Planning a trip to Belize City

Neighborhoods in Brief

Belize City is surrounded on three sides by water, with Haulover Creek dividing the city in two. The Swing Bridge, near the mouth of Haulover Creek, is the main route between the two halves of the city, as well as the city’s principal landmark. At the south end of the bridge is Market Square and the start of Regent Street and Albert Street. This is where you’ll find most of Belize City’s shops and offices. Unfortunately, this can also be the city’s most dangerous area, so exercise caution, especially after dark. To the west and east of these two major roads is a grid of smaller roads lined with dilapidated wooden houses. On the north side of the bridge and to the right is the Fort George area, is the more affluent section of the city. From the southern side of the city, Cemetery Road heads out of town to the west and becomes the George Price Highway, while from the northern side of the city, Freetown Road becomes Haulover Road and then the Philip Goldson Highway.

North Side

Fort George Anchored by the Fort George Lighthouse and Radisson Fort George Hotel & Marina at the eastern tip of the city, the Fort George neighborhood encompasses the area south of Queen Street, beginning at the northern side of the Swing Bridge, until it ends at Gabourel Lane. This neighborhood is easily the most upscale and picturesque in Belize City, with stately houses and mansions, some kept in good repair, others not so much. Most of the best hotels in the city are located here. It also includes the small triangular Memorial Park and the Belize Tourism Village, as well as the lovely seaside Marine Promenade. The area was originally an island, but was deliberately connected to the mainland with landfill. This area should probably be your first choice for a stay in Belize City.

Barracks Road Located a mile or so north of downtown, Barracks Road runs along the Caribbean Sea for a good stretch before curving inland and becoming Princess Margaret Drive. This is where you'll find the Princess Hotel & Casino, as well as a couple of good restaurants. Much of the land on either side of Barracks Road is set aside as public park land, while just inland is an area that is made up mostly of modern middle-class homes. While not within easy walking distance of downtown, it's just a very short taxi ride away. The seaside setting and parks make this a relaxing option for those wanting to avoid the bustle of downtown.

South Side

Commercial District Belize City’s downtown business district runs from the south end of the Swing Bridge between Regent St. and Queen Charlotte St., though most of the action is contained to Albert St. and Regent St., which curves around with the water. In addition to a busy mix of banks and businesses, this area is home to a host of inexpensive hotels, as well as the Supreme Court and the Bliss Institute. Visit this area with caution, as this is where much of the city’s crime takes place. Just south of this area, you will find the House of Culture and St. John’s Cathedral. This is a decent option for budget travelers, but if you can afford it, we highly recommend lodging across the river to the Fort George neighborhood.

Getting Around

By Foot

Belize City's downtown hub is compact and easy to navigate on foot. However, the city has a rather nasty reputation for being unsafe for visitors, and you'd be wise to stick to the busiest sections of downtown and obvious tourist districts. You can easily walk the entire Fort George neighborhood, as well as the compact business area just south of the Swing Bridge. If you need to venture any further, take a taxi. Be careful when you walk, as sidewalks are often in bad shape and sometimes quite narrow. It's wise to stow flashy jewelry, and avoid making visible cash transactions.And don't walk anywhere at night, except perhaps around the downtown hub of budget hotels and restaurants and the Fort George area.

By Taxi

Taxis are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. A ride anywhere in the city should cost between BZ$6 and BZ$14 (US$3-US$7/£1.60-£3.70). There’s no standardized look or color to taxis in Belize: many are old, some are sedans and some are vans, and most are in some stage of disrepair. Licensed taxis will have green license plates, and some have roof ornaments or “TAXI” written on the doors. Almost all have friendly drivers.  Very few taxis use meters, so be sure to negotiate your fare in advance. If you need to call a cab, ask at your hotel or try Cinderella Plaza Taxi Stand (tel. 203-3340), Taxi Garage Services (tel. 227-3031), or Majestic Taxi (tel. 203-4465).

By Car

You shouldn't need to navigate Belize City in a car. If you do find yourself driving around Belize City, go slowly, as pedestrians can appear out of nowhere, and pay attention to the general flow of traffic and the wealth of one-way streets. Despite being members of a former British colony, Belizeans drive on the right-hand side of the road, and road distances are listed in miles.

Most rental car agencies are based at the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, although a couple have offices downtown or at the Municipal Airport, and almost all will arrange to deliver and pick up your vehicle at any Belize City hotel. The most reputable rental car agencies in Belize include: Avis (tel. 225-2629; www.avis.com), Budget (tel. 223-2435; www.budget-belize.com), Crystal Auto Rental (tel. 0800/777-7777 toll-free in Belize, or 223-1600; www.crystal-belize.com), Hertz (tel. 223-5396; www.hertz.com), and Thrifty (tel. 207-1271; www.thrifty.com). Prices run between BZ$120 and BZ$240 (US$60-US$120/£32-£64) per day for a late-model compact to a compact SUV, including insurance.

By Bus

While Belize has an extensive network of bus connections to most cities and rural destinations, there is no metropolitan bus system in Belize City.

Fast Facts

Babysitters -- Your hotel front desk is your best bet for finding a babysitter.

Bookstores -- Bibliophiles will be disappointed in Belize. You'd be best off purchasing any specific reading material, either for pleasure or research, before arriving in the country. Many gift shops carry a small selection of locally produced fiction and poetry, as well as guidebooks and maps. One decent bookstore in Belize City was The Book Center, 4 Church St. (tel. 227-7457).

Cellphones -- DigiCell (tel. 227-2017; www.digicell.bz) has a booth at the airport. If you have an unlocked 1900MHz GSM phone, they'll sell you a local prepaid SIM chip with a local number. The chip and initial activation costs BZ$54 (US$27/£14), including BZ$10 (US$5/£2.65) of calls. You can buy subsequent minutes in the form of scratch-off cards in a variety of denominations. The SIM chips and calling cards are sold at their desk at the airport or at one of their many outlets around Belize. Their website also has information on setting up your home phone for roaming in Belize. But be careful, the rates are quite high.

Currency Exchange -- Most banks will exchange money for a small service charge. It is virtually unnecessary to exchange U.S. dollars for Belize dollars while in Belize, as U.S. dollars are universally accepted at the official 2-to-1 exchange rate. The exception to this is upon leaving the country, when you will want to convert your remaining Belize dollars. There is a branch of Atlantic Bank (www.atlabank.com; 📞 225-3331), open Monday through Friday from 9:30am-1pm, 1:30pm-3:30pm, and Saturday from 9am-1pm, 1:30pm-2:30pm at the international airport. If you are flying out on a Sunday or outside of these hours, be sure to exchange any Belize dollars beforehand.

Dentists -- Call your embassy, which will have a list of recommended dentists, or ask at your hotel.

Drugstores -- There are a handful of pharmacies around Belize City. In downtown, try Brodie Pharmacy, Regent Street (tel. 227-7070); it's open Monday through Friday from 8am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to 2pm. Perhaps the best stocked pharmacy can be found at Belize Medical Associates, 5791 St. Thomas Kings Park (www.belizemedical.com; tel. 223-0303); it's open Monday through Friday from 8am to 7pm and Saturday from 8am to 1pm, and it makes emergency deliveries at any hour.

Emergencies -- In case of any emergency, dial tel. 90 from anywhere in Belize City. This will connect you to the police, fire department, and ambulance central switchboard. You can also call tel. 911.

Express Mail Services -- Several international courier and express-mail services have offices in Belize City, including DHL, 31 New Rd. (www.dhl.com; 📞 223-1070); and FedEx as operated by Gutierrez Logistics, 6 Fort St. (www.fedex.com/bz/contact; 📞 223-1577). Both can arrange pickup and delivery services to any hotel in town.

Eyeglasses -- The Hoy Eye Center is a small nationwide chain of opticians and eyeglass stores. Their Belize City branch (tel. 223-0994) is located at the corner of St. Thomas and St. Joseph streets.

Hospitals -- Belize Medical Associates, 5791 St. Thomas Kings Park (www.belizemedical.com; tel. 223-0303), is a modern, 24-hour private hospital, with emergency care and numerous private-practice physicians. The city's main public hospital, the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, Princess Margaret Drive (tel. 223-1548), is also open 24 hours and has a wide range of facilities and services.

Laundry & Dry Cleaning -- Most folks rely on their hotel's laundry and dry cleaning services, although these can be expensive. Alternatively, you can try the C.A. Coin Laundromat, 114 Barrack Rd. (tel. 203-3063), Belize Dry Cleaners & Laundromat, 3 Dolphin St. (tel. 227-3396), or Southside Coin Laundromat, 6 Neal's Pen Rd. (tel. 207-0301).

Maps -- The Belize Tourist Board (tel. 227-2430) can provide you with good maps to both the city and country at either their kiosk at the international airport, or at their main office at 64 Regent street. Also, most gift shops sell maps of the country.

Newspapers & Magazines -- Belize has no daily newspaper. There are four primary weeklies: Amandala, the Reporter, Belize Times, and the Guardian. Most come out on Friday, and all are relatively similar in terms of content, although with some differing and usually obvious political leanings.

Photographic Needs -- While I recommend bringing as much film as you foresee needing and waiting until you return home to develop it, if you'd rather not wait, your best bet is the Belize Photo Lab, at the corner of North Front St. and Queen St. (tel. 223-5682).

Post Office -- The main post office (tel. 227-2201) is located at the corner of Queen and North Front streets, across from the Swing Bridge. It costs BZ$1 to send a letter to the United States, and BZ$1.20 to send a letter to Europe. Postcards to the same destinations cost BZ$.50 and BZ$.60 respectively.

Restrooms -- There are very few public restrooms in Belize City. The only ones I know of are located at the little cruise-ship tourist village on Fort Street in the Fort George neighborhood. However, if you're not a cruise-ship passenger, you must leave an ID at the gate and get a guest pass. Most hotels and restaurants will let travelers use their facilities, although they are happiest about providing the service to clients.

Safety -- Belize City has a reputation for being a rough and dangerous city. While things have improved somewhat in recent years, the reputation was earned for a reason. Tourist police do patrol the busiest tourist areas during the day and early evenings. Still, while most populous downtown areas and tourist attractions are quite safe during the daytime, travelers are strongly advised to not walk around very much at night, except in the best-lit and most popular sections of downtown. Basic common sense and street smarts are to be employed. Don't wear flashy jewelry or wave wads of cash around. Be aware of your surroundings, and avoid any people and places that make you feel uncomfortable.

Rental cars generally stick out and they are easily spotted by thieves, who know that such cars are likely to be full of expensive camera equipment, money, and other valuables. Don't ever leave anything of value in an unattended parked car.

Taxes -- There is a US$55 departure tax that must be paid in cash (either in U.S. or Belize dollars) at the international airport upon departure, although usually that fee is included in your ticket charge; the land exit fee is US$20. There is a 9% hotel tax added on to all hotel bills, and there is a 10% GST tax on all goods and services. A 10% service charge is sometimes added on to restaurant bills. Take this into account when deciding how much to tip (if the service is really good, an extra 5%-10% is fine).

Time Zone -- Belize City is on Central Standard Time, 6 hours behind Greenwich Mean Time. Belize does not observe daylight saving time.

Useful Telephone Numbers -- For directory assistance, call tel. 113; for an international operator, call tel. 115; for the exact time, date, and temperature, call tel. 121.

Water -- The water in Belize City is ostensibly safe to drink. However, many travelers react adversely to water in foreign countries, so it's probably best to drink bottled water during your visit to Belize.

Weather -- The weather in Belize City is subtropical, and generally similar to that of southern Florida. The average daytime temperature is around 80°F (27°C), although it can get considerably warmer during the summer months, while during the winter months, when northern cold fronts extend their grip south, it can get downright nippy.

Getting There

By Plane

All international flights into Belize land at the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (www.pgiabelize.com; 📞 225-2045; airport code BZE), which is located 16km (10 miles) northwest of the city in Ladyville, on the Philip Goldson Highway (formerly the Northern Highway).

In the baggage claim area, there’s an information booth maintained by the Belize Tourism Board. This booth supplies maps and brochures, and will often make a call for you if you need a hotel or car-rental reservation. Inside the international departure terminal is a branch of Atlantic Bank (tel. 225-3331; www.atlabank.com), open Monday through Friday from 9:30am-1pm, 1:30pm-3:30pm, and Saturday from 9am-1pm, 1:30pm-2:30pm.

Across the parking lot, you’ll find 14 car-rental desks, as well as tour agencies.

A taxi into town, including to the water taxi or bus station, will cost BZ$50, a non-negotiable price mandated by the government. A taxi agent at a wooden podium just outside baggage claim will help arrange the ride for you. Unlike other international airports, this one does not have the problem of scammers tricking newcomers into expensive or dangerous rides. The cars may be in disrepair, but green license plates mean that these are official taxis that won’t take you for a ride (so to speak).

If you fly in from somewhere else in Belize, you’ll probably land at the Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airport (airport code TZA and usually referred to just as the Municipal Airport), which is on the edge of town. A taxi from here costs just BZ$15 to most hotels in the city. There’s no bank or any other services at the Municipal Airport, although most car-rental agencies can arrange to have a car there for you. 

There is no bus service into either airport.

By Car

There are only two highways into Belize City: the Philip Goldson Highway, which leads to the Mexican border (166km/103 miles away), and the George Price Highway, which leads to the Guatemalan border (132km/82 miles away). These two used to be called the Northern and Western highways, and many still refer to them as such. Both are well marked and in good driving condition. If you arrive by car from the north, stay on the road into town, paying close attention to one-way streets, and you'll end up at the Swing Bridge. If you're arriving on the Western Highway, stay on it after it becomes Cemetery Road, and you'll end up at the intersection with Albert Street, a block away from the Swing Bridge.

By Bus

If you arrive in town by bus, you'll probably end up at the main bus terminal on West Collet Canal Street. This is an easy walk to downtown, but it is not recommended after dark. A taxi from the bus station to any hotel in town will cost around BZ$8.