorts. U.S. dollars, on the other hand, are accepted everywhere eat the rate of one per every two Belize dollars (BZ$). Always check which currency prices are quoted.
Entry Requirements
In order to enter Belize Americans must have passports and return plane tickets.
Language
Almost everyone speaks English, which is the one of two official languages in Belize (the other is Spanish).
The Big Bruk-Down
Celebrating their 1981 independence from Britain, September 10 to September 21 (Independence Day) is a period of almost nonstop festivities, culminating with costumed revelers following bands and sound systems on flatbed trucks through the city’s streets.
Mayan Deer Dance
Commencing August 25, masked Mopan Maya villagers perform this ancient ceremonial dance during the 9-day Fiesta de San Luis Rey in the southern village of San Antonio.
Dia de San Pedro
A boat parade and blessing of the fleet on June 29 kicks off Ambergris Caye’s annual three-day fiesta, a typical Belizean party with rum-drinking and high-energy Caribbean rhythms.
Crooked Tree Cashew Festival
Each May, Crooked Tree, a small settlement in the middle of a wildlife preserve, celebrates their cashew crop with a Caribbean-style country fair with bush food, down-home Creole river music and delicious cashew fruit wine.
Punta Rock Till You Drop
The 1832 landing of Belize’s Afro-Carib people in Dangriga is reenacted nationwide at dawn on Garifuna Settlement Day (November 19th), setting off three days of nonstop drumming and butt-gyrating punta dancing. Dangriga’s celebration is the largest.
Chocolate Festival
Make chocolate, eat chocolate, and learn about Belize’s organic cacao groves from the people whose ancestors discovered the luscious edible. The Toledo Chocolate Festival rocks the tiny southern capital of Punta Gorda from May 23 to 25.
