Belize With Belize Extension

A branch of the New River splits Belize City in two, with the North side full of markets, shops, and museums and the South side marked by upscale riverfront homes of the city's elite. Father along, the city gives way to the beautiful natural scenery of the surrounding jungle as you approach Lamanai. Huddled between the New River Lagoon and the jungle, the Lamanai Mayan ruins retain an air of silent mystery. This site is one of the few in the world to retain its original name; "Lamanai" comes from the Mayan for "submerged crocodile," and carvings throughout the site pay homage to its namesake. The top of the largest pyramid provides amazing views of the forest around the site as well as the black howler monkeys that perch in the branches.

Protected by forests and rivers, Mayan San Ignacio was one of the centers of rebellion against Spanish conquistadors -- in 1641, Mayan priests staged a parody of the Mass to incense the missionaries, and later the city befriended the independent British loggers who settled in defiance of the Spanish. Today the city maintains its independent, laidback charm.

See Belize's diverse and colorful wildlife as you cross bridges, cables, and platforms suspended high in the rainforest canopy.

Grab an inner tube and explore the caves considered sacred by the ancient Maya. You'll see amazing rock formations, archaeological remains, and more as you glide down underground rivers.

The largest pyramid at the Caracol Mayan ruins, Belize's largest ancient Mayan site, is still one of the tallest buildings in the country. There are also over 100 tombs, decorated and filled with funerary offerings (including a human finger!). Hieroglyphs throughout the site depict the ongoing battle between Caracol and its rival, Tikal, for control of the area; Caracol's victor in AD 562 secured its ascendancy through its peak in 700, when more than one-hundred thousand inhabitants populated the city.

Belize's dazzling coral reef, the largest in the Western hemisphere, stretches along the coastline, creating beautifully calm protected water around the country's cayes, or small coastal islands. The largest of these islands, Ambergris Caye, is also the prettiest, with a laidback Caribbean feel and gorgeous sand beaches.

The Hol Chan Marine Reserve cuts through the coral reef up to the mangrove forest on the shoreline, giving you a cross-section look at three ocean habitats. The mangroves serve as a nursery for young fish, the seagrass that separates these trees from the ocean also provide food, and the coral reef itself is home to all manner of sea creatures. In Shark Alley, friendly rays and nurse sharks feed glide through the clear water.