5 Things to Do in Belize City

For Belize being such a small country, it offers a lot of activities for cruise passengers who want to experience this destination in Central America.

Belize City is a tendering port because of the reef system off the coast, so cruise passengers will have to take a passenger ferry from the ship to the shore. But don’t let the ride to shore stop you, because Belize City is filled with a ton of cool shore excursions!

Cave Tubing

This Belize cave tubing shore excursion is a great fit for the adventurous cruiser. Don a hard hat equipped with a flashlight, a life jacket and a floating tube, and make your way to the river where you’ll enter a pitch-black cave filled with limestone formations. The only light comes from your helmet light, and a local tour guide narrates your journey as you’re all linked together.

Caye Caulker

The perfect match for sun seekers looking to head to the beach and spend a day bumming around. Board a passenger ferry for a 70-minute ride to Caye Caulker, a small island off the coast of Belize. With a population of only 1,500 residents (most riding around on golf carts), this island is filled with shorelines, restaurants, bars and souvenir shops. The island bar is called Lazy Lizard, and its signature drink, available for $5, is Lizard Juice. Snorkeling is also available on the island for a nominal fee.

Swimming with Sharks

Vacation is about checking things off your bucket list, so why not snorkel with sharks at Shark Ray Alley? Don’t worry; they are non-aggressive nurse sharks, ranging from four to six feet in length on a shallow-water sandbar. Before you jump into the water, there is a safety briefing, a life jacket demonstration and, of course, a medic is onboard.  As a recent vacationer said, “This was the coolest thing I’ve ever done!”

Mayan Ruins

Just north of Belize City, there are over a dozen temples in the Mayan ruins at Altun-Ha, dating all the way back to 200 A.D.  The highlight of this excursion is walking up the “pyramid” and taking an aerial photo overlooking the ruins. This excursion is geared more towards active adventure seekers because the steps around the ruins are about twice the size of a standard step — so you’ll experience an excursion and a workout!

Belize Zoo

If nature is your thing, then you’ll love the Belize Zoo shore excursion with more than 125 different animals spread out on 29 acres in the jungle of Central America.  The Belize Zoo isn’t your typical city zoo as much as it is an animal rehab facility; all the animals at the zoo are local to Belize. This is a perfect multi-generational excursion — the zoo is wheelchair-friendly and will wow the kids, who get to see animals like crocodiles, monkeys, frogs and jaguars – all in their natural habitat.

Belize Cruise Tips

• Use a credit card if you can. If you use U.S. currency, most businesses will give you back change in the local Belize currency. The cruise ship will not exchange it to USD.
• Belize City is a tender port, so you won’t want to be late arriving to your excursion. Consider packing your bags the night before so you’re not rushed in the morning and can make it to the tender boat loading area on time.
• Bring water shoes. Both the inland caves and the coastline are full of rough patches that consist of lime rock and conch shells.

Check out all of our Belize tours and book your memorable adventure today!