Practical Information for visiting Belize

The Belize dollar is pegged at BZ$2 to US$1, and the Central Bank names protecting that fixed rate as one of its primary objectives; in practice US dollars circulate alongside Belize dollars at the same two-to-one rate, so a visitor with US cash needs no exchange. Card acceptance, ATMs and tipping are not summarised here until they have been read on an authority's page.

Belize needs describing honestly: it has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world, and other violent crime including armed robbery, shootings, domestic abuse and sexual assault is also a concern. Investigations can take several weeks, police capacity is limited, and most crimes remain unsolved and unprosecuted.

That figure is not evenly spread, and the distinction matters for a visitor. Serious gang-related violence occurs most frequently in Belize City, particularly the area south of the Haulover Creek known as Southside. Tourists are not normally the targets of gang violence, but anyone near an incident could be affected — so follow the advice of your hotel and the local authorities, and stay aware of your surroundings.

Armed criminals have been active in remote forested areas, particularly the border area with Guatemala and close to the tourist sites there. The area is patrolled by the Belize Defence Force and there have been no reported incidents involving tourists, which is the reassurance and also the reason to use a qualified guide for trips off the beaten track.

What actually happens to visitors is theft — of cash, credit cards, phones and other belongings, including in San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia and San Ignacio. Avoid dark alleys, use ATMs in well-lit public places or inside a bank, keep valuables out of sight, be aware that expensive jewellery attracts attention, and use only accommodation and campgrounds that appear genuine and established.

Entry: a Belize visa, or the exemption for holders of a valid multiple-entry US, Canadian or Schengen visa or a US or Canadian residence card, allows at most 30 days from entry; staying longer means a visit to an Immigration Office to extend.

At Actun Tunichil Muknal, cameras without a permit are banned since a dropped one fractured a thousand-year-old skull in 2012, and shoes come off for the upper chamber. At the Maya sites, the NICH ticket is the entry document and arrives as a QR code by email; the reserves open 8:00 am to 5:00 pm every day, the last tour at Caracol leaves at 2:00 pm and the site empties by 3:00 pm, a guide may take at most 15 people, and NICH's rules forbid jumping on the monuments, loud noise and music, and leaving the marked trails.

At Hol Chan, no fishing; snorkelling and diving on payment of the reserve fee.

Laws on driving, alcohol, drugs, drones and marine life are not summarised here until they have been read on the authorities' own pages.