According to SIMPLYYELLOWPAGES, Belize City is located on the Caribbean Sea, 80 km northeast of Belmopan. It was founded by European settlers at the end of the 18th century, at the mouth of the small Belize River, and until 1971 was the country’s capital. Now Belize is the commercial center of the country. There is an international airport, a large seaport, as well as embassies from around the world, banks, shops, restaurants and hotels.
The old city is located in the northern part of Belize. It is separated from the new city by one of the branches of the mouth of the Belize River – Oulover, over which the Old Bridge drawbridge is thrown.. It was built in 1923 and today is the only surviving manual drawbridge in the world. In the Old City, it is worth looking at the Government House, which served in the 19th century as the residence of the British governor, the oldest Anglican church in Central America – St. John’s Cathedral – and take a walk along Battlefield Park. In the northern part of Belize, there is the Marine Terminal, the Maritime Museum, the Tourism Village shopping and entertainment center, Fort George, where the lighthouse stands, the Memorial of Baron Victor Bliss, who, having visited the city, was so impressed that he left him a fortune, Memorial Park in honor of the memory of soldiers who died during the First World War, and the Museum of Belize , which presents a collection of exhibits that tell about the history of the Maya civilization.
There are no beaches in the city itself, but you can go south along the coast, where there are small villages with sandy beaches. Boats also depart from Belize to the Barrier Reef, which stretches along the coast of the country for 320 km and is the second largest in the world. In the Caribbean Sea there are about 200 islands belonging to Belize. Several marine reserves have been created on the islands with diving opportunities, there are small lagoons with beaches and comfortable hotels.
55 km north of the city Belize and 9 km from the sea are the ruins of the ancient city of Altun Ha. This is one of the largest archaeological centers in the country. The construction of the city began in 250 BC. e. In the classical period of the Mayan Empire, Altun-Ha was a major ceremonial and commercial center that linked the Caribbean Sea and the Mayan cities located in the interior of the mainland. The center of Altun-Kha are two squares surrounded by four temples. In the largest of these squares – Square A – stands the Temple of the Green Grave, which is known for unique burials with jewelry, skeletons of rays, jade crafts and Mayan books. The Temple of the Stone Altar is the largest structure in Altun Ha. It was the main site for Mayan ceremonies. At the top of the temple there is an altar, to which one staircase leads. Under the Temple of the Stone Altar, a stunning find was discovered – the largest inlaid jade head, symbolizing the sun god Kinich-Ahau. Head height is 15 cm.
Belize Zoo is located 50 km west of Belize City . It contains about 125 species of animals, including jaguars, monkeys and the endangered species of tapir – the “mountain cow”. Jaguars hunt mainly at night, so the zoo offers night tours. Not far from here is the Community Babun Reserve, where howler monkeys, iguanas, jaguars, ocelots, cougars, Central American river turtles and more than 200 species of birds, such as herons, ibises, swallows and small gray Bamboo chickens, are protected.
Belmopan (Belize)
Belmopan has been the capital of Belize since 1971. The decision to move the capital inland from the coastal city of Belize was made after a devastating hurricane in 1961 almost completely destroyed the city. Belmopan is favorably located in the very center of the country, where natural disasters do not occur.
There are not so many attractions in Belmopan itself. A large number of parks have been created here, the building of the National Assembly is interesting, which is part of a vast complex of government buildings, the Independence Monument , the Art Box craft exhibition, the City Museum and the Art Gallery. Guanacaste National Park is located 3.5 km from the capital. It was named after the huge trees of Guanacaste up to 40 m high, on which many epiphytes grow. Canoes are made from these trees in Belize. In addition to the trees of Guanacaste, you can see more than 100 species of birds and a wide variety of animals. 14 km south of Guanacaste lies the Blue Hole National Park. The Sibun River flows through the park, and its waters can be seen both on the surface and underground in caves. Blue Hole is a karst area. Here once there was a collapse of one of the caves and now at the bottom of the collapse a natural pool 8 m deep has formed, filled with water, where you can swim. A hiking trail starts from Blue Hole National Park and leads to caves of St. Ermann. These caves are known for the fact that the Mayan Indians performed sacrificial rites and left burial places in them. You can still see the remains of Mayan ceramics here.
Also from Belmopan you can make a fascinating trip to the coast of the country along the Belize River by canoe.
