Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine January 2018 | Page 116

Belmpoan
Caye Caulker
Photo Credit: Clayton H.
Placencia
In 1961, Belize City, the former capital of Belize was ravished by
Hurricane Hattie, which destroyed 75% of the buildings. This
prompted the then government to start work on a new capital,
Belmopan. It’s construction started in 1967 with the first phase
being completed in 1970. Unlike the old capital which hugged
the coastline in the center of the country’s Caribbean coast, the
new capital is located away from the coast, 50 miles west of the
former capital. Belmopan is now home to government offices,
embassies, hotels and businesses. The new capital is also the
home of the National Museum and hosts several national events
each year. Although the city is not based on to urism, the city
council is promoting it as the Garden City and it is conveniently
centrally located for many tourist activities.
The name Belmopan is a combination of the country’s name
Belize, and the country’s largest river, the Mopan River. The
diversity of Belize can be seen in Belmopan’s market, which is
open every Tuesday and Friday.
To Belmopan’s west are the Maya Mountains with its many eco-
friendly resorts providing zip-lines, cave tubing, horse riding,
jungle treks and visits to Mayan Ruins.
Photo Credit: Dawn B.
Waterfall Trail, CBWS
To the south are the town of Dangriga and the tourism villages
of Placencia and Hopkins, plus the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife
Sanctuary (CBWS) offering visitors 150 square miles of diverse
terrain, including mountain views, spectacular waterfalls, nature
trails and an assortment of wildlife which includes one of the
world’s only Jaguar sanctuaries.
Belize City, the largest city in Belize, is where you would go to
catch a boat or plane that will take you to the country’s largest
cayes, Amergris Caye and Caye Caulker. These two cayes are the
largest tourist attractions in the country as they are located near
the reef and are ideal for water sports and lounging in the sun.
Photo Credit: Julie K.