Backpacking Diplomacy by Andy A blog dedicated to sharing world culture and travel tips.
Of all of the places that I’ve traveled, Belize is one of the most unique. In this context, when I say unique I don’t necessarily mean that I liked everything about it. It’s quirky; it’s unexpected; and it was surprising in a lot of ways.
Belize has an incredibly small population
If you have never looked, the population of Belize is incredibly small in comparison to its neighbors. As of April 2026, only about 427,488 people call Belize home. Neighboring countries like Guatemala, Mexico and even Honduras have significantly more. By comparison, the population of greater Mexico city is about 51 times larger than the entire population of Belize. I was surprised at just how quiet Belize was.
As of the 2022 Census, Belize city was the largest city followed by Orange Walk and Corozal.
Belizeans are wildly religious
I was surprised by how much religion has come to Belize. It seems the evangelical movements have a stronghold on the market, so to speak. Traveling around you’ll see signs, churches abound. It often feels out of place.
I didn’t get to ask Belizeans specifically about this topic, but it wasn’t something I expected to see.
The food is underwhelming
I’m sure that Belizeans won’t agree, but I didn’t find the food in Belize to be anything special. The proclaimed national dish of Belize is rice and beans with stewed chicken. It’s decent, but after trying it, there’s really not much else.
The Chinese food we ate was extremely bland and simple. We were taken aback when the sweet Chinese woman at the store asked us if we’d like ketchup on our fried rice. Is the rice really that inedible? The Chinese food scene in Belize is nothing like Chinese food elsewhere in the world.
The menus that you will typically find at restaurants in Belize are consistent. They are typically Americanized or simplistic offerings.
You can occassionally find Mayan dishes like Cochinita Pibil (a slow-roasted Yucatec-Maya pork dish) or hudut which is a Garifuna specialty featuring creamy coconut fish stew served with mashed green plantains. Those are nice if you can find them.
Given the abundant amount of nature, farm land and open seas, you would think that Belizeans would be eating healthy and wholesome foods from the land, but that’s not the case. Conversely, Belizeans eat a lot of fried foods, such as fry jacks, fried seafood and processed foods.
The beer is pretty tasty
Although the food might not be that exciting, the national beers of Belize were pretty delicious!
Belikin, Belikin Stout, 501, 501 Stout, Pirate and Mine Beer were all excellent. You cannot go wrong with a Belizean beer on a hot day!
The 501 was surprisingly crisp.
It’s difficult to find a nice beach
By the way that Belize advertises itself, you would think that it is just covered in amazing beaches. Unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to be the case.
Open any brochure or website about Belize and you will see the cayes, the famed blue hole or talks of the amazing quality reefs. Yet, the beaches along the coastline are pretty mediocre at best. They look nothing like the pictures and are often dirty.
Furthermore, Belize is grappling with a massive environmental problem that’s affecting the Caribbean called sargassum. Sargassum is a seaweed that’s become increasingly more prevalent due to climate change. Today, huge waves of it can come to shore making it nearly impossible to enjoy the beach.
During our stay, the sargassum took over the beach. While we recognize that this isn’t an always thing, the beaches along the coast still don’t seem to be a major attraction.
Mayan ruins are everywhere
Belize is a hotspot for Mayan ruins. If you are into history and archaeology, then Belize is certainly worth a stop. Belize is home to dozens of Mayan sites with more ruins being rediscovered each year.
Visiting places like, Xunantunich or Cahal Pech can be done easily from Flores Guatemala on a day trip. While other landmarks across the country such as Altun Ha, Lamanai or Nim Li Punit would take more time.
The Mayan civilization is fascinating and modern day Belize sits in a central part of what was the former Mayan empire, leaving signs abound to tease your curiosity. LiDAR and other modern technologies are helping us to understand just how vast and sophisticated the Maya actually were. I’ll look forward to new digs in the future.
Belize is inconsistently expensive
Lots of people expect that Belize will be cheap. This stereotype comes from a couple of likely sources. First off, the Belizean dollar is pegged at 2 for every US dollar meaning in theory, American travelers have twice the value. Furthermore, Belize is situated between Mexico and Guatemala two destinations known for being economical. That being said, Belize is not cheap.
As you travel around Belize, you’ll find that the prices in Belize are inconsistent. For example, you can travel by local bus from Corozal to Orange Walk to Belize city for about $10 USD. However, a ride from the international airport in Ladyville to Belize City can cost as much as $35 USD per person. So yes, a bus ride across half the country costs ~$10 but a taxi from the airport can cost up to three times more. Part of this is due to the Taxi union, but I just found the prices to be all over the place.
Food at a local restaurant in small towns like Orange Walk or Corozal can be economical, but restaurants in places like Placencia can be on par with middle sized cities in the United States.
Accommodation options are limited and most of the AirBnBs are owned by foreigners living in Belize charging international prices. If you can find a local place to stay, then the cost would likely be substantially lower.
To be clear, I have no problem paying a fair price for something, but I don’t appreciate being ripped off. I felt that the touristy destinations were priced much higher than they should have been. When budgeting for Belize, expect to spend more than you think.
Nearly all grocery stores are Chinese run
It seems like nearly all of the grocery stores and corner shops inside of Belize are owned and operated by Chinese families. I noticed this almost immediately when I entered into the country. This network of Chinese groceries and restaurants is the backbone of all things commerce in Belize.
Several waves of Chinese immigrants have culminated into roughly 1% of the current population. That said, their economic impact is far greater. These Chinese groups established a tight-knit network which enabled a rapid business expansion, allowing them to dominate the grocery, fast food, and lottery sectors by leveraging family labor, bulk purchasing, and access to international capital.
Tensions occasionally arise between the other ethnicities in Belize and the Chinese due to perceptions of market exclusion and preferential treatment in business licensing, yet the Chinese community of Belize remains a distinct and integral part of Belize’s multicultural fabric.
You don’t visit Belize for its cities
Before coming to Belize, I did not realize that no one really comes for their cities. Belize is world renown for diving, fishing, snorkeling and rainforests. It is not known for having spectacular cities.
Belizean cities are small, edgy and leave little for outsiders to explore.
Belize City has a reputation for gang violence and insecurity, leaving most tour operators to suggest that tourists avoid the city altogether.
Sadly, I found the Belizean towns quaint and full of potential, but I felt they lacked a bit of life. Even Placencia, which has been overrun by retirees from the United States and Canada, was a disappointing place to visit.
The population of Belize is extremely diverse
Belizean society is extremely diverse. Once you have included all of the different groups of people, you can find just about any type of person living in Belize. On the one hand you have the native people, particularly the Maya. The Maya of Belize do not all come from the same tribe though. There are three main groups of Mayans in Belize, the Yucatec, Mopan, and Q’eqchi’ (also known as Kekchi).
British colonization certainly helped in bringing a diverse array of people to Belize, for better or worse. Since, many other groups have come to Belize with the intention of making it home.
The Garifuna, a tribe also known as Garinagu, are an Afro-Indigenous people in Belize descended from West Africans and the indigenous Kalinago-Taino (Carib-Arawak) populations of the island of St. Vincent. They are the only black people in the Americas to have preserved their native Afro-Caribbean culture because their ancestors were never enslaved, having instead lived as free maroons who resisted European colonization. They can be found in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, the Caribbean and even in New York City!
The Chinese, particularly Taiwanese and Fujianese, were one small yet mighty group.
East Indians from various parts of India as well as other Africans also wound up in Belize.
Do not be surprised if you see Mennonites in Belize either. There is a very vibrant and strong group of Mennonites in the country. Usually, they make wood products and farm.
Today the latest round of immigrants seem to be from North America, particularly Canadians and Americans in places like Placencia and Corozal.
Full of baby boomers
In the beginning, I was surprised to find out that there were so many older Americans and Canadians who had immigrated to Belize. After I found out why, I wasn’t so surprised.
Basically, for decades, retirees from the US and Canada have been trickling down to Belize to find their wannabe Margaritaville. They have taken advantage of the exchange rate and relatively low cost of property to build their dreams. It also hinged upon one important fact: Belizeans speak English. And as we all know, Americans are allergic to learning languages.
Small groups of baby boomers flocked to northern Belizean region and city of Corozal. They like the fact that they can live in Belize and speak English while being able to sneak off to Mexico to get cheap healthcare when they need it.
Other groups ventured further south to places like Placencia, where they crave beach life similar to a small scale Redneck Riviera or Key Westy-vibe.
In all honesty, I found it to be a bit off putting. Mainly because baby boomers are notorious for their inability to culturally adapt to anything, therefore no language, no cultural assimilation et cetera.
Belize’s nature is top notch (though sadly trashed)
Belize has incredible nature. The diversity of flora and fauna found in the country will be a delight for nature lovers. It is home to one of the healthiest and most protected populations of jaguars in Central America. They have tapirs, crocodiles, black howler monkeys and more than 500 species of birds. All of which makes it an ideal place for someone to see these animals in the natural habitat.
However, my experience was that like many other developing nations, Belizeans don’t really care about it anymore than the next person. Traditionally Mayans lived with the earth, now they live with plastic. I watched Belizean kids throw trash off the side walk. I saw them leave the remains of their bagged styrofoam box lunch in a pile of palm branches. A man sitting next to me on the bus left his beer cans under his seat along with his chewing gum (see below).
The agricultural expansion of the Mennonites is cited as a serious concern for the environment and biological refuges for Belize’s animals.
In a way, this started under the British when they colonized Belize. They cleared extensive swaths of forest searching for logwood and mahogany for overseas markets. Sadly, to the point of near exhaustion.
Belize suffers from the plight of many developing nations. The minimum threshold for caring is quite low because most people are living in basic conditions with low wages, so trash is the least of their worries.
I really hope that they see change overtime because Belize is such a beautiful place.
Concluding thoughts
All in all, Belize is a bit of a mix-matched experience. In some ways, it is a culturally confused place. Although it is ethnically diverse, it seems that the country is still struggling to find its identity in a post-colonial world. Coupled with the fact that it is the only English colony in the region, Belize stands out in a sea of latinxs.
Come to Belize. Work remotely from Belize. But come to Belize for the right things. Don’t expect to love everything. However, expect to be pleasantly surprised by some things.
