What to do in Belize?

[junglecat]

HELP! Any suggestions on the best beach, how to get there? Also, are there things to do near the pier? Best shopping and how to get there? I am be home alone as DH & DD may do the cave tubing. I've read all of these suggestions of the water taxi's but not sure where people are taking them too! LOL. Thanks to all who reply.:p

[timh111]

OK, let me just give you MY insight on the pier you tender to in Belize. This is NOT a review of excursions in Belize, just the pier you tender to. When you get to the pier, It's a dump. There is a "pier restaurant" where most of the items on the menu were stricken cause they don't carry the items anymore and the service is SOOO slow you want to fall asleep, not to mention the "entertainment" (a guy and a woman TRYING to sing to karaoke). There is also a flea market style shopping area with guys outside the wall hanging over to try to get you to come outside to take a buggy ride of the "city"! This was (April of 2010) my 2nd time to Belize and hoped they had gotten the "Shopping" area together, but they hadn't. I love the Western Caribbean but this stop, to ME is the BIGGEST waste of a port to stop in!! If you will be alone at this port, my suggestion is to stay on board and read or rest. If you want to kill time, you can go to the pier and the round trip on the tender is about 1 hour (I wouldn't suggest venturing outside the gate) but for me, If my next cruise stops there...I'm staying on board the ship!!! Again, this is MY insight on the Pier in Belize, so please folks...be gentle with me :o

[marshhawk]

Because the reef breaks down wave action, there is no beach near where the ships stop.. If you are looking for a beach, I highly recommend Goff's Caye for snorkeling, or Bannister island. For Goff's Caye, you are picked at your ship and taken directly to the island. Bannister,you tender in to the pier, and then get a boat back out to the island. We loved Goff's Caye, but it's not a kids beach, or a luxury beach, it really is a great place to snorkel.

[jaw5293]

I was by myself in Belize too. I walked around the shopping area for awhile and then found the vendor who does the horse/buggy tours of the city. It cost $20/person and had to wait til they had enough for the tour. Think there were either 8 or 10 people so didn't have to wait long. They escort you out of the gated shopping area. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and spoke English very well. The tour was about an hour or so...wished it could have been longer. Made one stop at a local store so a couple of the people could buy a local beer to drink. I didn't go in the store but my seat mate said prices were high.

 

The key is they escort you to and from the gated shopping area. The vendors and people outside the gated area are pretty aggressive in trying to sell you things. Inside the gated area shopping is not as aggressive.

 

I also sat and people watched for awhile as well.

 

Jane

[Ren1216]

Jaw5293 - I've been contemplating taking my grandma and aunt on the carriage ride since the others in my group will be going to the ruins. Was it worth doing?