The Best Beaches in Belize

Laughing Bird Caye National Park. Photo © Lebawit Lily Girma.

With a coastline along the Caribbean Sea and more than a dozen offshore sandy islands, Belize has enough variety on and off the mainland to satisfy the most avid beachcomber. The best stretches of beach are along Belize’s east and south coasts and on the southern cayes. Following are the best sandy spots.

• Half Moon Caye Wall: Located on the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef Atoll, crescent-shaped Half Moon Caye has a stunning beach dotted with palm trees and endless views of the Caribbean.
• Hopkins: Located on the eastern coast of Belize, this long stretch of beach is perfect for morning walks and jogs.
• South Water Caye Marine Reserve: Easily reached from the coasts of Dangriga or Hopkins, this mile-long island is one of the few spots in Belize where you can actually swim from beach to reef. The best stretch belongs to Pelican Beach Resort.

View of the Placencia Village beach from Belizean Nirvana hotel. Photo © Lebawit Lily Girma.

• Placencia Village, Maya Beach, and Seine Bight: The 16-mile-long Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize has been dubbed “barefoot perfect,” with thick, golden sand and clear water.
• Laughingbird Caye National Park and Silk Caye Marine Reserve: These protected marine reserves are ideal for sunning and swimming in glorious Caribbean turquoise waters. Both are also popular snorkeling and dive spots.
• Sapodilla Cayes: Sapodilla Cayes’ Lime Caye and Hunting Caye have beautiful turtle-nesting beaches (Oct.-Apr.). You’ll likely be the only one burying your toes beneath the fine white sand.
• Sarteneja: In northern Belize, this sleepy fishing village with gorgeous turquoise water and a narrow stretch of beachfront is as off the beaten path as it gets.

Hopkins, Belize. Photo © Lebawit Lily Girma.

Excerpted from the Tenth Edition of Moon Belize.