Sweeties,
Bird watchers, pseudo-archeologists, divers and adventurers at heart, get ready for Belize. Belize boasts landscapes mixing mountains, savannas, wetlands, lush tropical rainforests and coastal lagoons.
Half of Belize is covered by jungle with 80 percent of the rainforest under government protection. We love that Belizeans place high priority on preservation and are pioneers of eco-tourism. There is a big focus on green-tourism because wildlife is the heart of Belize.
Belize is home to 4,000 species of tropical flowers, including 250 kinds of orchids. The national flower of Belize, the encyclia cochleata, is one of the few orchids that flowers year round. While gazing down at the orchids don’t forget to look high in the sky and amongst the trees for the 500 species of birds including toucans (Belize’s national bird), Jabiru stork (largest flying bird in the Americas), Agami heron, hummingbirds, vibrantly colored parrots, macaws, heron and snowy egret.
If this isn’t exciting enough, the tropical forests of Belize provide housing for jaguar, puma, ocelot, armadillo, tapir (they look like the offspring of a pig and a rhinoceros, only cute) and crocodile.
I don’t know about you, but growing up I always dreamed about digging up lost treasures of the civilizations that flourished before us. Belize is perfect for the archeologist inside of you and me.
There are 600 remaining ruins of the once flourishing Mayan civilization. You can visit Altun Ha, the most visited Mayan ruin and the ceremonial center for many of the country’s Mayans. Here you will see the largest jade head of the sun god ever found as well as a 1,000-year-old central pyramid, which is the second tallest structure in Belize.
If you are interested in the mysteries of human sacrifice visit Xunatunich. Here you can climb the stairs of a 131- foot temple that towers over the dense jungle. Many human sacrifices took place here. Victims were tied into a ball and rolled down these very temple steps. Ahhhhh.
Scuba divers and snorkelers get ready! Belize has the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere and the second largest in the world. There are three major Atolls, ring-shaped coral reef or a string of closely spaced small coral islands enclosing a shallow lagoon. The coral sparkles in gold, red, orange, green, brown and yellow. Without the reef, the island of Belize would not be able to exist. It protects the beach from erosion and shelters the cay.
Belize seems to be the perfect place for all our Sweet adventurers! We’re so excited to be spending a whole day in this diverse eco-paradise. We hope you’ll join us.
Stay Sweet,
Flavia
Tags: Belize, Flavia Belli, sweet caribbean
