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Fort George | South Side Commercial District | Marine Parade Harbor Front | Western Suburbs | Northern Suburbs
Belize City is defined by the water around it. The main part of the city is at the end of a small peninsula, jutting out into the Caribbean Sea. Haulover Creek, an extension of the Belize River, running roughly west to east, divides the city into the North Side and the South Side. The North Side is, to generalize, more affluent than the South Side. The venerable Swing Bridge connects the two sides, although in modern times other bridges over Haulover Creek, especially the Belcan Bridge northwest of the city center, carry more traffic. At the mouth of the river, just beyond Swing Bridge, is the Belize Harbor (or Harbour, as it’s written locally, in the English style).
Coming from the north, follow the Goldson Highway through several roundabouts (traffic circles) to Freetown Road and Barracks Road to reach the center. Alternatively, you can swing west on Princess Margaret Drive to Barracks Road, along the seafront. From the west, the Western Highway becomes Cemetery Road, which leads you to the center via the South Side and Orange Street. The city center itself is a confusing warren of narrow streets, many of them one-way, and many may be temporarily closed, with detours that are not well-marked or are not marked at all.
If you’re staying in either the northern or western sprawling suburbs, a car is handy, as there’s limited municipal bus service. There are many taxis, however, with affordable rates starting at BZ$7. It’s not customary to tip taxi drivers, unless they help you with luggage or perform other services. Most drivers are friendly and are happy to point out interesting sites to visitors. A few are licensed tour guides.
Safety and Precautions
Belize City has a reputation for street crime. The government has made some progress in cleaning up the problem, despite gang activity and drugs. Crimes against tourists in Belize City are relatively rare. Still, the crime rate in Belize City is comparable to that of a distressed inner-city area in the United States, and the homicide rate is among the highest in the world. Take the same precautions you’d take in any city—don’t wear expensive jewelry or watches, avoid handling money in public, and leave valuables in a safe. Ignore offers to buy drugs. On buses and in crowded areas hold purses and backpacks close to your body. Check with the staff at your hotel before venturing into any unfamiliar areas, particularly at night. After dark you should always take a taxi rather than walk even a few blocks. Avoid leaving your rental car on the street overnight. Generally the northern suburbs are safer than downtown.
Fort George
This is the most pleasant and appealing section of the city, much of it cooled by prevailing breezes from the sea. It has stately if sometimes run-down colonial buildings that escaped the hurricanes of 1931 and 1961, several embassies (though the U.S. embassy was transplanted to Belmopan in 2006), upmarket restaurants that attract the city’s elite, and the city’s better hotels, including the Radisson Fort George and the Great House, plus the Museum of Belize, Fort George lighthouse, and the Fort Street Tourism Village.
Top Attractions
FAMILY | Fodor’s Choice | Museum of Belize.
This small but fascinating museum was the Belize City jail from 1857 to 1993. Permanent displays include ancient jade and other Mayan artifacts; medicinal, ink, and alcoholic-beverage bottles dating from the 1670s; Belize coins and colorful postage stamps; and an actual prison cell. Temporary exhibitions change periodically. | 8 Gabourel La., Belize Central Bank Compound, Fort George | 223/4524 | www.nichbelize.org | BZ$20 | Mon.–Sat. 8–4:30.
Swing Bridge.
As you might have guessed, the bridge spanning Haulover Creek in the middle of Belize City actually swings. When needed to allow a boat through or by special request of visiting dignitaries, four men hand-winch the bridge a quarter-revolution so waiting boats can continue upstream (when it was the only bridge in town, this snarled traffic for blocks). The bridge, made in England, opened in 1923; it was renovated and upgraded in 1999. It’s the only one of its kind left. Before the Swing Bridge arrived, cattle were “hauled over” the creek in a barge. The bridge appears in a scene of the 1980 movie The Dogs of War, set in a fictitious African country but mostly filmed in Belize. | Haulover Creek where Queen and Albert Sts. meet, Fort George.
Worth Noting
Belize Brewing Co. Ltd.
With a virtual nationwide monopoly on beer, Bowen & Bowen’s Belize Brewing Co. Ltd. is one of the country’s most profitable businesses. Perfect for sipping on the beach, there are four beers to choose from: Belikin lager, with 4% alcohol; Belikin Premium, also a lager, with 5% alcohol; Lighthouse, a pale lager, with 4.2% alcohol; and Belikin Stout, a dark beer with 6% alcohol. Some cruise-ship and Belize City tours include a stop at the Bowen brewery, with a half-hour tasting of the beers. | 1 King St. | Belize City | 227/7031 | www.bowenbz.com.
Fort George Lighthouse and Bliss Memorial.
Towering over the entrance to Belize Harbor, the lighthouse stands guard on the tip of Fort George Point. It was designed and funded by one of the country’s greatest benefactors, Baron Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss. The English nobleman never actually set foot on the Belizean mainland, though in his yacht he visited the waters offshore. In his will he bequeathed most of his fortune to the people of Belize, and the date of his death, March 9, is celebrated as a national holiday, now officially called National Heroes and Benefactors Day. Bliss is buried here, in a small, low mausoleum perched on the seawall, up a short run of limestone stairs. The lighthouse and mausoleum are for photo ops only—you can’t enter. | Marine Parade, near Radisson Fort George Hotel, Fort George | Free | 24 hours.
The Best Galleries in Belize
Belize City
Belizean Handicraft Market Place (formerly National Handicraft Center) | S. Park | 223/3627
Image Factory | 1 N. Front St. | 223/1149 | www.imagefactorybelize.com
Belmopan
Art Box | Mile 46, Western Hwy. | 623/6129 | www.artboxbz.com
Caye Caulker
Caribbean Colors Art Gallery | Front St. | 206/0206 | www.caribbean-colors.com
Cooper’s Art Gallery | Front St. | 226/0330 | debbiecooperart.artspan.com
Dangriga
Garinagu Crafts and Art Gallery | 46 Oak St. at Tubroose St. | 522/2596
Placencia
Art ’n Soul | South end of the Sidewalk, Placencia village | 503/3088
Spectarte | Maya Beach, opposite Green Parrot | 523/8019
Punta Gorda
Maya Bags | Workshop on Airport Rd. near Tropic Air office at PG airstrip | www.mayabags.com
San Ignacio
Garcia Sisters Tanah Mayan Art Museum | Cristo Rey Rd., San Antonio | 669/4023
Orange Gifts | Mile 60, Western Hwy. | 824/2341 | www.orangegifts.com
San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
Belizean Arts | Barrier Reef Dr. at Fido’s | 226/3019 | www.belizeanarts.com
South Side Commercial District
This area, along Albert and Regent streets, two parallel streets running north–south from Haulover Creek, is the commercial heart of the city. It has many small stores, banks, and budget hotels, along with several places of interest, including the Supreme Court, St. John’s Cathedral, and the House of Culture. A third parallel street, the Southern Foreshore, hugs the waterfront along the South Side.
Top Attractions
Belize Supreme Court.
Not the oldest building in the city but one of the most striking, the 1926 Belize Supreme Court building is patterned after its wooden predecessor, which had burned in 1918. An 1820 court building had also burned down. 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. | Regent St., opposite Battlefield Park, Commercial District | 227/4387.
House of Culture.
Formerly called Government House, the city’s finest colonial structure is said to have a design inspired by the illustrious British architect Sir Christopher Wren. Built in 1814, it was once the residence of the governor-general, the queen’s representative in Belize. Following Hurricane Hattie in 1961, the governor and the rest of the government moved to Belmopan, and the house became a venue for social functions and a guesthouse for visiting VIPs. (Queen Elizabeth stayed here in 1985, Prince Philip in 1988.) Now it’s open to the public. You can peruse its archival records, art, photographs, silver, glassware, and furniture collections, or mingle with the tropical birds that frequent the gardens. TIP If going here after dark, take a cab, because it’s close to some of the city’s most crime-ridden areas. | Regent St. at Southern Foreshore, opposite St. John’s Cathedral, Commercial District | 227/3050 | www.nichbelize.org | BZ$10 | Weekdays 8:30–5.
Worth Noting
Bliss Center for the Performing Arts.
Overlooking the harbor from the Southern Foreshore near the Supreme Court, this building houses the Institute of Creative Arts and hosts cultural and arts events throughout the year. It is a part of NICH, the National Institute of Culture and History. The Bliss Center’s 600-seat theater is headquarters for the Belize International Film Festival, usually held in July. Dramas, children’s festivals, dance, art displays, and other cultural and musical performances take place at various times. It also houses a small art gallery with a George Gabb sculpture, Sleeping Giant, which appears as the watermark on Belize five-dollar bills. | 2 Southern Foreshore, between Church and Bishop Sts., Commercial District | 227/2110 | www.nichbelize.org.
St. John’s Cathedral.
On Albert Street’s south end is the oldest Anglican church in Central America and the only one outside England where kings were crowned. From 1815 to 1845, four kings of the Mosquito Coast (a British protectorate along the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua) were crowned here. The cathedral, built of brick brought to British Honduras as ballast on English ships, is thought to be the oldest building in Belize, other than Mayan structures. Its foundation stone was laid in 1812. Inside, it has whitewashed walls and mahogany pews. The roof is constructed of local sapodilla wood, with mahogany beams. TIP You can combine a visit to St. John’s Cathedral with a visit to the House of Culture, as they are just across the street from each other. Safe to visit during day; at night take a cab. | Albert St. at Regent St., Opposite the House of Culture, Commercial District | 227/3029 | www.belizeanglican.org | Free | Daily 8:30–5; on Sun. times may vary.
Marine Parade Harbor Front
This rather nebulously defined area, which stretches from the Fort George section of Marine Parade to Barracks Road and then to the beginning of Princess Margaret Drive, could eventually be Belize City’s equivalent of Havana’s Malecón. Only a few years ago it was an unsightly conglomeration of old buildings and vacant lots. With cleaning up and some gentrification, the area now has several good restaurants, condominiums, a hotel-casino, and a park.
Worth Noting
Princess Casino.
Belize City’s only casino, at the Princess Hotel on the seafront, is usually bustling with local residents. It also attracts some cruise-ship passengers. There are live blackjack and poker tables, roulette wheels, and about 400 slots. The gaming and hotel complex has two movie theaters and a dance club. | Newtown Barracks, King’s Park, Commercial District | 223/2670 | www.princessbelize.com.
Western Suburbs
For visitors, this part of the metropolitan area mostly is just a place to pass through on the way to the Cayo. However, local entrepreneurs have opened several businesses targeting cruise-ship passengers.
Worth Noting
FAMILY | Old Belize.
Many of the visitors here are tour groups from cruise ships, but you also can visit the museum at Old Belize on your own (it’s a BZ$20 taxi ride each way from downtown Belize City). In a large warehouse-style building, exhibits are devoted to the rain forest and the Maya, Garífuna, and Creoles in Belize City, with displays on logging, chicle harvesting, and sugar production. Some of the artifacts formerly housed at the Maritime Museum at the Marine Terminal are now on display here. Also at the site of the museum are a large marina; a restaurant, TGI Crazy Gringo ($$), where you can get a decent hamburger (BZ$16) and other American-style dishes; a gift shop; and Cucumber Beach, a small man-made beach that’s the only one near Belize City, a 600-foot zip line, and a waterslide. | Mile 5, George Price Hwy., formerly Western Hwy., Western Suburbs | 222/4129, 222/5588 TGI Crazy Gringo | www.oldbelize.com | BZ$10 for museum; BZ$20 for beach and waterslide; BZ$40 for beach, waterslide and zipline | Daily 9 am–10 pm.
Northern Suburbs
If you’re arriving by air at the international airport, you’ll pass through the Northern Suburbs on your way to the city, or (unless you take the Burrell Boom bypass) on your way to points south and west.
Worth Noting
Traveller’s Liquors Heritage Center.
This museum celebrates Belize’s love affair with rum and its oldest distillery, Traveller’s. 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 Traveller’s, including its best-selling One Barrel, along with samples of more exotic drinks such as cashew wine, Rumpope (rum with eggnog), Anise & Peppermint (called A&P, it may remind you of cough syrup and is usually mixed with milk), and Craboo Liquor. The rum museum is often visited by groups from cruise ships—call ahead to schedule a visit around cruise tours. | Mile 2 1/2, Philip Goldson Hwy., formerly Northern Hwy., Northern Suburbs | 223/2855 | www.onebarrelrum.com | BZ$2 | Mon. 10–5:15, Tue.–Thurs. 9–5:15, Fri. 10–5, Sat. 10–4.
Made in Belize
For such a little country, some of Belize’s products pack a punch. Here is a list of possible souvenirs.
Hot Sauce
Marie Sharp’s. One of Belize’s best-known products comes from a little plant near Dangriga. This spicy sauce was originally created by Marie Sharp in her kitchen in the early 1980s. It comes in a variety of heat levels, from the moderate Mild Habanero to the fiery No Wimps Allowed, and, finally, Beware. Marie Sharp’s also makes less dangerous products, such as jams, jellies, and other spices and sauces. If you call ahead, you can tour the plant on Melinda Road near Dangriga. | Main Office, 3 Pier Rd., Dangriga | 522/2370 | www.mariesharps-bz.com.
Rum
Traveller’s Liquors Ltd. A favorite of rum connoisseurs, One Barrel, from Traveller’s Ltd., with a slight taste of vanilla and caramel, has won international tasting awards in the gold rum category. The company is run by the Perdomo family of Belize City. | 223/2855 | www.onebarrelrum.com.
Cuellos. A good mixing white rum, and the one you’ll see in most bars, is called Caribbean Rum. It is made by family-owned Cuellos distillery. | 65 Main St., Orange Walk Town | 322/2141 distillery, 322/2183 office.
Hardwood Furniture
If the cost of shipping doesn’t break your budget, the low-slung folding “clam chairs” are a favorite and made from the region’s tropical hardwood.
New River Enterprises. New River Enterprises makes solid mahogany and other hardwood doors, some around BZ$2,400 plus shipping. It also makes patio furniture. | 14 Westby St., Orange Walk Town | 322/2225 | www.newriverenterprises.com.
Hummingbird Furnishings. Hummingbird Furnishings uses bamboo, wicker, and rattan, sometimes mixed with mahogany, for indoor and outdoor furniture. | 54 Hummingbird Hwy., Belmopan City | 822/3164 | www.hummingbirdfurnishings.com | 20 Coconut Dr., San Pedro | 226/2960.
Coffee
Gallon Jug Estates in Orange Walk District is the only commercial coffee producer in Belize (and it is small, with only about 100 acres of coffee plantings). Made with only arabica beans, Gallon Jug coffees are shade-grown and don’t use pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. Whole-bean and ground coffee, packed in colorful gold and green, can be bought all over Belize.
Beer
Belize Brewing Co. Ltd. Take a tour of the the Bowen brewery to see them brew Belikin, Belize’s most popular beer, with a half-hour tasting of the varieties of brews. | 1 King St. | 227/7031 | www.bowenbz.com.
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