The first thing you might notice about Belize when you look at it on a map is its relatively small size. What you won't notice, however, is just how long the list of fun things to do in Belize is. Belize attractions are both manmade and natural, easy to get to and hard to access. Helping Belize visitors find, and get to, the top Belize tourists attractions are scores of tour companies and guides. While hanging out inland or heading to the coast are both great ideas for your Belize vacation, you might just consider doing a bit of both. This country is just some 70 miles wide, and 250 miles from top to bottom, so you can get around to all the major Belize attractions without having to spend a bunch of time traveling in between. If you are interested in a few suggestions for things to see in Belize, or in knowing what some of the major Belize tourist attractions are, then you might take a second to read the rest of this helpful article.

Experience the Belize Barrier Reef

Some 185 miles long, and never more than 25 miles off the Belize coast in any one spot, the Belize Barrier Reef is both impressive and fairly easy to access. Certainly among the top Belize tourist attractions, the Belize Barrier Reef is second only in size to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Scuba diving and snorkeling at spots along the Belize Barrier Reef are surely unforgettable experiences, even for the most seasoned divers and snorkelers. Fishing trips at or near the Belize Barrier Reef are a blast for anglers, and the fact that trips and tours to the reef are so easy to arrange, helps to make the reef one of the top things to see in Belize.

Experience the Belize Zoo

Found near the capital city of Belmopan, the Belize Zoo is also an easy reach from Belize City, especially if your Belize vacation package includes a trip to it, which is quite possible for those heading to the inland Cayo District. If you rent a car and drive yourself to the Belize Zoo, you'll find it at Mile 29 on the Western Highway. You can't miss it. The Belize Zoo is an ideal choice for Belize attractions for families. More than 125 animals can be seen here, all of which were either born in captivity, orphaned, or injured. The animals here are all endemic to Belize, which is cool, and among them are jaguars, tapirs, howler monkeys, toucans, scarlet macaws, iguanas, and crocodiles.

Canoe into the Barton Creek Caves

Found within the Caves Branch System in the Cayo District, the Barton Creek Caves are utterly spectacular to explore. Visitors to the Barton Creek cave system will enter this magical and mystical realm by canoe. These canoes are equipped with high-power lights, so you won't have to worry about visibility once inside. Your guide will accompany you to point out all kinds of interesting things, such as ancient Mayan skeletal remains, and the giant stalactites and stalagmites here are pretty unbelievable. It's almost like going to another world. Maybe this is why the ancient Maya used the Belize caves for ritualistic ceremonies. These caves represented the Mayan realm of Xibalba, which they believed was a link of sorts to the spiritual world. Of all the things to see in Belize, the inside of caves like those at Barton Creek are some of the most intriguing and confounding. The whole Caves Branch System is certainly worth exploring further even after your Barton Creek Cave tour.

Dive the Blue Hole

Measuring about 1,000 feet across, and reaching a depth of more than 400 feet, the Belize Blue Hole is one of the country's top scuba diving destinations. Even Jacques Cousteau praised the Blue Hole for its intrigue, and should you dive here, you will have bragging rights for life. Though diving deep into the Blue Hole to observe its stunning stalactites and limestone formations is best left to more advanced divers, you can always dive around the rim of the giant sinkhole if you are a beginner. Snorkelers will also get a kick out of exploring this most curious of Belize tourist attractions.

Explore El Caracol

The Mayan ruins in Belize truly impressive to behold, and among the best Mayan sites in Belize is El Caracol. The uncovered temple-pyramids here are certainly worth putting on your list of things to see in Belize, especially the Caana, which tops out at around 140 feet tall. El Caracol, which means "the Snail", is found in western Belize, or specifically the Cayo District. If you like El Caracol and are interested in more Mayan sites of repute, you might also book a trip across the Guatemala border to experience Tikal. Other Mayan ruins in Belize worth visiting are Cahal Pech, Altun Ha, Xunantunich, and Lamanai.

Enjoy a round of Belize Golf

O.K., so there are only two golf courses in Belize where you can tee it up for a fun-filled round. However, one of these courses is pretty spectacular. Caye Chapel, which is a privately-owned Belize island, is slowly being transformed into a vacation destination of reputable merit. Golfers looking for things to do in Belize will certainly want to spend the better part of at least one day on Caye Chapel. Even if you are not staying in one of the luxury villas here, you can drop in on the island to enjoy a day of unlimited golf. Simply pay the initial fee, and you can play as many holes as you want during the hours of operation. The 18-hole, par 72 course here will both challenge and impress you.

Hang out on a Belize Beach

Seeking some relaxing fun in the sun on a Belize beach is certainly the aim of many a Belize visitor, and the Belize beaches are surely among the top Belize tourist attractions. Placencia, which is a town in southern Belize that sits on a small peninsula, is the top Belize beach vacation destination. If your list of things to do in Belize includes a day or more at a beach, you might look here first. Also, some of the cayes not far offshore have some pretty enviable stretches of sand. South Water Caye is quickly making a name for itself for the beaches that it offers, which could easily make the front of a postcard. If you're up for what might the ultimate Belize beach experience, perhaps you'll rent a boat and sail to an uninhabited Belize caye where the beach is all yours.