5 Best Road Trips in Belize

For many travellers with adventurous hearts, road trips are always a fun alternative. The beauty of discovering nooks and crannies in a small country as Belize can reap memorable moments and unforgettable local experiences. Road trips are all about moving at your own pace, and having the freedom to roam and explore fun or odd surprising roadside attractions that you come across with your closest buddies and family. In this travel entry, we will explore five of the best road trip destination routes found in Belize in the hope that you too will take on the road and explore this unique & beautiful Caribbean jewel.

 

Road trip to Chan Chich

This route will provide travellers with a first-hand experience of an area known as Gallon Jug which is an area located in the Orange Walk District. This area is home to a large percent of the Mennonite population and small rural villages. On this road, you will encounter rural treasures with lots of charm as well as local thriving farms and farmlands. Travellers will also get several opportunities to spot wildlife and rare species that occupy this part of the terrain. Before you get started in this journey, be sure to stack up on water and your road snacks as this is one way to save money.

 

 

Road trip to Progresso/Sarteneja

This “beaten path” will require the use of a 4×4 or All-terrain vehicle to traverse this area as roads are often muddy. Although more costly, visitors can charter a private boat to Sarteneja from Corozal Town, Ambergris Caye, or Consejo Shores but taking the scenic route proves to be more rewarding. On this path, you will enjoy seeing the Progresso Lagoon, thriving Mennonite farms, and the isolated villages of Chunox and Sarteneja, on the Bay of Chetumal. Being able to stop whenever you want is one of the greatest benefits to road trips over any other kind of travel – so take advantage of it!

 

 

Road trip to Dangriga

A CNN Special which highlights the magnificence and exquisiteness of the Hummingbird Highway in Belize compounds the fact that this route is a people’s choice favourite. Worthy of Pinterest and Instagram photographs, the landscapes along the way are breath taking and perhaps what makes Belmopan and surrounding areas such a special place. From the beginning of this route, you begin to see the start of the Maya Mountains. The route features lush, thick rainforest foliage which is interrupted by citrus farms and other natural attractions such as the Blue Hole. These lime stone hills that make up the Maya Mountain provides some of the best sights you will ever witness in Belize. Its meandering curves and paths makes it a thrilling ride in Belize you will not soon forget.

 

 

Road trip to Caracol

This particular rural road requires a commute using a four-wheel drive vehicles. The drive to the Caracol Archaeological site begins from San Ignacio or Georgeville down the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve. The trip is approximately 46 miles or two hours from the Western Highway to the Caracol Ruins. This area of Belize has seen is fair share of impassable moments, but with the intervention from Central Government, the road is being repaired slowly and marketed as a Tourism area rapidly growing in popularity.

 

 

Road trip to Placencia

A totally awesome journey- your trip starts from the Southern Highway and runs along to the Placencia Peninsula for a total stretch of 25 beautiful miles. Along the way you will encounter special nooks while passing like Riversdale, Maya Beach and Seine Bight villages. Especially visible is the many speed bumps that you will encounter while making your way into the once sleepy village of Placencia. Once you arrive, enjoy a gorgeous emerald gem known as the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize with 16 miles of sandy beaches and filled with unique little gift shops showing off local craft to fun-painted tour shops and restaurants. Don’t leave without tasting the delicious gelato at Tutti Frutti in town!

 

 

You will find out that road trips are most of the time economical, great for impulse planners, unpredictable and it is one fabulous way to let go of the stress, crank up the music and enjoy all that the open road has to offer. Be sure to have fun on the road and remember to focus on the journey and not the destination!