You may know Belize for its clear ocean waters and colorful beak toucans, but the rich history of Belize can only be appreciated when squishing your toes in the limestone bedrock of an atoll or feeling the humid heat on a stagnant day in the Jungle. How do you access those experiences? Adventure. Traveling to Belize for an adventurous outing will give you access to what this country has to offer and connect to locals who want to share it with you. Here are four adventurous activities to do while in Belize.
Fly Fish for Permit and Bonefish
Do yourself a favor, book a fly fishing guide, and head out to the atoll flats of Belize in search of bonefish and the elusive permit. If you are a first-timer with a fly rod or a salty veteran, walking the flats with a guide will open your eyes to unlocking this landscape. At first, you’ll be stomping around the flats, tripping over the conch shells, scaring away the fish you are hoping to catch and release. But, after a few hours, you will get the hang of spotting “nervous water” marking the presence of bonefish, or quickly identify the splashing tale of a permit, and sneak up on the fish so you can drop a fly in the perfect spot to land your desired target.
Eat A Royal Rat
Queen Elizabeth only visited Belize once and on that visit, she was fed a local delicacy, Gibnut. Which made it in the tabloids back in England dawning the name Royal Rat. From then on, Belizeans proudly display the tabloid with the Queen at the table, eating the Royal Rat. So, embrace a little bit of history and seek out some Gibnut with rice for yourself while traveling in Belize.
Visit The Blue Hole
Is it a tourist trap or is it the Blue Hole? Maybe a little bit of both, but that shouldn’t hold you back from going. When you see photographs of the blue hole from the sky, just know it doesn’t look the same from the water level. The hole is so large, you won’t even know you are overtop of it until your boat captain says, “We’re here.” For some, this might not be ideal, but once you dive under the surface you’ll be amazed. So, two takeaways here:
- If you want to see the blue hole like the beautiful images, take a flightseeing tour
- If you want to experience the blue hole first hand, go snorkeling or SCUBA diving
Take A Tour Through A Mayan Ruin
History buff, or not, visiting a Mayan ruin while in Belize should be on your list. Why? You’ll start to understand just how advanced Central America was before Western populations arrived. Setting foot on the Mayan ruins you gain a perspective of how grand the buildings were they built. Additionally, if you take a tour, you’ll learn about the Mayan use of symmetry and acoustics to amplify the connection between rulers and the gods.