TCC Territory #8
Part One. December 12-16, 2025
I’m currently (May 2026) in Belize finishing a trip I began back in December. My original Central America itinerary was cut short due to a family emergency. I was able to get back on the original itinerary in Feb and visited El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. I’m now back in Belize to see most of what I missed from my original planned trip.
Here’s Belize part one – Lamanai Mayan Ruins and San Pedro Island.
Belize is an easy vacation for Americans who want a place that accepts USD, primarily speaks English, has great water and cave adventures, and of course has Mayan ruins. As such, I saw many more American tourists than locals during my short time in Belize City and San Pedro. I was surprised by that, but I guess it makes sense given the specific locale. One likely needs to head further inland or south to get out of Tourist Central. A note that prices here are comparable to most USA city prices. Less expensive than New England, though.
Dec 13, Belize City. Didn’t look around the city (I am now, in May) but instead took a day trip to Lamanai, an archeological site of Mayan temples. Accessible only by boat and located along the New River Lagoon, our small group had fun zooming along the water. Our guide stopped now and then to show us riverside creatures (bats along a log, lizards). At one point it poured hard rain and everyone got a free face exfoliation. Glad I wore my bathing suit top.
The Maya lived at Lamanai for about 3,000 years. Lamanai means “submerged crocodile” and is the original, indigenous name for the area. The crocodile represented earth, fertility, and spirituality. One can climb up a couple of the temples, and that felt slightly blasphemous but I did it anyway. Howler monkeys occupy the jungle setting, and a couple of them came to stare at us from high branches.
Dec 14-16, San Pedro. Had planned a week here, but left on the 16th to attend to the aforementioned family emergency.
One needs to rent a golf cart to spend time on San Pedro unless one wants to stay only in the small town center. I enjoyed driving around in the cart. I imagine the island is hazardous sometimes with drunken tourist golf cart drivers everywhere. San Pedro appears to be Gringo Party Central.
Visited the tiny Iguana Eco Sanctuary which is easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it. Free of charge, one can observe and feed some of the 200+ protected iguanas that hang out among the trees and water.
Loved my San Pedro lodgings and had planned on doing a snorkeling tour right from my front door, but this is where my December adventures ended. Am back in Belize now but will not return to San Pedro. Instead, I’ll venture south.
