Belmopan City

It used to be said that the best way to see Belize's capital was through the rearview mirror as you head toward San Ignacio or south down the Hummingbird. It's a dreary cluster of concrete office buildings plunked in the middle of nowhere, proving that cities can't be created overnight. However, with the opening of the main campus of the University of Belize in Belmopan in 2002, the relocation of several embassies (including the U.S. embassy) from Belize City to Belmopan, and new commercial activity around the capital, Belmopan—finally—is showing some signs of life. The population has grown to more than 15,000. Commercial and retail activities are booming, and there's a minor real estate gold rush going on. Despite all this, however, we recommend you spend most of your time at nearby sites rather than in the city itself.

The Belize Zoo,one of the country's top sights, is only a half hour east of Belmopan via the Western Highway.