We LOVED exploring Belize! We saw hundreds of little crabs right near this sign. The ruins there are less regulated and we were free to crawl all over Xunantunich. Ruins are WAY better if you’re allowed to climb them. We saw parrots, monkeys, an alarming swarm of ants, and explored ancient passageways. I even saw a toucan fly past! We had to put our car on a small ferry to get across the river to the ruins. These temples were designed to be tall enough to see over the jungle and you could see a long ways. I’m not surprised that many ruins remain undiscovered–the jungle is thick, steep, and deep. I don’t know who would trek through miles of jungle in hopes of finding a ruin. They just look like one of the hills with all the jungle that grows right on top of it.
Tip: Xunantunich was our favorite ruin in Belize. It’s pretty far south–almost to the Guatamala border. It was definitely worth the drive.
Visiting Belize with Kids
Visiting Belize with kids is like a secret treasure vacation idea. There is so much to do and the national language is English. There aren’t too many people and things are reasonably priced.
Tip: I hear the snorkeling trips out of Belize are world ranked. We wish we would have done some of that.
Tip: Don’t go to the national bird refuge there. It was more like a run down neighborhood on a random island in a brackish river. We did see some fun birds though…
Tip: Watch out for crazy speedbumps. They lurk in unexpected places without so much as a sign.
Walkabout 