Things to Do in Belize (2026)

Belize · BZ

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Step into the lush, emerald heart of Belize at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world’s first jaguar preserve. Nestled in the foothills of the Maya Mountains, this vast sanctuary is a haven for biodiversity, offering a rare glimpse into one of Central America’s most pristine tropical rainforests. While the elusive jaguar is the star of the show, the sanctuary is also alive with the calls of howler monkeys, the flash of exotic birds, and the gentle flow of mountain streams. Visitors can explore an extensive network of hiking trails that wind through dense jungle, past spectacular waterfalls, and up to panoramic viewpoints. Whether you’re tubing down the South Stann Creek, swimming in natural pools, or searching for wildlife tracks, Cockscomb Basin offers an immersive adventure for nature lovers and thrill-seekers alike. It’s a place where conservation meets exploration, and every step reveals the raw beauty of Belize’s wilderness.

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center

Zoo

Belize · BZ

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center at Mile 29 on the George Price Highway is unlike almost any zoo you have visited before. There are no concrete cages or exotic imports here. Instead, winding trails thread through thirty acres of tropical forest where Belize's own native animals roam in habitats that look exactly like the places they came from. Jaguars, ocelots, howler monkeys, scarlet macaws, and tapirs all live on ground that could have been their wild home, rescued from trafficking or orphaned circumstances and given a dignified retirement. The whole idea started in 1983 when Sharon Matola was left caring for a small group of wild animals after a natural history film crew finished shooting. She had nowhere to send them, so she built a home for them right there in the bush. Four decades later that backyard sanctuary has grown into Belize's oldest wildlife rescue and education facility, caring for more than 150 animals across 43 native species and drawing roughly 69,000 visitors each year who come to connect with the country's remarkable natural heritage. What makes this stop genuinely special for a traveler is the honesty of its approach. These are not performative exhibits. The animals here are real survivors of the illegal wildlife trade or transfers from other rehabilitation programs, and the habitats are designed to meet their actual needs. You get close enough to see a jaguar's deliberate stride along a forest path, or watch a Baird's tapir forage at the edge of a clearing, and you feel the conservation mission woven into every step of the walk.

Historical landmark

Belize · BZ

Cerros Mayan Ruins

Cerros—also known as Cerro Maya—is the one Maya archaeological site in Belize that sits right on the water. Spread across a peninsula at the mouth of the New River where it spills into Chetumal Bay, in Corozal District in the far north of the country, the ruins face directly onto the Caribbean coastline, the way the city that built them once did. Grass-covered pyramids rise within a few metres of the bay, and the central precinct is ringed by the faint curve of a man-made canal that once separated the ceremonial heart of the settlement from its farming fields and homes. The site reached its height in the Late Preclassic period, centuries before the great Classic-era cities, when it grew from a modest village of farmers, fishermen and traders into a planned town with kings, temples and plazas. Today its restored mounds, broad stairways and—above all—its enormous painted stucco masks make it one of the most atmospheric and least crowded stops in northern Belize, an ideal pairing with the nearby lagoon site of Lamanai or a detour from the Corozal–Chetumal road.

Public beach

Belize · BZ

Placencia Municipal Pier & Plaza

Placencia Municipal Pier & Plaza is the social and scenic front porch of Placencia village, sitting at the very southern tip of Belize's slender peninsula where the famous pedestrian Sidewalk finally runs out into the Caribbean. Built as a gift to local residents to let villagers enjoy the harbour and to give the small fishing community an economic boost, the pier and its adjoining plaza have become the place where daily life plays out: fishing boats come in with the day's catch, tour operators and artisans set up stalls, families swim off the calm beach, and everyone gathers to watch the sun go down. More than a pretty harbour, it is the functional heart of Placencia—the departure point for island and reef excursions, a spot to tie up a dinghy, a beach for a swim, and a relaxed gathering place with benches, picnic tables, food and drink just steps away. A visit here is less about checking sights off a list and more about soaking up the easy rhythm of a Caribbean fishing village.

Finding your next place…

A little more
of Belize.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center

Cerros Mayan Ruins

Placencia Municipal Pier & Plaza

Finding your next place…

A little more
of Belize.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center

Cerros Mayan Ruins

Placencia Municipal Pier & Plaza