Family travel guide for visiting Belize with kids

Kids at the Belize Zoo
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If you’re considering a family vacation in Belize, you’ve come to the right place. I have a niece and nephew and the first thing I realized when traveling with kids is that picking the right destination is key to EVERYONE having fun.

Related: Top Belize Destinations & Best Family Resorts in Belize

You need to go somewhere that has the wow factor (a place that will keep everyone entertained and keep you sane). A major aspect of making a family trip a success is making sure that the adults also have a great time, and Belize has plenty to keep kids and parents happy.

See below for a list of some of the best family-friendly activities in Belize, along with the best time to visit, health and safety concerns, and some of the best places to stay for families.

Top Things to Do in Belize with Kids

natural history museum tour with family in belize

1. Horseback riding

Most kids love horses. Now imagine going on an adventure through the jungle as you learn about medicinal plants and hear stories about the ancient Maya who once called the region home. This tour can be even more fun if you pair it with activity #7: visiting a Mayan ruin. BTW, my favourite temple is Xunantunich in Western Belize.

2. Visit Butterfly farms

Going to a butterfly farm can be a great learning experience. Visitors are able to learn (by seeing) the entire butterfly life cycle and check out the various colorful types of butterflies that exist in Belize. To find out more about the butterflies that exist in Belize, read my article that features the best butterfly farms in Belize.

3. Get up close to Belizean wildlife

I consider the Belize Zoo to be the best tour in Belize for children. You see, the Belize Zoo is far from your ordinary zoo. The animals roam in large enclosures that mimic their natural habitat and only rescued Belizean wildlife are there. Make sure you see the mighty Jaguar as he/she sunbathes near a pond.

4. Beach time

It goes without saying that the beach is always fun. You can either relax and soak up the sun or spend the day swimming. Just remember to wear a lot of sunblock! A child or toddler that is suffering from sunburns will ruin your evening plans.

5. Snorkeling

Swimming with tons of marine wildlife is an adventure of a lifetime and Belize doesn’t disappoint in this category. I recommend Hol Chan Marine Reserve as the best place to do this – there you will be able to see beautiful coral gardens and swim with colorful fishes, sea turtles, and Manta Rays.

6. Get on a boat

Choose a boat (canoe, kayak or an actual boat) and go on an adventure. Check out wildlife on the river bank as you canoe with your kids on the Macal River, go kayaking on the Caribbean sea or if you have young fishermen, try deep sea fishing.

7. Learn about the Maya

Visiting the majestic Maya ruins is a good way to let your children’s imagination go wild. These impressive structures were built hundreds of years ago by individuals who are smarter than people consider them. They were mathematicians, astronomers, and had elaborate trade routes. Here’s a list of the best Mayan ruins in Belize and read up on a few interesting facts about the Maya.

8. Hiking trips

Take in the jungle by going on adventure expeditions. An amazing place to see is Mountain Pine Ridge, this full-day tour involves visiting a mountainous nature reserve filled with roaring rivers, cool Mayan caves, and refreshing waterfalls.

9. Take in the culture

This can be done by simply visiting a farmers’ market on a Saturday and interacting with the locals, however, for a tour, take a day trip to a modern Maya village, where you’ll get invited to their humble homes and have traditional foods with them. If you want to learn about the Garifuna culture, which includes eating delicious traditional foods like Hudut and drumming lessons, I recommend that you visit Hopkins village.

10. Cave Tubing & Zip-lining

Zooming across tree canopies is one sure way to feel like you’re flying and for adventurous kids, ziplining is a must! Pair that adventure with exploring Mayan caves in a floating tube and you have the perfect day trip. And if cave tubing isn’t your thing, how about cave canoeing? Check out Barton Creek Cave.


Where to Stay: Top Family Resorts in Belize

Family thanksgiving in belize

Beach resorts and jungle lodges that cater to families are the best option for a guaranteed good time during your family vacation in Belize. These hotels typically have a mix of 60 percent families and 40 percent couples. As you can imagine, if you’re traveling with your family and you’re staying at a place that mostly has couples, the experience won’t be as great for you and your children.

1. Cayo

Western Belize is known for some of the best rainforest resorts, visit The Lodge at Chaa Creek for tons of unique onsite activities for kids, the San Ignacio Resort Hotel for a location near downtown San Ignacio, and Caves Branch Adventure Lodge has zip-lining and cave tubing adventures.

2. Ambergris Caye

If you’re interested in visiting one of the famous islands of Belize, the family resorts in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye are a must!

For fishing trips, I recommend El Pescador Lodge; if you desire a good base with condo-style comfort for families, consider staying at the award-winning Pelican Reef Villas; and if you want to experience one of the island’s oldest resorts, try Ramon’s Village Resort.

3. Stann Creek and Toledo in Southern Belize

In Southern Belize, deep inside the dense jungle, you can find Bocawina Rainforest Resort and Copal Tree Lodge. These places offer adventure, seclusion, and relaxation.

The southern coastal village of Placencia is known for its beautiful beaches and its amazing beach resorts like Roberts Grove Beach Resort and Chabil Mar Villas. Chabil Mar is recommended if you want a place nearer to the village core.

And if you want to make your family experience the unique Garifuna culture of Belize, skip Placencia and stay in the coastal village of Hopkins: both the world-famous Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort and Hopkins Bay Resort are great family-friendly options.


How Safe is Belize for Children?

Belizean tour guide with kids

Overall, Belize is a safe place to visit, especially in tourist areas where there are lower poverty rates and a higher presence of police. Therefore, safety concerns shouldn’t be a major issue while vacationing in Belize. However, some common sense should always be used. I have previously written a few tips about health care and safety in Belize.


Best Time to Visit Belize with Kids

entry requirements for belize

If you live in North America and Europe, you’re lucky to have four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. In Belize, however, there are only two seasons, the dry season (from December to May), which is also known as the high tourism season, and the wet season (from June to November), which is also known as the low or tourism off-season.

I personally prefer Belize in the dry season, since it’s always sunny and the skies are clear and blue, but the off-season has its advantages since hotel and tour prices are cheaper, and contrary to what is expected, plenty of times the weather is great. For example, on average, during the rainy season, it will rain about 3 days of the week and the rain usually lasts 1 or 2 hours — then the rest of the day is sunny. Find out more here.

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  1. Rebecca Coutant says

    Good list and tough question. Belize isn't as geared towards kids (especially the littlest ones) as some place with big all inclusives. The ZOO! Yes. I might add the Bioluminescence tour in Hopkins…a place with a pool is always great for kids…in some areas, maybe a drumming lesson? I agree with all on your list but then…I have no kids!