Belize is a small country on the Caribbean coast of Central America, tucked between Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west. It punches well above its weight for travelers: the second-longest barrier reef in the world, three offshore atolls, hundreds of cayes, and a jungle interior scattered with Maya ruins. In a single day you can snorkel among sharks and rays in the morning and walk through a rainforest in the afternoon.
English is the official language — a legacy of British colonialism — which makes it unusually easy to navigate compared to its Spanish-speaking neighbors. The country is small (roughly the size of Wales or Massachusetts) but there's real variety: the low-key island pace of Caye Caulker, the reef diving off Ambergris Caye, the Maya sites around San Ignacio, and Garifuna culture in Dangriga and Hopkins.
Belize City is the largest city and main transit hub, but most travelers pass through quickly and head to the cayes or western interior. Belmopan is the small, quiet capital.
