Rio Grande River Rafting
Enjoy the 60-minute ride to the Rio Grande River and learn about the area and local history. A Guide will provide safety information, paddling instructions, safety equipment, and assign you a raft. There is a choice of single, double, or small group rafts which fit up to five participants. Larger rafts will also have a Guide to help with steering and paddling. Stay alert for Howler Monkeys and iguanas. The rafting experience will last approximately one hour and 20 minutes. The river is between two and 14 feet in depth and is usually calm. Enjoy some thrills as the river runs faster in some areas. There will also be a 20-minute stop at a natural hot spring.
Getting Around Belize City Belize
Taxis are easy to come by at Tourism Village. Look for the green licence plates as these are the licensed taxis. Agree on a fare before getting in the taxi as they are not metered.
Water Taxis these leave from the Marine Terminal and travel to islands such as Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. Make sure you leave enough time to get back to the dock in order to catch a tender back to your ship. It takes about an hour and a half to reach San Pedro on Ambergris Caye and 45 minutes to Caye Caulker.
Flights Tropic Air and Maya Island Air offer flights from Belize City to Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. The flight to Caye Caulker takes less than 10 minutes and only 20 to Ambergris Caye but will run around $75 per person, one way to either location. Be aware that the planes are very small 5 people but the views are amazing.
Top Things To Do In Belize
Dive Into the Blue Hole
Famous underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau once called Belizes Blue Hole Natural Monument one of the worlds best diving sites. Grab your scuba gear and discover this 407-foot deep underwater sinkhole that lies inside the Lighthouse Reef. Make your way down the azure waters and see hundreds of stalactites, stalagmites, and exotic fish in this one-of-a-kind natural wonder.
Go Birdwatching
From the mangrove forests by the shore to the crowded streets of Belize City, Belizes rich avian life is found everywhere. Sign up for a birding tour and see how many of the 500 bird species that live in Belize you can spot along the way.
Venture into an Ancient Cave
Journey into an extensive network of limestone caves while lounging on an inner tube or paddling on a kayak through the Caves Branch River. Venture deep into one of these ancient Mayan ceremonial sites and discover historical artifacts, pottery, eyeless fish species, and a subterranean lagoon.
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Local Cuisine And Drinks Quick Bites And Lunch In Belize City Port
Cruise passengers that take pleasure in tasting local delicacies will be glad to discover in the Belize City port quite a few pleasant places to savor lunch, a light meal, a refreshing drink, a delicious snack, or even an ice-cream.
Cruisers may like to try regional specialties like Chicken Stew served with rice and beans and fried plantains Bile Up Hudut conch fritters, fried maize or tortillas.
In a country with a fertile tropical forest, fresh fruit is a must: passion fruit, starfruit, jackfruit, dragon fruit, guava, papaya, mango, and pineapples are out of this world.
Generally speaking, eating and drinking in Belize City cruise port is relatively affordable. Like most countries in the Caribbean, Belize also has some signature drinks like Belikin Beer, One Barrel Rum, used to mix with cranberry juice to get Cranbarrel, Caribbean Coconut, and Caribbean Gold Rum.
In the historical center of Belize City, within walking distance there are a few places like the Smoky Mermaid and the elegant restaurants and grills of the Radisson Fort George Hotel .
If you do not wish to venture outside the cruise terminal, there is a good number of restaurants, grills, and bars at the Fort Street Tourism Village where you can taste great food and drinks from Belize. The Wet Lizard is arguably the most famous but there are many others. Check Bars in Belize to learn more.
- Bearded Clam
Barefoot Caribe Restaurant For Lunch
All the sun and snorkeling had made us hungry you knowthe kind of hungry where you feel you could eat a horse?! I welcomed the thought of heading back to the Barefoot Caribe restaurant after about an hour in the water. We purposely ordered authentic Belizean food: chicken stew, rice & beans, plantains, and chicken kabobs. And of course, it was all amazing especially the fried plantains!
My husband & a hammock!
The restaurant was a great place to sit and relax and enjoy the views and breezes. It was also where many local vendors showed up to display their wares. I bought a beautiful table runner and a turtle woven from pine needles.
After lunch, we had a little time left to stroll through the village. Lots of colorful homes and hotels, open-air craft kiosks, and gorgeous white sand beaches called out for us to stay a while and make this home. But unfortunately, our excursion had come to an end and we had to make our way back to our cruise ship
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Safety Health Matters And Emergencies
- Safety and US Travel Advisory
- Pharmacies
- Hospital
- U.S. Embassy
For comprehensive and updated information about traveling to Belize see the U.S. Department of State website page updated advisory.
There is a pharmacy conveniently located in the Fort Street Tourism Village cruise terminal. In Belize City, you will also find two pharmacies less than 1/2 mile from the port: Popular Pharmacy, on 150 North Front Street and Family Health Pharmacy, on Queen Street.
There are three private hospitals in Belize City, around 2 miles from the cruise terminal providing, open 24/7 and with well rated health services: Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital , Belize Medical Associates , and Belize Healthcare Partners
There is a U.S. Embassy in Belize on Floral Park Road, Belmopan, around 45.1 miles from Belize City. Emergency services are provided during normal duty hours Monday to Friday 8:00 AM â 5:00 PM. Phone from Belize 822-4011. After-hours emergency number: 610-5030.U.S. Embassy
Hang Out Dance And Relax At The Swimming Pool
To the right of the welcome center is a 15,000 square foot swimming pool. This swimming pool is one of the best we have seen on a cruise port. Its huge, beautifully designed and featuring an under the bridge section, a swim-up bar with several in-water seating mimicking an open-air restaurant in the water.
There are plenty of lounge chairs surrounding the pool, for you to relax in. Palm trees are featured widely at the swimming pool area, even within the swimming pool, to provide shade and also gives you a beach-like sort of vibe.
Find waterproof casing while at the pool by .
If you love to dance then you will enjoy energetic Caribbean dance music played at the Landshark restaurant right next to the pool. If you fancy some privacy away from the crowds, there are several pool-facing cabanas available.
Their prices start anywhere from $250 a day. They are air-conditioned, and feature lounge chairs, a couch, mini fridge, a personal concierge and a private shower stand. There are shaded pool beds as well, for you to enjoy your port day, like a boss.
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The 10 Top Things To Do In Belize City
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There’s lots to do in Belize City, even if you don’t even make it into the town itself. Have a great time in Belize! |
Belize City Cruise Port Excursions
Back in 1991, the first cruise arrive in Belize, shortly after our country bloomed into a vibrant cruise destination. Here over 300 ships are called to Belize cruise port annually.
You will be cruising into the second smallest country in Central America, by booking a cruise to Belize. This cruise port is named Belize Tourism Village Cruise Terminal, located in Belize City. Here you will find a host of shops and tour operators offering their many excursions to the wonders of Belize.
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Where You Dock In Belize City Belize
Ships anchor off the coast of Belize and tender their passengers into the port, about a 20 minute, often choppy, ride. The port itself, called Tourism Village is quite small, with souvenir shops and Diamonds International and restaurants offering cheap drinks and Caribbean specialties. There is a high guarded fence around Tourism Village which they dont recommend tourists venture outside of by themselves.
Hol Chan And Shark Ray Alley
Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley offer the best snorkeling experience in Belize. During a trip here you will see pristine coral gardens and swim with countless marine wildlife. Sea turtles, nurse sharks, stingrays and all kinds of colorful fishes can be spotted on a regular basis. This tour can be easily done from Belize City, Caye Caulker, and San Pedro.
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Visit The Nature Park
To spice things up a little bit, NCL added a plant and wildlife sanctuary on this cruise port. The sanctuary is home to macaws, toucans, butterflies, snakes, and other small animals. Its free to visit this nature park, where youll get to see and learn about this species of animals that are indigenous to the island.
One thing you will notice, from the moment you visit this port, is its beautiful flowers and plants, which make the island very colorful, giving it a tropical Caribbean scent. You will find out more about these flowers and plants at the wildlife sanctuary.
You should also visit the Blue Morpho Butterfly Sanctuary while at the park. This secluded area features hundreds of various beautiful butterfly species. A highlight of a visit to the sanctuary could be how beautiful the butterflies look when they fly around in the glass house.
Eating Sample The Local Cuisine
If you truly want to eat like many of the locals do in Belize, be sure to order a plate of rice and beans. This dish is cooked in coconut milk and is simple yet savory. Conch fritters are another popular mainstay in Belize, and are available at large restaurants as well as small food stands. Finally, curry chicken is a very well known part of the local cuisine of Belize and is sure to please the palate of even the most finicky eater.
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What Is An Excursion
An excursion is an activity that you book in a cruise port. The excursions range from historic tours, snorkeling and beach tours, visits to popular attractions, activities that will get your adrenaline pumping, and cultural activities. They are booked through local tour companies and cost additional money. Excursions can go from anywhere from $39 to hundreds of dollars for scuba diving, golfing, and helicopter tours.
Port Of Call Belize What To Do Besides Excursions
We are stopping here for one of our Port of calls on our carnival cruise..what is there to do here besides an excursion?
Shopping? Etc….
We will be travelling with our 8 year old boy.
Snorkelling, river and ruins tour, zoo, cave tubing and zipline, and all with shopping. Most popular is cave tubing , second most popular is Lamanai Maya Ruins with river wildlife tour. On shopping, try the local handicraft carvings – absolutely beautiful, and with good prices which you can bargain over.
I have to agree, cave tubing and zipline are popular but I think that the Lamanai Mayan ruins tours is excellent. We used Island Marketing Ltd, they have tours all over the caribbean. In Belize they are Belize Cruise Excursion. We were very happy with them. Lamanai is one of the best tours we have done, its more then just mayan ruins as you see some much of Belize, we saw crocodiles and howler monkeys too. A wonderful trip and memory
I’m a little concerned with Moricoman’s comments. Seems like all his reviews are about ….cruiseexcursions.com For example here he mentions greececruiseexcursions.com and on other posts it has been belizecruiseexcursions.com, cozumelcruiseexcursions.com, bahamacruiseexcursions.com, etc. Based on this it makes me wary.
Besides an excursion, you could have a tour round Belize City on a horse drawn wagon. Actually, I wouldn’t really recommend this, BC is an acquired taste!
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Belize For Cruise Visitors Day Trips Shore Excursions Things To Do
To be frank, no cruise ship visitor can get a taste of how spectacular Belize is from a day trip or shore excursion, especially if you are docked off Belize City. The countrys diverse cultures, wildlife, tropical rainforests, caves, mountains and secluded islands and reef destinations merit at least a three night stay. As responsible Belizean born travel writers who live and work in Belize, we have to tell you that cruise ships are not kind to the environment. And cruise ships make their money by keeping passengers on board as much as possible. Or if letting them onshore, fitting them out with cruise ship owned or affiliated tour operators.
But we understand that many folks have to travel on a budget and a cruise ship may be the only way they will ever get to see Belize. So, if you are here on a cruise ship, we offer for your consideration these tips for making the most of a short visit. We aim at giving you as good a sampling of attractions in Belize city as your limited time can accommodate. If you can, consider using licensed independent tour guides and operators rather than cruise ship tours. The independent Belizean guides need your business and they work harder to please from what cruisers tell us.
Best Way To Spend The Day In Belize On A Carnival Cruise
CARNIVAL LEGEND | BELIZE
Belize has been on my list for quite some time – mainly because of the famous Blue Hole. However, due to the short time that you get to spend in a place on a cruise, I did not get to see my number one choice for Belize. One fo the great things that I love about cruises though, is the ability to see a “preview” of a place to find out if it is worthy of another longer visit. Belize is definitely one of those places. Follow along to see what I think the perfect cruise day in Belize looks like.
Last November we took a Carnival cruise from Tampa, FL to the western Caribbean. We stopped in Grand Cayman, Roatan Hoduras, Belize and Cozumel Mexico. The…
RENDEZVOUS CAYE | BELIZE
While we didn’t have time to visit the famous blue hole, we did still make it out to the barrier reef. We took advantage of the fact that in Belize, the ship anchors off the coast. That means that you are already closer to the fun! We booked an excursion for the first half of the day that took us out to Rendezvous Caye . Amanda saw the photos of the tiny white sand island surrounded by turquoise water in the brochure and said we had to go. On the island, we had the chance to snorkel, lounge in the sun and enjoy some great local cuisine. You can read my full review of the excursion here.
BELIZE CITY | BELIZE
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Silk Cayes And Turtle Alley
Discover the Silk Cayes and Turtle Alley with a private snorkeling trip. Enjoy the one-hour ride to the Silk Cayes, remote islands surrounded by a coral reef. Explore the protected marine reserve and inspect the brightly-colored coral and tropical fish. Dive into Turtle Alley an encounter sea turtles, nurse sharks, and rays. The animals are attracted to the area as local fishermen leave scraps for the marine animals to eat as they clean their catch.
Monkey River Tour And Manatee Watch
Trek into the remote jungle near Monkey River Village, where you are likely to see troops of black Howler Monkeys, deer, ocelots, tapirs, and other wildlife. An expert Guide will sail you through a mangrove forest and then hike through undeveloped terrain. Look for crocodiles, manatees, and turtles. Listen for the unique Howler Monkey communications as they loudly declare their territory.
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