The Rough Guide to Belize

Travel

Eltringham, Peter

Reference

Rough Guides

Combines inside advice on everything from climbing the volcanoes to surviving Guatemala City with a discussion of the fragile rain forest and an account of El Mirador, the large Mayan site. Original.

Guatemala and Belize: The Rough Guide, First Edition

Whatmore, Mark

Central America

This guide includes a discussion of the history and cultural heritage of Guatemala and Belize. It provides practical guidance on how and when to travel, advice on budget rooms, exlcusive jungle lodges, and every class of accommodation in between, and recommendations on where to eat, whatever your budget. Also featured are accounts of all the sights, from the ancient tombs of the Mayan kings, to the hustle of Belize City.

Guatemala and Belize: The Rough Guide, Second Edition

INTRODUCTION 
Corrugated by mountains and studded by volcanoes, Central America reaches from Mexico towards South America like a hooked, tentative finger. Its geography – seven piecemeal nations stacked on top of each other in a narrowing isthmus – is in many ways its destiny: a distinct region caught between two larger realities. The archeological term used for the region is Mesoamerica (Middle America), and for millennia it has been just that: the meeting point of the landmasses, plants, animals and people of the giant continents to the north and the south. 
This clash of tropical and temperate zones has created a startling, often surreal landscape in which dense, humid rainforests abound with the yelps of oropendola birds and the chattering of monkeys; somewhere inside the forest’s dark mesh, the antediluvian form of the tapir lumbers and the endangered jaguar steals quietly through cobalt shadows. Carpeting the eastern halves of Honduras and Nicaragua are the impenetrable swamp-jungles of Mosquitia, whose curlicued lagoons harbour mirror-surfaced mangroves where shellfish and manatees breed among the gnarled roots. Beaches, coves, cayes and island archipelagos hem the coral-laced coasts, while volcanoes – some active – form a chain of fire that stretches from Guatemala to Costa Rica. 
Central America had, until recently, receded in the public consciousness, as the "news" (read: war and revolution) spotlight moved elsewhere; now, however, it’s experiencing something of a tourism renaissance. Ten or fifteen years ago, visitors to the region largely consisted of the college backpacker contingent and groups on socialist-minded "education" tours. Since the beginning of the 1990s, though, a wider variety of people, some with little knowledge of or interest in the region’s turbulent past, have come here to experience its startling natural beauty on the back of another kind of revolution – this time in tourism. 
Perhaps more than anywhere else in the world, Central America seems to have been designed with the ecotourist in mind. Costa Rica draws nature-lovers by the plane-load with its impressive system of National Parks, while English-speaking Belize, for much of its history a forgotten fragment of the British Empire, has reinvented itself as a prime diving and snorkelling destination, thanks to its offshore national treasury: the second-longest barrier reef in the world. The best place to experience the region’s pre-Conquest culture is Guatemala, which has the strongest indigenous traditions, not to mention a stunning landscape of velvet volcanoes and amethyst lakes. Panamá and Honduras are just waking up to the potential – at least in tourism terms – of their rainforests, rugged mountain cloudforests, mangroves and beaches. Tourists still tend to avoid Nicaragua and El Salvador – a misguided manoeuvre, as neither is more dangerous for visitors than its neighbours, and despite considerable poverty, the people are welcoming and the basic tourist infrastructure good; plus, they too have the volcanoes, beaches and rainforests that draw travellers to their more popular neighbours. 
Amidst all the hype about the region’s natural beauty, it’s easy to forget that this rugged, humid part of the world was home (along with Mexico and Peru) to the most sophisticated pre-Columbian cultures of the Americas. The splendid Maya civilization, with its diaphanous pyramids and neurotic pursuit of time-keeping, flourished in Guatemala and to a lesser extent in modern-day Belize, Honduras and El Salvador between the years of 300 and 900 AD (although the Maya have been in existence for over 4000 years). During this time, termed the Classic period, the region was made up of independent, and often mutually antagonistic city-states – Tikal in Guatemala, Copan in Honduras and El Salvador’s San Andres being three of the more prominent – which fought each other for prestige and economic dominance. As their civilization declined, the Maya became increasingly interested in blood-letting and the ritualizing of pain and death, while paradoxically setting their greatest minds the task of predicting the future through one of the most precise understandings of time in history. You can see shadows of their huge achievements in science and the arts by visiting the ruined cities and viewing their displays on calendrics, ceramics and the Maya’s wildly illustrative glyphic scripts. 
In sharp contrast to the Maya, further south in lower Costa Rica and Panamá, peoples from the Chibcha group dominated. Thought to have come originally from Colombia, the Chibcha were largely agrarian, without the talent for urban planning or numerology obsession of the Maya, and have left little or nothing behind in the way of monuments or artefacts. 
Central America was "discovered" by the Spanish on Christopher Columbus’s fourth and last voyage to the Americas in 1502–4. Columbus himself barely set foot in Central America, preferring to anchor offshore and write florid letters back home to his sovereign, packed with references to maidens and gold (of which the Spaniards unhappily discovered there was little). Nearly ten years later, an incredible sight met the eyes of Vasco Nuñez de Balboa, the first real conquistador of the region, who in 1513 slashed and clambered his way over the scaly mountain spine of Panamá to become the first European to set eyes on the American side of the Pacific Ocean. 
Within a few years of Balboa’s thrilling sight, the Spanish had established Panamá City, in 1519; León, Nicaragua, followed in 1524; and in 1527, in Guatemala, they built their most important capital, the future colonial seat of the Empire, from which the region was administered. Still, Central America remained a backwater of the Spanish Empire in the New World: gold-poor, stuffed with venomous serpents, impenetrable jungles and often hostile natives. In human terms, the ensuing colonial period was characterized by waves of yeoman farmers emigrating from Spain, followed by waves of deaths of indigenous people from diseases to which they had no immunity. Slave labour was taken from Costa Rica and Nicaragua to work the mineral mines in Peru; in Guatemala the conquerors, led by the handsome blond adventurer with a taste for massacre, Pedro de Alvarado, set about a systematic, if drawn-out, destruction of the Maya peoples, who have, against all the odds, maintained their culture to this day, albeit in much reduced numbers.

The Rough Guide to Central America

McNEIL, Jean

INTRODUCTION 
Wedged into the northeastern corner of Central America, Belize offers some of the most breathtaking coastal scenery – both above and below water – in the Caribbean. Add to this magnificent inland landscapes, archeological ruins and wildlife to rival any destination in the region, and it’s easy to see why the number of visitors to this tiny country increases every year. Despite its small size – roughly that of Wales or Massachusetts – Belize has the lowest population density in Central America, a fact that contributes to its easygoing, friendly and, with the exception of bustling Belize City, noticeably uncrowded character. 
Belizean territory comprises marginally more sea than land, and for most visitors it’s the sea that’s the main attraction. Lying just offshore is one of the country’s, and the continent’s, most astonishing natural wonders – the dazzling turquoise shallows and cobalt depths of the longest barrier reef in the Americas. Beneath the surface, a brilliant technicolour world of fish and corals awaits divers and snorkellers; while scattered along the entire reef like emeralds set in sapphire, a chain of islands, known as cayes, protects the mainland from the ocean swell and holds more than a hint of tropical paradise. Beyond the reef lie the real jewels in Belize’s natural crown – three of only four coral atolls in the Caribbean. Dawn here is a truly unforgettable experience as the red-gold disk of the sun rises over the foaming white reef crest. These reefs and islands, among the most diverse marine ecosystems on the planet, are increasingly under threat; Belize, however, is at the ! 
forefront of practical research to develop effective protection for the entire coastal zone, which for visitors means a chance to explore some of the best marine reserves in the world. 
In fact, Belizeans’ recognition of the importance of their natural heritage means that the country now has the greatest proportion of protected land (over 35 percent) in the hemisphere. As a result, the densely forested interior with its plentiful natural attractions, including the highest waterfall in Central America and the world’s only jaguar reserve, remains relatively untouched. The rich tropical forests support a tremendous range of wildlife, including howler and spider monkeys, tapirs and pumas, jabiru storks and scarlet macaws; spend any time inland and you’re sure to see the national bird, the unmistakeable keel-billed toucan. Although it’s the only Central American country without a volcano, Belize does have some rugged uplands – the Maya Mountains, situated in the south-central region and rising to over 1100m. The country’s main rivers start here, flowing north or east to the Caribbean, and forming some of the largest cave systems in the Americas along the way. Few ! of these caves have been fully explored but each year more become accessible to visitors. 
In addition to these natural attractions, Belize boasts a wealth of archeological remains. Rising mysteriously out of the forests are the ruins of the ancient cities of the Maya, the civilization that dominated the area from around 2000 BC until the arrival of the Spanish. Traces of this astonishing culture have been found all over the country; Maya ceremonial artefacts have even been discovered deep in caves. And although only a few sites in Belize have been as extensively restored as the great Maya cities in Mexico’s Yucatán pensinsula, many are at least as large and in their forest settings you’ll see more wildlife and fewer tour buses. 
Culturally, Belize is as much a Caribbean nation as a Latin one, but with plenty of distinctively Central American features – above all, a blend of races and cultures that includes Maya, Mestizo, African and European. English is the official language – Belize only gained full independence from Britain in 1981 – and Spanish is equally common, but it’s the rich, lilting Creole, based on English but typically Caribbean, that’s spoken and understood by almost every Belizean, whatever their mother tongue.

The Rough Guide to the Maya World features evocative descriptions of all the sites, from the extraordinary pyramid temples of Chichen Itza and Tikal to remote, unexcavated ruins in Tabasco and northern Belize. You'll find incisive coverage of the scientific and architectural achievements of the Maya, their religion, and their descendants, as well as details on the modern Maya world--including towns, jungles, and palm-fringed beaches, and the best places to stay, eat and drink throughout the region. Includes sites and routes through southern Mexico and the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras and El Salvador. With 57 maps and 8 pages of color photos.

The Rough Guide to the Maya World

STEWART, IAIN

FISHER, JOHN

Iain

INTRODUCTION 
Wedged into the northeastern corner of Central America, Belize offers some of the most breathtaking coastal scenery – both above and below water – in the Caribbean. Add to this magnificent inland landscapes, archaeological ruins and wildlife to rival any destination in the region, and it’s easy to see why the number of visitors to this tiny country increases every year. Despite its small size – roughly that of Wales or Massachusetts – Belize has the lowest population density in Central America, a fact that contributes to its easygoing, friendly and, with the exception of bustling Belize City, noticeably uncrowded character. 
Belizean territory comprises marginally more sea than land, and for most visitors it’s the sea that’s the main attraction. Lying just offshore is one of the country’s, and the continent’s, most astonishing natural wonders – the dazzling turquoise shallows and cobalt depths of the longest barrier reef in the Americas. Beneath the surface, a brilliant technicolour world of fish and corals awaits divers and snorkellers; while scattered along the entire reef like emeralds set in sapphire, a chain of islands, known as cayes, protects the mainland from the ocean swell and holds more than a hint of tropical paradise. Beyond the reef lie the real jewels in Belize’s natural crown – three of only four coral atolls in the Caribbean. Dawn here is a truly unforgettable experience as the red-gold disk of the sun rises over the foaming white reef crest. These reefs and islands, among the most diverse marine ecosystems on the planet, are increasingly under threat; Belize, however, is at the forefront of practical research to develop effective protection for the entire coastal zone, which for visitors means a chance to explore some of the best marine reserves in the world. 
In fact, Belizeans’ recognition of the importance of their natural heritage means that the country now has the greatest proportion of protected land (over 40 percent) in the hemisphere. As a result, the densely forested interior with its plentiful natural attractions, including the highest waterfall in Central America and the world’s only jaguar reserve, remains relatively untouched. The rich tropical forests support a tremendous range of wildlife, including howler and spider monkeys, tapirs and pumas, jabiru storks and scarlet macaws; spend any time inland and you’re sure to see the national bird, the unmistakable keel-billed toucan. Although it’s the only Central American country without a volcano, Belize does have some rugged uplands – the Maya Mountains, situated in the south-central region and rising to over 1100m. The country’s main rivers start here, flowing north or east to the Caribbean, and forming some of the largest cave systems in the Americas along the way. Few of these caves have been fully explored but each year more become accessible to visitors. 
In addition to these natural attractions, Belize boasts a wealth of archaeological remains. Rising mysteriously out of the forests are the ruins of the ancient cities of the Maya, the civilization that dominated the area from around 2000 BC until the arrival of the Spanish. Traces of this astonishing culture have been found all over the country; Maya ceremonial artefacts have even been discovered deep in caves. And although only a few sites in Belize have been as extensively restored as the great Maya cities in Mexico’s Yucatán pensinsula, many are at least as large and in their forest settings you’ll see more wildlife and fewer tour buses. 
Culturally, Belize is as much a Caribbean nation as a Latin one, but with plenty of distinctively Central American features – above all, a blend of races and cultures that includes Maya, Mestizo, African and European. English is the official language – Belize only gained full independence from Britain in 1981 – and Spanish is equally common, but it’s the rich, lilting Creole, based on English but typically Caribbean, that’s spoken and understood by almost every Belizean, whatever their mother tongue.

The Rough Guide to Belize 2 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

INTRODUCTION 
Some three thousand years ago, nomadic tribes began to settle deep in the Mesoamerican rainforests, establishing the foundations of the most sophisticated ancient civilization on the American continent. The land they chose, which we know today as the Maya World, extends through southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and a sliver of El Salvador and Honduras. It’s an astonishingly diverse environment, with the hot, scrub-forested plain of the Yucatán peninsula in the north blending gradually into the lowland jungle of the centre, and in the south a spectacular mountainous region, studded with volcanoes and crater lakes and draped with pine and cloudforests. While the southern coastline is pounded by the Pacific Ocean, gentler Caribbean waters lap the white-sand beaches and coral islands that fringe the region’s eastern shores. 
This is a land whose natural attractions would draw visitors anyway – and indeed the Caribbean coast of Mexico, and to a lesser extent the cayes of Belize and Honduras’s Bay Islands, are big resort areas – but it’s the chance to visit the monumental ruins of ancient Maya cities, some of them stranded in dense, tropical rainforest, that sets the region apart. Tikal and Palenque are among the most atmospheric sites, dominated by colossal temple pyramids and set in jungle that screeches with toucans, parakeets, and spider and howler monkeys. To the north, the less humid environs of the Yucatán are home to the equally magnificent architecture of Chichén Itzá and Uxmal; further south, the turbulent history of Copán in Honduras is recorded in some of the finest carved monuments and stelae in the Maya World. But these are just a few of the most impressive Maya ruins – scattered throughout the region are the remains of more than a thousand other settlements, for the most part completely unexcavated. 
Although all the major cities had been mysteriously abandoned by 1200 AD, the region was never completely depopulated and, despite the depredations of the Spanish Conquest, descendants of the great astronomers, architects and calendar-keepers survive in the region today. Of approximately nine million indigenous Maya, Guatemala is home to over six million, with around two million in Mexico, and the rest in smaller communities in Belize and Honduras. For the vast majority of modern Maya, Spanish has always been a second language, and their nominally Catholic (but increasingly evangelical) faith is still tempered with traditional religious customs. Inimitable Maya textiles continue to be worn, especially in the highlands of Guatemala and Chiapas, and some isolated communities still observe the 260-day Tzolkin calendar of their ancestors. Having survived almost five hundred years of colonial oppression and political persecution, there are unmistakable signs of a cultural reawakening, as Maya throughout the region develop a renewed sense of pride in their unique identity. 
This staggering ancient – and modern – cultural heritage is matched by the region’s equally rich natural environment. Offshore, virtually the entire Caribbean coastline is protected by the second longest barrier reef in the world: diving or snorkelling in the warm waters here, amidst a kaleidoscopic world of tropical fish and coral, is an unforgettable experience. Though the smallest of the Maya nations, it’s Belize that has the strongest tradition of state environmental protection, which has ensured the preservation of a landscape ranging from the granite peaks of the Maya Mountains, riddled with caves holding Maya artefacts, to the western rivers and jungle, best visited from the ecotourism base of San Ignacio. Throughout the region, however, the network of national parks and reserves is growing, offering protection to some spectacular wildlife, including jaguars and other cats, lumbering tapirs, monkeys and an incredible number of bird species. 
Travelling around the Maya World is an adventure in itself. There’s an excellent network of roads – of varying quality – almost constantly traversed by buses. This is how most people travel and, though not always comfortable, taking the bus is a quintessential Central American experience – you may find yourself sharing a seat with a Maya woman and her three kids, or even a chicken or two. The countless Caribbean islands of the Yucatán, Belize and Honduras are served by regular boats and ferries; while internal flights can save days of travel and won’t necessarily break the bank. 
Now that the civil wars in El Salvador and Guatemala are over, the only ongoing conflict in the region is in the Chiapas highlands, where a Zapatista-led rebellion has been smouldering since 1994; this has little effect on travellers to the area, though. Safety is a real issue, however, and, though it’s the usual pickpocketing and bag-snatching that most travellers need to worry about, where risks are more significant we’ve outlined them in the text.

The Rough Guide to The Maya World 2 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

History

Americas

Designed for independent-minded travelers on any budget, these travel guides discuss destinations around the globe and provide a concise and clear overview of the history of each destination. Packed with travel information and listings of city sights, monuments, and attractions, these guides are easy to read, consistently reliable, and immensely practical for any traveler.

El Mundo Maya: The Rough Guide (Rough Guides series) (Spanish Edition)

Ancient Civilizations

Ediciones B.

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Books by Eltringham, Peter

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Eltringham, Peter. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Rough Guide to Belize

Guatemala and Belize: The Rough Guide, First Edition

Guatemala and Belize: The Rough Guide, Second Edition

The Rough Guide to Central America

The Rough Guide to Belize

The Rough Guide to the Maya World

The Rough Guide to Belize 2 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

The Rough Guide to The Maya World 2 (Rough Guide Travel Guides)

El Mundo Maya: The Rough Guide (Rough Guides series) (Spanish Edition)