Belize is an eco-first country offering seven distinct regions sporting diverse outdoor offerings to be explored. Options include scuba diving in the largest reef system in the Northern Hemisphere — Belize Barrier Reef — chasing epic waterfalls, kayaking and hiking open trails. Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Reserve is one of the world’s only jaguar preserves.
One can’t visit Belize during the summer and not attend a lobster festival! The festivities begin as soon as Belize’s lobster season opens in July. Indulge in various lobster cuisines in Caye Caulker, San Pedro and Placencia for an energy-packed block party with live music and colourful art. Back for its second year, Belize International Music and Food Festival presents a dynamic two-day international music and food festival that showcases local and international musical artists as well as exceptional local cuisine on Belize’s biggest island! Local food vendors dish out mouth-watering foods and provide a unique opportunity to sample Belize’s diverse cuisine at one event. Enjoy a wide selection of musical performances and genres — such as reggae, Afrobeats, dancehall, Soca, punta and Latin beats — and a host of local artists and DJs.
The annual Chocolate Festival of Belize is also celebrated every year over the Commonwealth weekend (late May). The event is a perfect excuse to visit the diverse southern region of Belize, namely the town of Punta Gorda. Held over a three-day weekend, the festival pays homage to the one fruit that was used as currency once upon a time: cacao.
Belize’s cultural flair is felt in the customs and traditions representing more than eight diverse cultures within the country. Belize’s unique history began in 1500 B.C., when the Maya developed it. Today, traces of that history remain to be discovered and remembered, with impressive ruins, including Lamanai, Lubaantun, Xunantunich and Caracol. The Belizean mosaic consists of Maya, Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, East Indian, Mennonite, Arab and Chinese, and several expatriates from Canada, Europe and the United States. In September, Belizeans will unite throughout the country to celebrate Independence Day with month-long festivities, such as “Orange Walk’s Carnival Road March,” “Jouvert” and the “Battle of St. George’s Caye.”