Insight Guides Belize (Travel Guide eBook)

Insight Guides

Description

Let us guide you on every step of your travels.

From deciding when to go, to choosing what to see when you arrive, Insight Guide Belize, is all you need to plan your trip and experience the best of Belize, with in-depth insider information on must-see, top attractions like Blue Hole National Monument, the temples of Caracol, the beaches of the Placencia Peninsula, Lamanai and Punta Gorda, and hidden cultural gems like the Crooked Tree Cashew Nut Festival and bird-watching in Belize City.

This book is ideal for travellers seeking immersive cultural experiences, from exploring the ruins of the ancient Maya and dancing the night away during the Garifuna Dugu festivities, to discovering the northern Cayes and the vast cave systems of the Maya Mountains.

- In-depth on history and culture: explore the region's vibrant history and culture, and understand its modern-day life, people and politics 
- Excellent Editor's Choice: uncover the best of Belize, which highlights the most special places to visit around the region 
- Invaluable and practical maps: get around with ease thanks to detailed maps that pinpoint the key attractions featured in every chapter
- Informative tips: plan your travels easily with an A to Z of useful advice on everything from climate to tipping
- Inspirational colour photography: discover the best destinations, sights, and excursions, and be inspired by stunning imagery
- Inventive design makes for an engaging, easy-reading experience
- Covers: Belize City, the Northern Cayes, Altun Ha, Lamanai, San Ignacio, Caracol, Dangriga, Placencia, the Far South and Tikal.

About Insight Guides: Insight Guides is a pioneer of full-colour guide books, with almost 50 years' experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides with user-friendly, modern design. We produce around 400 full-colour print guide books and maps, as well as phrase books, picture-packed eBooks and apps to meet different travellers' needs. Insight Guides' unique combination of beautiful travel photography and focus on history and culture create a unique visual reference and planning tool to inspire your next adventure.

Sujets

• Travel
• Central America
• SS Central America
• Belize

Informations

• Publié par: Apa Publications
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781839051722
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

How To Use This E-Book

Getting around the e-book
This Insight Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration for your visit to Belize, as well as comprehensive planning advice to make sure you have the best travel experience. The guide begins with our selection of Top Attractions, as well as our Editor’s Choice categories of activities and experiences. Detailed features on history, people and culture paint a vivid portrait of contemporary life in Belize. The extensive Places chapters give a complete guide to all the sights and areas worth visiting. The Travel Tips provide full information on getting around, activities from culture to shopping to sport, plus a wealth of practical information to help you plan your trip.
In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.
Maps
All key attractions and sights in Belize are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map] just tap this to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.
Images
You’ll find hundreds of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Belize. Simply double-tap on an image to see it full-screen.
About Insight Guides
Insight Guides have more than 40 years’ experience of publishing high-quality, visual travel guides. We produce 400 full-colour titles, in both print and digital form, covering more than 200 destinations across the globe, in a variety of formats to meet your different needs.
Insight Guides are written by local authors, whose expertise is evident in the extensive historical and cultural background features. Each destination is carefully researched by regional experts to ensure our guides provide the very latest information. All the reviews in Insight Guides are independent; we strive to maintain an impartial view. Our reviews are carefully selected to guide you to the best places to eat, go out and shop, so you can be confident that when we say a place is special, we really mean it.

© 2019 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd




Table of Contents
Belize’s Top 10 Attractions
Editor’s Choice
Introduction: Caye Attractions
The Belizeans
Decisive Dates
The Ancient Maya
Insight: Uncovering the Mysteries of the Past
Buccaneers and Baymen
British Honduras
Modern Belize
Creole as it is Spoken
Holidays and Music
Food and Drink
Beneath the Waves
In The Wild
Insight: Belize – a Model for Eco-tourism?
A Bird-watcher’s Paradise
Introduction: Places
Belize City
Northern Cayes
North to Altun Ha
From Lamanai to Corozal
West to San Ignacio
Caracol
South to Dangriga
Cockscomb Basin
Placencia
The Far South
Insight: Traditional Life in Toledo’s Forests
An Excursion to Tikal
Travel Tips: Transportation
Travel Tips: A–Z
Travel Tips: Further Reading


Belize’s Top 10 Attractions



Top Attraction 1



Ambergris Caye. Soak up the rays on this island – made famous by Madonna’s ‘La Isla Bonita,’ Ambergris is lined with beaches and offers superb snorkeling and diving. For more information, click here .
Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications



Top Attraction 2



Blue Hole Natural Monument. View the depths of the famous Blue Hole from the air or underwater. This sinkhole includes tropical fish, swaying corals, and amazing drop-off walls. For more information, click here .
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Top Attraction 3



Caye Caulker. ‘Go slow’ is the apt motto at Belize’s sleepy backpacker island, which has sandy lanes, excellent snorkeling and diving, the finest lobster in the country, and cheap accommodations. For more information, click here .
Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications



Top Attraction 4



Caracol. The largest Maya site in Belize, Caracol features massive temples with sweeping views of the surrounding Chiquibul forest. For more information, click here .
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Top Attraction 5



Placencia Peninsula. The best beaches in the country. Relax on white-sands and snorkel and dive the Barrier Reef. For more information, click here .
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Top Attraction 6



Mountain Pine Ridge. Explore fragrant pine forests, thundering waterfalls, and ancient caves in the lush Mountain Pine Ridge in western Cayo. For more information, click here .
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Top Attraction 7



Punta Gorda. A charming base for exploring the Toledo District – a mix of Maya villages, caves, and marine reserves. For more information, click here .
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Top Attraction 8



Belize Zoo. Come face-to-face with Belize’s iconic creatures, from screeching howler monkeys to scarlet macaws to iguanas at one of the finest zoos in Central and South America. For more information, click here .
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Top Attraction 9



Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. The world’s only jaguar reserve –a tropical forest, crisscrossed with hiking trails, waterfalls, and rocky pools. For more information, click here .
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Top Attraction 10



Lamanai. The boat journey to Lamanai, along the New River, is as memorable as the site itself, which was the largest in the entire Maya world when it was built around 100 BC. For more information, click here .
Corrie Wingate/Apa Publications



Editor’s Choice



Best Mayan Temples

Altun Ha. This beautifully preserved site encompasses two massive plazas and numerous Mayan treasures, including a jade head, which is the largest carved jade piece that has ever been discovered from the Maya era. For more information, click here .
Cahal Pech. Perched on the highest hill overlooking the town of San Ignacio, Cahal Pech dates back to the Classic Period and encompasses temples, ball courts, and stelae scattered across two acres. For more information, click here .
Caracol. The pyramid of Canna (44 meters/143ft), the tallest man-made structure in Belize, presides grandly over this superbly preserved site in the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. For more information, click here .
Xunantunich. This Classic Period site, whose name translates as ‘Maiden of the Rock,’ includes the mighty El Castillo temple and well-preserved stucco friezes. For more information, click here .
Lamanai. Northern Belize’s most impressive Maya site, rising over the New River, features numerous depictions of crocodiles – its name means ‘submerged crocodile’ in the original Maya. For more information, click here .



Best Adventures and Outdoor Activities

Snorkeling. The longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere affords spectacular snorkeling, particularly around the cayes, where you’ll see everything from bright tropical fish to swaying coral. For more information, click here .
Diving. From the inky depths of the Blue Hole to the crystal waters of the Turneffe Atoll, Belize has some of the finest diving in the world – keep a watch for manta rays, turtles, hammerhead sharks, and more. For more information, click here .
Kayaking. Glide across the Caribbean Sea in a kayak, exploring the Belize Barrier Reef, mangrove islands and coral atolls. Numerous tour outfitters offer guided kayak trips or rentals. For more information, click here .
River tubing. Get an adrenalin rush as you go tubing down rivers and through elaborate cave systems, which the Maya considered a sacred underworld. For more information, click here .
Hiking. Explore Belize’s lush interior on a hike through jungles and rainforests, such as Mountain Pine Ridge, where you can embark on everything from guided walks along medicinal plant trails to sweaty multiday treks. For more information, click here .
Fishing. Belize is a top fishing destination, and many lodges and local guides offer fishing trips that include catch-and-release fly-fishing on shallow flats off the cayes, as well as fishing for tarpon and other sportfish. For more information, click here .




Exploring Belize’s beautiful coastline.
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Best Festivals and Events

Lobster Festivals: Mid-June. Feast on fresh lobster made every which way – grilled, skewered, in a tangy ceviche, barbecued – at the country’s trio of lobster festivals, on Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, and Placencia. For more information, click here .
Garífuna Settlement Day: November 19. Pay tribute to Belize’s rich Garífuna heritage during this colorful festival in Dangriga, which includes lively parades, dancing, drumming, Garífuna church services, and more. For more information, click here .
Crooked Tree Cashew Nut Festival: Early Ma