Blue Hole Belize

 
Six miles north of Halfmoon Caye at Lighthouse Reef and about fifty miles due east of Belize City is the Blue Hole, the result of a cave which collapsed centuries ago.
 
Visible from outer space, the Blue Hole is nearly a perfectly circular hole 1,000 feet in diameter and 412 feet deep. Popularized by a Jacques Cousteau television special in the 1970’s this has become the most famous dive site in all of Belize - one that avid divers put on their “life list” of places to dive.
 

Belize Church

Dating to the early 1800’s, St John’s Cathedral is the oldest surviving building of Belize’s colonial period as well as the oldest Anglican Church in Central America.
Belize’s history is well documented in the historical edifices at archaeological sites, small museums under national or private reign, elegant colonial architecture in the older towns and cities and, in the old traditions still evident in the yards and neighborhoods wherever you travel.

Iguana

Iguana aka "gila shlomo" is a genus of lizard native to tropical areas of Central and South America and the Caribbean. (A few species of iguanas like the Fiji Banded Iguana are however found outside the New World). The genus was first described by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena in 1768. The genus Iguana includes two species: the Green Iguana, which is widespread throughout its range and a popular pet, and the Lesser Antillean Iguana, which is endemic to the Lesser Antilles and endangered due to habitat destruction.
Wikipedia

Waterfall

Did you know that Belize is home to the largest cave system in all of Central America? It’s hard to believe that such cavernous spaces could be carved out of rock with nothing more than water, but it’s true. Scientists have been studying Belizean cave systems since the 1960s. By 1984, researchers had documented 65 sites, most of which are not yet accessible to the general public. In fact, the sport of cave exploration in Belize really began gaining popularity around 1981.

Belize Birdwatching

Belize is home to more than 600 identified species of birds, with an average of five new species discovered each year. A few unforgettable avians:
* Keel-billed toucan – Belize’s national bird
* Jabiru Stork – at 5 ft tall, the largest bird in the Americas
* Harpy eagle - With a wing span of over 7ft.Rare and nesting in remote forests,
* Scarlet macaw – can fly up to 35 mph
* Agami heron
* Blue-crowned mot mot

Caracol pyramid "Caana"

Belize’s premier Maya site with a rich and exciting history as a rival power to Tikal, Caracol is deep in the heart of the Chiquibul Forest Reserve of the Maya Mountains in the Cayo district. T he main temple, Canaa, (“sky place”) offers incredible views of the surrounding jungle - at 143 feet high it is the tallest manmade structure in the country. The ancient architects created not only a spectacular structure but incorporated excellent acoustics so that priests and rulers using normal speaking voices could be clearly heard by the masses assembled in the plaza below. (Try this yourself on your visit!)
 

Belize Fishing

Fishing is great all along the coast of Belize, from the Port Honduras and Punta Icacos lagoon of Toledo to Rocky Point on Ambergris Caye. Any of the many rivers which empty into the Caribbean along Belize's coasts can guarantee a daily catch. All kinds of fishing can be done — spin, fly, trolling – all year long, and the abundance of game fish guarantees excellent sport fishing.

Belize Cave

Caves in Belize were used extensively by the ancient Maya and today provide an exhilarating experience for the first-time caver or the experienced spelunker.
There are thousands of caves in Belize, all part of an extensive underground cave network throughout much of southern and western Belize. These offer varying degrees of accessibility and adventure.

Cave Tubing Belize

Imagine the excitement as you drift downriver, your body tucked in an inflated inner tube, your fingers trailing in the crisp clear river and uphead is the vine-draped opening of mysterious cave.  With your head lamp at the ready, your body relaxed and your guide leading the way cavetubing offers exhilarating alternative combination of rainforest and caves experience.
Most cave-tubing packages includes life vests, tubes and head lamps, tour guide, national park fees and refreshments and can last between 3-6 hours.

Belize Cave Tubing

Imagine the excitement as you drift downriver, your body tucked in an inflated inner tube, your fingers trailing in the crisp clear river and uphead is the vine-draped opening of mysterious cave.
With your head lamp at the ready, your body relaxed and your guide leading the way cavetubing offers exhilarating alternative combination of rainforest and caves experience.
Most cave-tubing packages includes life vests, tubes and head lamps, tour guide, national park fees and refreshments and can last between 3-6 hours.
Of course, a water proof camera will be handy as you will have many opportunities to record and share this memorable experience.

Maya Site "Cerros" Belize

Cerros is a Maya archaeological site in northern Belize that reached its apogee during the Mesoamerican Late Preclassic. At its nader, it held a population of approximately 1,089 people[1].

Belize Scuba Diving

Spanning Belize's coastline for 185 miles is the Belize Barrier Reef with dive sites inside and outside of the reef providing countless dive locations year round.
 
With underwater visibility routinely extending hundreds of feet, and water temperatures akin to that of bath water, divers of all ages and abilities take pleasure in knowing that a dive in Belize’s waters is physically comfortable and teeming with activity.

Scuba Belize

* At the Blue Hole near Lighthouse reef divers descend vertically along the walls of a submerged cave to weave between stalactites and stalagmites at 120-140 ft.
* The atolls located beyond the barrier reef and heavier visitor traffic, offer combinations of patch reefs and the sheer walls of drop offs teeming with huge schools of fish.
* Just outside the reef and before the “drop off”, look for Spur and Grove formations - narrow canyons of corals which are great for spotting grouper and the occasional emerald moray eel.
* Drift dive along a ridge in lazy pursuit of a spotted drum fish, half over coral gardens and immense barrel sponges and then with a flick of the fin find yourself suspended in the bottomless blue of the drop off.
* Inside the reef, patch reefs are covered with hundreds of brightly colored fish and coral species.

Goffs Caye Belize

Goff's Caye is a small island off the shore of Belize City, Belize. It is situated north of the English Channel and is 1.2 acres (4,900 m2) of sandy land. It sits right on the edge of the Belize Barrier Reef with waters to the south and east being only 0.6 to 3 meters deep.

Half Moon Caye Belize

Located at on the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef Atoll, the easternmost of Belize’s three atolls, Half Moon Caye National Monument was the first nature reserve to be established under the National Parks System Act of 1981.Managed by the Belize Audubon Society, this 44 acre island reserve is a and a great campsite or picnic location between dives off the nearby atolls. The waters surrounding Half Moon Caye have abundant marine life with the Blue Hole just minutes away.

Jaguar

 
Resting in the shadows of the Maya Mountains, the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary embraces 100,000 acres of tropical, moist forest that rises from 300 ft. above sea level to approximately 3,675 ft. at the summit of Victoria Peak.
 
Originally established in 1984 to protect a large jaguar population as well as other resident wildlife, the sanctuary is the world’s first " Jaguar Reserve".
 

Mountain Pine Ridge

The Mountain Pine Ridge is home to the Hidden Valley Falls (1,600 Foot-Falls), the Rio On River, the Rio On Pools, and the Rio Frio Cave and nature Trail, as well as numerous small streams and waterfalls.  Besides offering magnificent vistas, the cooler temperatures along with a refreshing swim can provide a welcome respite from the tropical sunshine within the Mountain Pine Ridge’s 300 square miles of forest reserve in the Cayo District. Established in 1944 to protect and manage the native pine forest, it is estimated to cover an area of 106,352.5 acres.
 

Keel Billed Toucan

 
Belize is home to more than 600 identified species of birds, with an average of five new species discovered each year.
 
Keel-billed toucan – Belize’s national bird
 

 Waterfall Scene

Belize Photos and Video

JB Journeys will customize your Belize vacation to include birding tours, shopping for treasures, hiking, sailing, kayaking, scuba diving, spa indulgences and natural history tours.

We will take you to tropical rain forests, secluded romantic getaways, off the beaten path eco lodges, the cayes, verdant mountains, boutique hotels, jungles and gourmet restaurants. See our newest addition: Yoga in Belize !

We provide you with the best selection of eco-travel options that Belize has to offer. You can have confidence in JB Journeys quality selection of Travels and Treasures.

We are excited about our selection of independent tours (which we can further customize for you), group departures and boutique hotels. Our menu of information will provide you a history of the country, answers to frequently asked travel questions and and overview of available activities in Belize.