Getting around in Belize – Lonely Planet

Belize is a very small country, so it’s easy enough to get from one spot to another within a few hours at the most.

It’s even possible to see most of Belize’s top sights in one trip if you know the transportation options available. Sometimes getting around means taking an ad hoc approach of pairing this plane with that boat, or that bus with this car service. The bigger your budget, the easier it is to navigate Belize, but no matter what, it’s always an adventure. 

Here are the best ways to travel around Belize.

Experience local life by taking the bus

Anyone harboring nostalgia for 1950s America will be delighted by Belize’s public transportation: it’s made up of retired Bluebird buses. The various bus companies throughout Belize are private companies, but they share the familiar school buses painted to evoke Caribbean colors. 

Taking the local commuter buses is useful for traversing the major highways on mainland Belize, including the Northern, Southern, Western, and Hummingbird highways. They go through the major villages and towns including Belize City, San Ignacio, Dangriga, and all the way down to Punta Gorda, with major connections taking place at the bus station in Belmopan.

The buses run on a schedule that is more or less adhered to – the express buses in particular – and the cost will vary by distance, though often you’re looking at no more than a few dollars. The longest bus ride is from Belize City to Punta Gorda, a 7-hour trip that costs around $12.50. There are no municipal bus services in Belize City, but private bus companies can still be found there. 

Local tips for taking the bus: Belize’s culture is both friendly and casual by nature, so the bus experience here is less than strict. Yes, there are bus stops, but generally, you can flag down a non-express bus anywhere along the roads they drive. It’s also possible to ask your bus driver to let you off wherever is convenient along the route. Bring cash, as there are no passes or digital ways to pay. 

See Belize’s beautiful coast by boat

Belize’s mainland is lucky enough to have nearly 200 miles of Caribbean coastline, and for many Belizeans, those waters are the roads they navigate in their daily lives.

Visitors will typically use boat…