Belize Travel Guide

Belize — Travel Tips

Browse the Belize Photo Gallery

Social Conventions

British influence can still be seen in many social situations. Flowers or confectionary are acceptable gifts to give to hosts if invited to their home for a meal. Dress is casual, although beachwear should not be worn in towns. It may be inadvisable to discuss politics, particularly if of a partisan nature. Time is much more flexible here and any impatience towards the lack of punctuality will not be well received. You'll be asked to get onto Belizean Time.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

American Airlines (www.aa.com) flies from Miami and Dallas to Belize City. Continental Airlines (www.continental.com) flies from Houston. Delta Air (www.delta.com) flies from Atlanta only on Saturday and US Airways (www.usairways.com) flies from Charlottesville, North Carolina. There are no direct flights from London to Belize; passengers can fly non-stop to Atlanta, Miami or Houston and join a connecting flight.

Departure Tax

There is a US$36 departure tax when leaving by air. Check that this tax was included in the price of your airline ticket.

Main Airports

The Philip S W Goldson International Airport (BZE) is 16km (10 miles) northwest of Belize City. To/from the airport: Taxis are available to the city (journey time – 20 minutes); prices should be agreed with the driver beforehand. Taxi drivers are not tipped. There is an airport bus to the city center, but it runs infrequently and should not be relied upon (journey time – 30 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shops, bank, shops, restaurant and bar.

Note: Belmopan, the capital, is 84km (52 miles) from Belize City by road.

Getting There By Water

Main ports:Belize City, Corozal, Dangriga, Punta Gorda and San Pedro. Belize City is the primary port of call for most cruise ship lines. Regular scheduled boats carry passengers ashore to taste a bit of Belize at the Fort Street Tourism Village.

There are regular water taxi services between Punta Gorda and Puerto Barrios, Guatemala and a direct twice-weekly service from Livingston. There is also regular water taxi services between Punta Gorda and Puerto Cortes, Honduras. There is an US$3.75/BZ$7.50 departure tax for passengers leaving by sea, payable in US or BZ Dollars.

Getting There By Road

There are road links with Chetumal on the Mexican border and Melchor de Mencos in Guatemala.

Regular scheduled buses serve these routes, leaving every half hour or hour for Belize City. It is easy to enter Belize by bus from US border cities via Cancun, Mexico City and Chetumal.

Travelers entering Belize by car from Mexico or Guatemala must obtain a temporary importation permit at the border, valid for one month; drivers need to show all travel documents, insurance papers and proof of car ownership or rental documents.

Visitors leaving Belize by road must pay a US$18.75/BZ$37.50 land departure tax, payable in either currency.

Duty Free

Overview

The following goods may be imported into Belize without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
• 1L of wine or spirits.
• BZ$200 of gifts or goods for personal use.

Prohibited Exports

PreColumbian articles, marine products, unprocessed coral or turtle shells.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

Local airlines connect Belize City with the main towns and cayes. Flights leave from both the international airport and the municipal airstrip. The main carriers are Maya Island Air (www.mayaislandair.com) and Tropic Air (www.tropicair.com). Be aware that Belizean airlines have been classified as category two, meaning they do not meet the ICAO safety standards.

Getting Around By Water

There is a scheduled boat service from Belize City to Ambergris Caye, Caye Chapel and Caye Caulker. Boats also depart from Placencia to Honduras and from Punta Gorda to Guatemala.

Getting Around By Road

There are four paved highways in Belize: the Northern Highway between Belize City and the Mexican border town of Chetumal; the Western Highway between Belize City and the Guatemala Border; the Hummingbird Highway from Belmopan to Dangriga; and the Southern Highway down to Punta Gorda. All other roads are unpaved single- or double-lane highways that get washed out during torrential rains. Local driving standards are extremely poor and road traffic accidents are a common occurrence. Traffic drives on the right.

Bus: There are inexpensive daily bus services to most towns and villages, and to the Mexican and Guatemalan borders. Travel is usually in hot and overcrowded old US school buses, with many delays due to breakdowns. There are some air-conditioned express services but service is intermittent.

Car hire: Many international and local firms operate in Belize City as well as in Ladyville (Belize Airport), Dangriga and San Ignacio. Visitors usually need to be 25 years old to hire a car. 4-wheel drive vehicles are recommended for excursions south of Belize City.

Regulations: The speed limit is 90kph (56mph) on highways and 40kph (25mph) on most other roads. Seat belts are compulsory. You must purchase car insurance. At police checkpoints, officers have the authority to ask to see proof of your insurance and may arrest you if you don't produce the proper documentation.

Documentation: A national driving license is acceptable for three months, after which an International Driving Permit is required.