90
FEBRUARY 2013
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HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
THREE PERFECT DAYS
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BELIZE
WHEN YOU MENTION BELIZE,
most
people think of the northeast, home to such
well-established stops on the global-traveler
circuit as Ambergris Caye, San Pedro, Caye
Caulker and the fabled Blue Hole,
arguably the world’s foremost scuba
destination. But Central America’s
youngest country (Belize gained independence
fromBritain in 1981) offers muchmore, particu-
larly in the less developed south andwest. These
regions have everything frompristine beaches,
for which Belize is best known, to spectacular
Mayan ruins, cathedral-like caves and a variety
of ecosystems that can change every fewmiles:
Shoreline is followed by savannah, which itself
is followed by subtropical forest; pine forest and
rain forest are side by side, separated by only a
narrow ridge. What’s more, the once
tricky dirt roads here are increasingly
being restored and paved, making it
easier for curious travelers to explore the other
Belize—the indigenous cultures and ecological
gems of this tiny Central American nation. As
you’ll discover in the days ahead, it’s a road trip
well worth taking. (Though you’ll still want to
rent a four-wheel drive ...)
WANTMORE?
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LOCAL LURE
Rumfish y Vino in
Placencia; opposite, the Rio On
Pools inMountain Pine Ridge
Reserve, near Blancaneaux Lodge
