The Belize District is in Belize. The oldest human remains in Belize have been found in this district. However, the spearheads found in Ladyville from 8000 BC probably date back to non-sedentary hunters. However, the central Belize River, the many small rivers and the lagoons were important trade routes between the Peten and the Caribbean even in Mayan times. There were several settlements here as early as 1000 BC, as evidenced by numerous Mayan ruins. In the Classical Period, some of these cities became regional centres, with Altun Ha certainly being the most impressive city. However, many of these cities were more like satellite towns of the large metropolises in the west or north, and most were abandoned by the end of the Classical Period (700 to 900 AD). A few that were dependent on the northern cities in the Orange Walk District survived until the arrival of the Europeans. During the first European settlements, this district was the decisive part for the British. The decisive battle between the British and the Spanish took place in St. George's Caye and the oldest British settlements can be found here. In terms of tourism and politics, this district has fallen behind a little in recent years.
The Belize District is centrally located in Belize and borders almost all districts. In the north, the district borders the Corozal District and the Orange Walk District. The latter, together with the Cayo District, forms the western border of the Belize District. The south of the district borders the Stann Creek District. In the east lies the Caribbean coast with the northern islands. The north is characterized by lagoons and swampland, which is increasingly interspersed with rainforest towards the south and west. With the islands of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, there is the largest tourist infrastructure in Belize and Belize City is the only real city in Belize. In Belize, people often just talk about the city.
In this district, there is a real city, Belize City, which is unique
for Belize. The next smallest town, San Pedro, is very small with 7,000
inhabitants and has a purely tourist base.
Other attractive
little places are:
Burrell Boom - Former quiet logging village
Gales Point - Creole fishing village
Hattieville - Former refugee
camp
Ladyville - The oldest human remains to date were found here
But this district is also rich in other sights. These include:
The
Mayan ruins:
Altun Ha - The large pyramid can be found on every
bottle of Belikin beer
Chau Hiix - Old Mayan city that was probably
only abandoned with the arrival of the Spaniards.
The nature reserves
and parks:
Community Baboon Sanctuary - Here you can observe howler
monkeys in the wild
Manatee Forest Reserve - The lagoons are home to
large populations of manatees
Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary -
Inaccessible monkey sanctuary
Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary - Bird
paradise, known for the Jabiru stork, which nests here in the dry season
Belize Zoo - This unique zoo was created from a documentary film
The
northern islands and cays assigned to the Belize District
Ambergris
Caye - "La Isla Bonita" sung about by Madonna, loved by American
tourists.
Caye Caulker - The alternative to Ambergris Caye, popular
with Europeans.
Turneffe Island - Diving paradise in the Caribbean
St. George's Caye - This is where the Spanish and British met in the
decisive battle in 1798. Today, the higher earners meet here to relax
But one thing should not be forgotten:
Old Belize - The museum
complex was originally built to give cruise ship passengers a quick
overview of the history, art and culture as well as agriculture of
Belize. On a guided tour, you will be familiarized with the flora and
fauna, as well as the culture and crafts of the Mayas and Garifuna. In
addition to the museum, there is a beach complex about 120m long. In
addition to swimming, you can also book trips to snorkel, fish, dive,
sail, to the reef with glass-bottomed boats and helicopter flights.
There is also a souvenir shop.
The bus from Belize City to Belmopan
stops in Old Belize after about 10 minutes. There is also the Sibun Bite
Bar & Grill nearby, which is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and
offers a beautiful view of the sea.
Nature - Here you have some of the best opportunities to see exciting
birdlife and large mammals in the wild.
Caribbean - Hidden beaches
and the reef for diving and snorkeling on your doorstep leave nothing to
be desired. Fishing enthusiasts will also get their money's worth here.
Maya ruins - Altun Ha is probably the most famous ruin in Belize.
Caves - These are also present here, but compared to those in the
western Cayo District or the southern Toledo District, they are rather
unspectacular.
Nature observation - In addition to the rich opportunity for bird
watching, there are good opportunities to observe large mammals,
especially in the Community Baboon Sanctuary or in Gales Point.
Explore - Here too, many things, such as several Mayan ruins, have just
been made accessible to tourists and still bring with them the original
charm of discovery.
Diving - Whether with a bottle or a snorkel. The
diving paradise of Belize is reflected here too. Numerous destinations
on the doorstep or in the immediate vicinity make every diver's heart
beat faster.
Swimming - With the two large islands of Ambergris Caye
and Caye Caulker, there is of course plenty of Caribbean beach
atmosphere here. But it is also worth heading to smaller islands for
this purpose.
Boat tour - In the harbors or on the large islands,
these are always offered for diving, animal watching, fishing, swimming
or relaxing on the Caribbean Sea.
Hiking - Whether it's the short
hike in Altun Ha from Plaza A to the old water reservoir or the Indian
Creek Trail in the Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary which leads 30km
through the rainforest.
Fishing - Of course, it's obvious that the
opportunities for this are very good thanks to the numerous fishing
villages.
The climate here is a little wetter than in the classic Yucatan. But the amount of rain is comparatively low compared to the south. Most of the rain falls in the rainy season between June and November. It is mostly dry between February and May.
The official language and main language here is English. Especially in the north, a little Spanish is still spoken here and there due to refugees from the caste wars. There are numerous Creole towns along the coast, where Kriol is spoken, which is based on English.
The central point here is of course Belize City. It can be reached via an international airport or an airstrip. The two main traffic arteries, the Western Highway and the Northern Highway, also meet here. The south is connected via the Costal Highway. All interregional bus connections ultimately lead to Belize City.
Everything on the two main roads, Western Highway and Northern
Highway, can be reached by bus. If you choose destinations away from
these transport links, a four-wheel drive vehicle is a great advantage.
Some of the islands are accessible via a regular water taxi system.
From the larger ports, it is usually not a problem to get to an island
by boat.
Small planes are a very popular way of getting around
the country. There are connections between the larger towns and the
offshore islands. A reliable, fast but also expensive way to travel.
There are two providers here:
Tropic Air
Maya Island Air
The restaurants are generally simple and the only difference is between fish, chicken or meat dishes, but this does not usually reduce the quality. On the contrary, especially in small towns, real delicacies are served here at good prices. Marie Sharp's Habanero Pepper Sauce is on every table in Belize. This extremely hot sauce has telling names like "No Wimps Allowed" or "Beware". Fish is highly recommended.
If you are looking for nightlife in Belize, the Belize District is the right place for you. No other city on the mainland has as much of it as Belize City. Everything from bars to casinos is on offer here. Tourist strongholds with a wide selection of restaurants, bars and nightclubs can still be found on Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker.
The crime rate is negligible, especially in the smaller towns. In
Belize City, however, you should keep an eye out for con artists. You
should also avoid some districts or only cross them by taxi.
There are also crocodiles and poisonous snakes here, so it is certainly
not appropriate to be too careless. But given the fact that humans are
not on the menu of these animals, cautious behavior and appropriate
clothing should guarantee sufficient protection. The "most dangerous"
here are almost the mosquitoes, so mosquito repellent should not be
omitted. Dengue fever, which is occasionally transmitted by mosquitoes,
cannot be prevented by vaccination. Other diseases can, however, be
prevented:
Malaria prophylaxis should at least be carried in case
of an emergency.
A typhoid vaccination should be carried beforehand.
The hepatitis A, B, tetanus and rabies vaccinations should be updated.