The best beaches in Belize Belize Holidays & Tailor-made Tours

As well as offering magnificent Mayan archaeology and beautiful jungle scenery, Belize is undeniably also one of the very best places to snorkel or scuba dive anywhere on earth.

Belize boasts the second world's biggest barrier of coral, packed with coral species, mind-boggling amounts of fish varieties and mammals such as dolphins, sharks and turtles. The best place to access the barrier reef is from Caye Caulker, a limestone island which sits at the end of the reef and whose motto reads 'No Shirt, No Shoes…No Problem'. Half Creole, half Mestizos, local people are also known for their extreme friendliness and consider visitors as their second family.

The barrier is also reached by boat from Ambergris Caye, a stunning island mainly composed of mangroves and white sand beaches, coconut palms, and turquoise water. When done snorkelling for the day, visitors can retreat to a shady hammock, enjoy a barbecue on the beach and stay at one of the islands' stunning resorts or hotels. For beach holidays, you can also choose the south coast of Belize and staying in the beautiful villages of Placencia and Hopkins. Both are also well-known for the Garufina culture, a community resulting from interbreeding between African slaves and indigenous people from the Caribbean.