Daydream a little. Conjure up an image of your ultimate tropical island fantasy – the post-card ‘paradise’ that you always dreamed about. With over a hundred enticing isles and two amazing atolls, chances are that one of the northern cayes can bring your fantasy to ife. If you imagined stringing up a hammock on an otherwise deserted beach, there is an outer atoll with your name on it. Pining to be pampered? You have your choice of an ever-growing glut of ritzy resorts on Ambergris Caye. San Pedro is prime for sipping cocktails and dancing the night away to a reggae beat; Caye Caulker moves at a slower pace, exuding a friendly village vibe.  But this is only the beginning. The richest resource of the northern cayes lies below the surface of the sea. Only a few miles offshore, the barrier reef runs for 80 miles, nearly uninterrupted. For snorkelers and divers, Belize offers unparalleled opportunities to explore caves, canyons and coral gardens, to come face to face with nurse sharks and stingrays in their natural habitat, and to swim with schools of fish, painted every color of the palette. Much of the reef is protected by various marine sanctuaries, ensuring the continued vibrancy of this underwater world.You might be shocked by prices in the northern cayes (especially Ambergris), which are noticeably higher than the rest of Belize. But it’s not outrageously expensive compared with other destinations in the Caribbean. Anyway, that’s the price you pay for paradise.

Southern Belize is where open savannah and citrus-filled farmland give way to forested hills dotted with Maya ruins and jungles, with many fine beaches and beautiful tropical islands thrown in for good measure. The area comprises two districts; Stann Creek, ancestral home of the Garifuna people, and Toledo, often referred to lovingly throughout Belize as the country’s ‘Deep South,’ home to an eclectic mix of Maya, Garifuna and Creole people.Diversity, both cultural and ecological, is the main hallmark of southern Belize, so it’s natural that the area appeals to a wide variety of travelers. Adventurers will find no short-age of opportunities to get off the beaten path in the jungles of the Toledo District. Those who like their paths pre-beaten will find Placencia a tourist’s paradise. Trekkers who wish to splurge have a number of five-star jungle lodges tucked away in remote corners from which to choose, while those of more modest means will be able to have a great time on the cheap in the small villages and communities of the Deep South. Lest we forget, the south also has cayes all its own, islands small and large boasting stunning coral reefs, where snorkeling, boating and diving enthusiasts can experience Be-lize’s nautical wonders whileavoiding the crowds (and significantly higher price tags) of the northern cayes. Walt Whitman once wrote of himself: ‘I am vast; I contain multitudes.’ Though not large in size, this region can claim the same: from Dangriga to Baranco and everywhere in between, southern Belize definitely has many sides. Both the land and those who call it home are as diverse as the nation itself.

Ethnicity is a big determinant of religion in Belize, with most Mestizos, Maya and Garifuna espousing Catholicism as a result of their ethnic origins in Spanish- or French-ruled countries or colonies.  Catholicism among Creoles increased with the work of North American missionaries in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Approximately a quarter of Belizeans are  Protestants, is not easily intelligible to a speaker of standard English (see the boxed text,  above ). Most of the people you’ll encounter in Belize City and the center of the country will  be Creole.Mestizos are people of mixed Spanish and Amerindian descent. Over the last couple of decades, Mestizos have become Belize’s largest ethnic group, now making up about 49% of the population. The first Mestizos arrived in the mid-19th century, when refugees from the Yucatán flooded into northern and western Belize. Their modern successors have been thousands of political refugees from troubled neighboring Central American countries. While English remains Belize’s official language, Spanish is spoken by over half of the population; this has caused some resentment among Creoles, who are fiercely proud of their country’s  Anglo roots.The Maya of Belize make up almost 11% of the population and are divided into three linguistic groups. The Yucatec Maya live mainly in the north, the Mopan Maya in the southern Toledo District and in western Belize, and the Kekchi Maya, who also live in the Toledo District. Use of both Spanish and English is becoming more widespread among the Maya. Traditional Maya culture is strongest among the Maya of  the south.Southern Belize is also the main home of the Garifuna (see  opposite ), who account for 6% of the population. The remaining 9% of the population is composed of several groups: East Indians (people of Indian subcontinent origins), Chinese, Arabs (generally known as Lebanese), the small but influential group of Mennonites and North Americans and Europeans who have settled here in the last couple  of decades.

According to the most basic benchmarks, Belize is flourishing, with com-pulsory education, a relatively stable democracy, a thriving tourism industry and an economy that is plugging along. Unfortunately, many people have not seen the benefits of these positive developments. A few entrepreneurs have made big money from arcane financial dealings, and a small middle class survives from business, tourism and other professions. But many more Belizeans live on subsistence incomes in rudimentary circumstances. You can admire lovely, large, breezy, two-story, old, Caribbean-style wooden houses in parts of Belize City, but these are not typical dwellings. New houses are usually small, cinder-block boxes, while old wooden ones are often warped and  rotting.Labor – whether washing dirty hotel sheets, cutting sugarcane or packing bananas – is poorly paid, especially compared with the high cost of living. (The average income in Belize is less than BZ$600 per month.) Unemployment hovers just under 10% and it is estimated that one third of the population lives below the poverty line. That’s why tens of thousands of Belizeans live in the USA  these days.Among the blessings of Belize are its tiny population and tiny area. It’s said that everyone here knows everyone else. It is true that many people have sup-portive networks of family and friends, not only in their local neighborhood, but also in other parts of the country. Belize’s different ethnic groups socialize
primarily among themselves, but there is little animosity  between them.Education in Belize is free and compulsory up to the age of 14. After that, instruction is free, but students are required to buy their own books, which is a deterrent against higher education. Most schools are state-subsidized church schools, mainly run by Catholics, Methodists and Anglicans; recently evan-gelical religions such as the Seventh Day Adventists have  opened schools.Belize doesn’t have much of a gay scene, but this does not imply that in this tolerant land people are secretive, just that they are  low-key.