You know those moments in nature that leave you wondering, “how is this even real life?” Those time-stopping experiences where you’re just utterly present to the miracle of being alive? Yeah, that’s the sensation travelers live for. It’s not that you can’t feel that in your hometown, it’s just that it’s a feeling that is a lot easier to come by when you’re out of your comfort zone.
And in our experience, those “pinch me” moments happen even more frequently during solo travel abroad. If you’ve never ventured out of the U.S. alone and are itching to embark on your first solo-travel adventure, especially one that’s budget friendly, consider traveling to Uproxx’s favorite Central America destination for solo travel beginners: Belize!
Why Belize is Perfect for Beginner Solo Travelers
Location, Location, Location
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Belize is the northernmost country of Central America, anywhere from only two, to a quick six hours by plane from the U.S. Truly, it’s a cinch to get to Belize. In fact, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Jet Blue, and Frontier Airlines all fly direct to Belize’s International Airport (Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport). And land borders connecting to Guatemala and Mexico make Belize the “gateway country” for the Central America backpacking route.
But you might want to stay a while before heading elsewhere. Here’s why.
Activities and Culture
Belize is high key an adventure traveler’s dream, and one of Central America’s most culturally and ethnically diverse countries. Despite being really small, like the size of Vermont, there’s so much to do here. And because it’s so compact, you can explore more of the country with ease!
Stay on Caye Caulker or in San Pedro (Ambergris Caye’s party town) to snorkel and scuba dive Belize’s Great Barrier Reef one day, then climb moss-covered Mayan ruins and spelunk caves around the jungle town of San Ignacio the next (don’t miss the ATM cave tour!). Try a Mayan chocolate-making tour in San Ignacio and learn Garifuna traditional drum and dance in Hopkins.
There are many hostels around the country, so you won’t have trouble making friends to have fun with! If you’re into waterfall hikes, I recommend Mayflower Bocawina National Park, and if you’re going to rent a car in San Ignacio with friends (worth it!) stop at Rio on Pools for the afternoon.
Less Language Barriers
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Belize was the first country I visited on my solo backpacking journey that began two years ago (it hasn’t really stopped, I just have suitcases now). One of the main reasons I chose Belize to start my travels in is because the official language is actually English!
It wasn’t until I was traveling in Spanish-speaking countries that I realized how hard it is to organize basic travel and lodging and connect with others without speaking the language. Just sayin’, this is a major plus if you don’t speak Spanish.
Easy Currency Conversion Rate
Belize’s national currency is the Belizean Dollar (BZD), which is honored at $.50 to $1USD. You don’t need to change all your dollars to BZD, either, since all around the country food vendors, hotels, hostels, national parks, and transportation services will happily take your USD.
You might have heard that Belize is expensive, which I ~sort of~ disagree with, considering the prices of Costa Rica and even Nicaragua right now. You can backpack Belize cheap, staying in hostels and traveling by chicken bus, or you can stay in nicer hotels for $45+ a night for privacy, if you’re more comfortable with that. I did a mix of both!
Bomb Food
The classic Belizean street food are fry jacks, which are sort of like a fried pancake you can get plain or stuffed with meat or veggies. My favorite was a breakfast fry jack stuffed with eggs, beans, and cheese.
Don’t sleep on Garifuna food, like Hudut (pictured above) which you can find easily in Hopkins. That coco-nutty fish stew had me in a chokehold! Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye are full of BBQ stands with fresh grilled fish and lobster for decent prices ($12~). But there’s also a number of “western” type health-food spots where you can get your smoothie bowls and other granola-people food.
Reliable Infrastructure
One of the most important factors that make a country perfect for beginner solo travel is the infrastructure. But Belize has decades of tourism experience under its belt, with tourism being a major part of its GDP.
Belize has a reliable energy grid, airports, ferries, paved roads, organized ground transportation, and comfortable accommodation and dining options. Basically, with some planning and organization, you won’t have a hard time traveling comfortably in Belize all on your own!
