Top Reasons to Go

Top Reasons to Go

Mayan Sites

Several of the most interesting Mayan sites in the region are in northern Belize. These include Altun Ha, Lamanai, La Milpa, and Cerros. Altun Ha gets the most visitors of any Mayan site in Belize (about 75,000 a year), and Lamanai, on the New River Lagoon, and Cerros, on Corozal Bay, are notable in part because of their beautiful locations. Less accessible but also of interest to Mayan enthusiasts are sites at La Milpa, the third largest Mayan site in Belize, Cuello, and Nohmul. There's also a small site, Santa Rita, in Corozal Town.

Wild, Open Spaces

This part of Belize has some of the country's wildest and most remote tracts of land. The quarter-million acres of Rio Bravo Conservation and Management Area host only a few thousand visitors each year. Although people are scarce, Rio Bravo teems with wildlife. The area has 250 species of trees, including some of the largest mahogany trees in Belize, 70 species of mammals including jaguars, and more than 400 types of birds. Other large tracts of land rich with flora and fauna include the adjoining Gallon Jug lands, 130,000 privately owned acres around Chan Chich Lodge. The Shipstern Reserve is a 22,000-acre expanse of swamps, lagoons, and forests on the Sarteneja peninsula. Huge numbers of birds nest at the Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary, a network of inland lagoons and swamps.

Jungle Lodges

Northern Belize is home to several first-rate lodges, including Chan Chich Lodge, a paradise for birders and the place where you're most likely to spot the reclusive jaguar in the wild. Lamanai Outpost, on the banks of the New River Lagoon, is a center for crocodile research. The exotic Maruba Resort Jungle Spa focuses on bringing Mother Earth to you in the form of natural spa treatments.