Belize Historical and Cultural Sites

The unique historical and cultural sites of Belize are many and are categorized into archaeological sites, small museums and some privately owned galleries. The country’s well-designed colonial architecture can be seen in the older towns and cities wherever you travel in Belize. Due to their location and nature, many of Belize’s historical and cultural sites do not require a tour guide, which means you can be spontaneous on your explorations.

A Belize adventure and tour of the historical sites take you back to the days of the Mayan civilization in this region. Once you arrive at any of these sites you will see plenty of Mayan artifacts almost everywhere you turn. A wide range of archaic to post classic sites is represented in Belize. One of the earliest known sites of human occupancy was unearthed in the country in the Richmond Hill area. However, the collapse of the Mayan civilization is concealed in history, with the arrival of the Spanish in the Yucatan.

The cultural sites are located mainly in the northern region of this beautiful country. And archaeological tours of this region will show you where some of the most important discoveries were made within the Mayan territory. Although they are not as impressive as other sites in the Yucatan and Central America, they are still great to visit and explore. The remains of rundown ancient Mayan structures still linger along the Belizean countryside and remind you of the powerful system of the past.

The irreplaceable history and beauty of the Mayan site of Lamanai in the Orange Walk region is different from all the other neighborhoods, as you will be bamboozled with an aura of authority that is still felt throughout the surrounding forest. The area surrounding Corozal, in Santa Rita may be the most accessible ruin in northern Belize, as the site looks a lot like the Mayan city of Chetumal.

The La Milpa archaeological site lies within the Rio Bravo conservation area, which is a 250,000 acre territory that is preserved for research and sustainable use by the Belizean government. Another site you should visit is the Chan Chich protected forest, which is nestled on about 130,000 acres of lush vegetation. This area offers you up close encounter with a variety of tropical wildlife and the remains of an ancient Mayan empire that seems to be unified with the region.

While most of Belize’s historical and cultural sites are described as ancient or outdated, when you visit you will still feel a sense of the people that once ruled these lands.