Planning on traveling to Belize with kids? Here are some kid-friendly activities to keep your little one/s busy!
Belize is becoming a top family destination, and with good reason! The country offers a variety of kid-friendly activities that are close to each other for convenience.
1. Building sandcastles
Belize has the opportune fortune to be situated on the eastern edge of Central America bordering the warm Caribbean Sea, sea means beaches, and sand and that spells the perfect chance to build the mini fortress of your dreams, your kids’ dreams we mean. With so many islands and so much coast-line your family and more so your little ones have enough space to frolic, create and use their imaginations under the balmy Belizean sun, and what’s better than seeing children having good clean fun? The white sand beaches of Placencia stretch far along the village and outskirts giving you enough opportunity to literally spread out a beach towel anywhere and the islands Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker are protected from high surf by the great barrier reef making their beaches the perfect locales for family friendly lounging.Riding horses
2. Horseback riding
The shores aren’t the only places your kiddies can be entertained in Belize, young ones have a fascination with nature and in particular animals; horses are gentle and intuitive creatures, even considered relaxing to be around.
In addition to their kind nature, it is a real treat to be perched atop one where the world suddenly looks small to someone who has always seen everything as so large. The actual riding itself is a pure adrenaline rush with the sound of galloping hooves beneath you and the wind flowing through your hair (or helmet in this case, safety first always especially with children) and the scenery especially in the hill dotted landscape of the Cayo district make for days no one in your family will soon forget!
Hannah’s stables in-between San Ignacio and Benque offer exciting riverside riding tours and Chaa Creek’s jungle trails offer a unique chance to ride through the jungles of Belize on their well-kept and ever expanding trail system.
3. Swimming at the reef
We here in Belize are proud to say that our country is host to the longest, healthiest barrier reef system this side of the world, it’s only dwarfed by the great barrier reef in Australia and fortunately for those of you with the sudden compulsion to go there with your families, you most certainly can.
Our reef is situated just a mile off the quiet beaches of Ambergris Caye and slightly further out from Caye caulker, from the islands one can charter a tour boat for a half, or even full day out at the reef snorkeling or free swimming. Hol Chan Marine reserve is a prime place to be able to see and learn about Belize’s aquatic life and be also able swim with creatures such a nurse sharks (docile creatures) and southern Rays at the famed Shark Ray alley just a few paddles away from the reef.
4. Meeting monkeys
Howler monkeys and spider monkeys were probably Belize’s first locals in the truest sense, fortunately for us, and you, they still call the canopies of Belize home.
There are many places where these cute simians may be seen such as the community baboon sanctuary in Boom Village and The Belize Zoo along the George Price highway, and most impressively, yes, in their natural wild habitats.
The Black Howler monkeys, while not hostile aren’t possibly the friendliest, they mostly stay away from humans by their nature and will often time be heard long before they let themselves be seen, it can be a rather eerie experience yet exciting when you finally spot one.
Spider monkeys, unlike their larger counterparts, seem to be a lot more curious about humans, probably as curious as we are about them and will come close to the edge of their enclosures (If at the zoo), or swing their way down past the branches to meet us. This is especially common on the river boat tours when the monkeys would come out to the canopy near the banks and put on a sort of show for the passers-by, it’s always cute but remember, don’t feed the wildlife.
5. Fishing
When some of you hear fishing you think, waking up before the sunrise, packing up your stuff, launching your boat and sleepily skidding across the water to your favorite line drop spot; while you can do this in Belize, it’s also possible to come out at 4pm with a hand line, some bait and sit at the end of a pier or river bank and fish to your hearts content.
Belize’s wealth of life extends into the aquatic realm with a colorful burst of different kinds of fishes ranging from small sardines eating moss near the shore to large wahoo under the extreme waves past the beach and one doesn’t need to be an expert angler to still catch a few fish.
6. Sightseeing Belize’s natural locals
Belize has large expanses of untouched natural habitat, this means lots of playgrounds for the local wildlife, our highways traverse many of these expanses giving everyone the chance opportunities to witness all manner of creature come near or cross their paths.
The tapir crossing signs along the highways on the way to Belize and Jaguar crossing signs down south give you clear indications of where the common exit ways for these beasts are, however, those aren’t exclusively the only places so you should definitely keep an eye out!
If you happen by on a lazy day for the animals then fear not, The Belize Zoo is a wonderful place to stop by for a few hours and get sightings of one of almost every critter to call Belize home. The Zoo is a wonderful place for animals, most of the inhabitants there are rescues, cradled out of harm’s way instead of plucked from home and sold off and they treat their house guests to the best of everything they’d get normally from the wild earning themselves the mantle of “Best Little Zoo in the World” and boy are they.
NB – The zoo is also the first wheelchair accessible attraction in Belize!
7. Scaling ancient Mayan temples
There’s no lack of fun to be had, or lack of variety for that matter, with literally hundreds of ancient Maya sites and mounds dotted across Belize’s surface are you’ll never run out of new opportunities to role play Tomb Raider.
With all the options laid out in front of you when it comes to Maya Ruins in Belize it could be a bit daunting to pick one and not feel like you may have missed something out, If you like verticality, the views from Xunantunich (Cayo District) and Caracol (Cayo District) will give you unparalleled views of literally everything surrounding them, even eye-shot into Guatemala!
If you’re curious about what the urban sprawl used to look like Altun-Ha is an excellent choice, as well as Lamanaii, which still remains with heavy canopy cover. Coastal sites like Cerros and Santa Rita in the north are a cool contrast to the jungle nestled sites such as Nim Li Punit and Lubaantun in the south. You’ll never get bored, but you will be exhausted.
8. Exploring Belize’s rivers
While we don’t count with an army of rivers, the ones we do have are some of the most pristine, freshest and most alive rivers in the region.
The Macal, and Sibun Rivers both originate in our Maya Mountains and meander calmly down to the sea offering great opportunities for canoeing, kayaking and yes of course, swimming. These mostly undisturbed stretches of river (especially in the south) are wonderful areas to spot wildlife and literally get away from civilization for a while.
Most areas are easily accessible by road, or if you’re more adventurous a short paddle up-stream to a quiet spot you can enjoy.
9. Camping
Who can think of adventure and not consider the thought of camping? Tent setting, fire starting, marshmallow roasting, it all comes with the territory of a good expedition.
Of course, there are multiple options here, with varying degrees of “wilderness” attributed to each; many hotels and resorts (especially the adventure geared ones) offer campgrounds as an amenity at their facility, there are also dedicated camps and most of Belize’s nature reserves offer cleared ground where one can set up a tent and build a fire pit.
If you and your kids are the extreme explorer types then Cockscomb Basin wildlife sanctuary, home of the only Jaguar reserve in the region and Mountain Pine Ridge forest reserve are exactly what you may be looking for!
10. Butterfly Farms
As you may have noticed by now, Belize is densely populated with nature-themed attractions, and when it comes to our insectoid friends we make no exception.
While few in number we are home to a few Butterfly Farms and Exhibits, these sites educate and excite kids and adults alike with their knowledge of all the species habits and proper care of each one from their egg stage until they’re fully grown freely fluttering butterflies.
The west seems to be the epicenter of the butterfly madness (so to speak) with The Lodge at Chaa Creek and Trek-Stop both having greenhouses dedicated to these delicate critters and they both offer very informative and interactive tours surrounding these interesting insects.
Need help planning your Belize family vacation with the kids? Contact the Belize Experts at Chaa Creek for more information on possibilities and a free quote! Mention promo code #KIDBT and receive an automatic 20% OFF! Call toll-free at +1-877-709-8708 or email [email protected].
Did we miss something you may have liked to see in this guide to Belize with Kids? leave your suggestions in the comments section below and we will review it for possible addition to this blog! 🙂