Top 10 Tourist Attractions in Belize

10. Altun Ha

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Altun Ha is located in Rockstone Pond Village in Belize. This site has an area of about 25 square miles and is surrounded by lush forests and vegetation. Altun Ha was an excellent example of Maya architecture, the monuments were well exposed and provided magnificent views. The Maya people of Altun Ha left traces of a culture rich in social rituals, mathematics, and the study of the heavens. The temples surrounding the area offer a wealth of information regarding the classical history of the Mayan culture. The largest of Altun Ha's temple-pyramids, the "Temple of the Masonry Altars", is 54 feet (16 m) high. A drawing of this structure is the logo of Belize's leading brand of beer, "Belikin".

9. Belize Zoo

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The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center is a zoo in Belize, located some 29 miles west of Belize City on the Western Highway. Set in 29 acres, the zoo was founded in 1983 by Sharon Matola. Many of the animals in Belize Zoo are wild animals that were kept as pets by individual collectors and the zoo tries to recondition such animals for a return to the wild. The Zoo was the recipient of Belize Tourism Board's 9th National Tourism Award, "Educational Award of the Year" in 2009.

8. Xunantunich

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Xunantunich was an ancient Mayan town in the Cayo region of Belize. Consisting of 9th century Maya ruins including "El Castillo", is the tallest structure in Xunantunich and the second tallest structure in Belize. Set on a hilltop overlooking the Mopan River, the site forms six groups with about 25 temples and palaces.

7. San Pedro Town

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San Pedro is a town on the southern part of the island of Ambergris Caye, the island is the top tourist destination in Belize. The town is a picture postcard setting beside the clear turquoise sea. Low rise hotels, guest houses and boutique style resorts & condos, from modest to magnificent, are nestled along the coast and throughout the town. Once a sleepy fishing village, this town has grown dramatically over the years with the fast progression of the tourism industry.

6. Lamanai

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Lamanai is a Mesoamerican archaeological site, and was once a major city of the Maya civilization, located in the north of Belize. Lamanai is renown for its exceptionally long occupation spanning three millennia, beginning in the Early Preclassic Maya period and continuing through the Spanish and British Colonial periods, into the 20th century. Archaeological work has concentrated on the investigation and restoration of the larger structures such as the High Temple, a 33 meter tall temple.

5. Placencia

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Placencia is a small town located in the Stann Creek District of Belize. Placencia has the best mainland beaches, plus some of the most amazing offshore coral cayes. The eastern side of the Placencia Peninsula is a long expanse of white sand beach. The western side is bounded by a long and narrow bay. For those who enjoy outdoor adventure, the Stann Creek region offers a host of activities: hiking through mountainous rain forests, kayaking, diving and exploring Mayan ruins.

4. Caracol

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Caracol is the name given to a large ancient Maya archaeological site, located in what is now the Cayo District of Belize. It rests on the Vaca Plateau at an elevation of 500 meters above sea-level, in the foothills of the Maya Mountains. Caracol was once one of the largest ancient Maya cities, covering some 200 square kilometers. At its peak around 650 AD it had an estimated population of about 150,000, more than twice as many people as Belize City has today. The largest pyramid in Caracol is Canaa (Sky Place), it is still the tallest man-made structure in all of Belize.

3. Caye Caulker

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Caye Caulker is a small limestone coral island off the coast of Belize. In recent years the island has become a popular Belize attraction for backpackers and other tourists for its (relatively) cheap prices, laid-back vibe, and abundance of restaurants and bars. There aren't really any proper beaches to speak of, but plenty of docks are spread around the island where you can pull up a plastic chair and get your sun on, or hang out at one of the ocean front restaurants or walk down to "The Split" which is a popular swimming area and if you're feeling a bit thirsty, The Lazy Lizard Bar is just couple steps away from the water.

2. Actun Tunichil Muknal

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Actun Tunichil Muknal, also known locally as “Xibalba” or ATM, is a cave in Belize, near San Ignacio, Cayo District.  A sacred site for the Mayans, the cave contains many examples of pottery, ceramics and stoneware, as well as several sets of human sacrificial remains. The best-known is "The Crystal Maiden", the skeleton of an adolescent, possibly a sacrifice victim, whose bones have been calcified to a sparkling, crystallized appearance.

1. Great Blue Hole

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The Great Blue Hole is a giant submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize, near the center of Lighthouse Reef. The hole is circular in shape, over 300 m across and 124 m deep. It was formed during several episodes of quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower. As the ocean began to rise again, the cave was flooded. The deeper one dives into the Great Blue Hole, the clearer the water and the more breathtaking the scenery, as the array of bizarre stalactites and limestone formations become more complex and intense. It is one of the most popular tourist destination in belize.