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Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is Belize’s most famous sanctuary and one of its biggest protected areas. This great swath of tropical forest…
Mark Read
Southern Belize
Southern Belize is the country's most absorbing cultural melting pot, with a strong Garifuna influence around Dangriga and Hopkins, and Belize's largest Maya population down in Toledo. Nature is rich here too, where open savanna and citrus-filled farmland give way to forested hills dotted with Maya villages, ruins and national parks primed for adventurous jungle trekking.
The beaches of villagey Hopkins and chilled-out Placencia are inviting, with their opportunities for diving, fishing and slacking, while offshore is an alluring string of cays including Tobacco Caye and Glover's Reef. These are less well known than those in the north but here snorkeling, boating and diving enthusiasts can experience Belize's nautical reef wonders while avoiding the crowds and high costs of the Northern Cayes.
Southern Belize may be off the radar for many but you can't say you've truly seen Belize until you've been down south.
Explore Southern Belize
- CCockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is Belize’s most famous sanctuary and one of its biggest protected areas. This great swath of tropical forest…
- Mayflower Bocawina National Park
This beautiful 11-sq-mile park of jungle, mountains, waterfalls, walking trails, swimming holes and small Maya sites lies about 16 miles southwest of…
- Lubaantun
The Maya ruins at Lubaantun, 1.3 miles northwest of San Pedro Columbia, are built on a natural hilltop and display a construction method unusual in the…
- PPen Cayetano Studio Gallery
Renowned throughout Belize for his art and music, Pen Cayetano's workshop and gallery displays Garifuna artifacts and crafts. It also has works of art and…
- GGulisi Garifuna Museum
This museum, operated by the National Garifuna Council (NGC), is a must for anyone interested in the vibrant Garifuna people. It brings together artifacts…
- RRío Blanco National Park
The 105-acre Río Blanco National Park, just west of Santa Elena village, is a compact protected wildlife area that's home to a variety of flora and fauna…
- CChaos Oasis
One of the stranger things you're likely to see in Belize is this 'Earth Ship' structure, made even more incongruous because it's so close to the entrance…
- MMarie Sharp's Factory
The super-hot bottled sauces that adorn tables all over Belize and beyond are made from habanero peppers here at Marie Sharp's Factory, 8 miles northwest…
- SSerpon Sugar Mill Historical Park
This well-kept riverside historical park is the preserved site of the Serpon Sugar Mill, which operated here from 1865 until 1910. There's a small…
Latest Stories from Southern Belize
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Southern Belize.
- See
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is Belize’s most famous sanctuary and one of its biggest protected areas. This great swath of tropical forest…
- See
Mayflower Bocawina National Park
This beautiful 11-sq-mile park of jungle, mountains, waterfalls, walking trails, swimming holes and small Maya sites lies about 16 miles southwest of…
- See
Lubaantun
The Maya ruins at Lubaantun, 1.3 miles northwest of San Pedro Columbia, are built on a natural hilltop and display a construction method unusual in the…
- See
Pen Cayetano Studio Gallery
Renowned throughout Belize for his art and music, Pen Cayetano's workshop and gallery displays Garifuna artifacts and crafts. It also has works of art and…
- See
Gulisi Garifuna Museum
This museum, operated by the National Garifuna Council (NGC), is a must for anyone interested in the vibrant Garifuna people. It brings together artifacts…
- See
Río Blanco National Park
The 105-acre Río Blanco National Park, just west of Santa Elena village, is a compact protected wildlife area that's home to a variety of flora and fauna…
- See
Chaos Oasis
One of the stranger things you're likely to see in Belize is this 'Earth Ship' structure, made even more incongruous because it's so close to the entrance…
- See
Marie Sharp's Factory
The super-hot bottled sauces that adorn tables all over Belize and beyond are made from habanero peppers here at Marie Sharp's Factory, 8 miles northwest…
- See
Serpon Sugar Mill Historical Park
This well-kept riverside historical park is the preserved site of the Serpon Sugar Mill, which operated here from 1865 until 1910. There's a small…
