by Peter Eltringham

Although Guatemala’s neighbor to the east, Belize, is the second smallest country in Central America (slightly larger than El Salvador), it offers some of the most breathtaking scenery found anywhere in the region. In fact, Belize consists of marginally more sea than land, with the dazzling turquoise shallows and cobalt depths of the longest barrier reef in the Americas just offshore.

Scattered along the reef a chain of islands, the cayes (pronounced “keys”) serve as a barrier between the mainland and the ocean swell. Beyond the reef are the real jewels in Belize’s natural crown — three of only four coral atolls in the entire Caribbean. For rugged uplands, head to the south-central section of the country where the spectacular Maya mountains rise to over 1,100 meters.

As in Guatemala, the Mayan civilization dominated the Belize area from around 2000 B.C. until the Spanish Conquest. Lamanai, near Orange Walk, is one of the most impressive Mayan sites in the country; Caracol, south of San Ignacio, is the largest and has been the focus of intensive research for 20 years.

Belizeans recognize the importance of conservation, and their country boasts a higher proportion of protected land (over 45 percent) than any other in the region. The densely forested interior offers abundant natural attractions, including the highest waterfall in Central America and the world’s only jaguar reserve.

Spend any time inland and you’re sure to see the national bird, the very visible keel-billed toucan; and a visit to the Belize Zoo allows you to enjoy close-up sightings of the animals and birds of Central America. Officially English-speaking, Belize is as much a Caribbean nation as a Latin one, with a blend of cultures and races that includes Maya, Mestizo, African, East Indian and European. Spanish is at least as widely spoken as English but you’ll hear the rich, lilting Belize Creole, the spoken language understood and used by every Belizean, whatever their first tongue. •