6 Best Sights in Belize City, Belize

Your stop for snapping a “Look where I am!” photo to post on Facebook or Instagram could be these large block letters by the shore that spell out BELIZE. Each colorful letter is a painted mural unto itself, and the letters are periodically repainted. Early morning sees the fewest visitors, the ideal light, and the best opportunity for you and/or your traveling companions to get the shot you want. (You'll see people stand atop the two Es. We don’t recommend that.)

Not the oldest building in the city but arguably the most striking, the 1926 Belize Supreme Court building is patterned after its wooden predecessor, which burned in 1918. The current building, painted white, has filigreed iron stair and balcony rails, similar to what you might see in New Orleans (the construction company came from Louisiana), between two arms of the structure, and above the balcony a four-sided clock. This being Belize, the clock faces all seem to show different times. You can't enter the building, but it's worth admiring from the outside.

At Monkey Bay you can canoe on the Sibun River, hike a 16-mile (31-km) nature trail along Indian Creek (only partly within Monkey Bay lands), or go bird-watching—some 250 bird species have been identified in the area. It has a natural history library with some 500 books and other reference materials, which visitors can use. The sanctuary also has educational and internship programs. Overnight accommodations for visitors are available if not occupied by students or interns. The nine private cabins and rooms run from BZ$200 to BZ$250. Dorm-like accommodation with shared bath is available in the field station bunkhouse for BZ$80. Meals are also available at times, if an educational group is in residence. Otherwise you'll have to make your own meals. Monkey Bay accepts short-term volunteers (minimum stay one week). Internships also are available, usually with a minimum stay of one month. Most programs are geared to overnight or multinight visits, but day visitors are welcome, too. Contact them in advance to see what activities or facilities may be available when you want to visit.

Many of the visitors here are on cruise-ship excursions, but you can also visit Old Belize on your own (it's a BZ$30 taxi ride each way from downtown Belize City). A 15-minute train ride takes you through exhibits devoted to the rainforest and the Maya and Garifuna cultures, as well as displays on logging, chicle harvesting, and sugar production. Also at the site are a large marina; a restaurant and bar where you can get a decent hamburger and other American-style dishes; a gift shop; and Kukumba Beach, a small artificial beach with an 80-foot waterslide.

This museum, often just called the \"rum museum,\" celebrates Belize's love affair with rum and its oldest distillery, Travellers. Although it's small, the museum is fascinating, with displays of old rum bottles and distillery equipment and the history of rum-making in Belize. You can also look through a window and see rum and other potables being made and bottled at the little factory behind the museum. Best of all, you can get samples of the various rums made by Travellers, including its best-selling 1 Barrel, along with samples of more regional drinks such as cashew wine, Rompope (rum with eggnog) and Craboo Cream liqueur. Initial samplings are free, with a small charge for further tastings.

Across the highway from the Belize Zoo is the 84-acre Tropical Education Center, where you can hike or canoe. There are boardwalk trails through the savanna with wildlife viewing platforms and a deck for bird-watching. Rustic accommodations are available at the Tropical Education Center at the Belize Zoo Jungle Lodge, which include a 30-person dorm and four spartan cabanas. Nighttime tours of the Belize Zoo are offered.