Belize City

Belize City is located at the mouth of the Belize River. It is the hub of the nation's financial industry, transportation and culture. The city is just a little below sea level and cruise ships dock just outside the port. There are four main bridges that connect the city: the Swing Bridge which is located in the middle of downtown, Belchina Bridge, Belcan Bridge and Haulover Bridge.  The residents of the city showcase the diverse ethnic groups which are: Creole, Maya, Indians, Garifuna, Mestizo , Chinese and Hindu.
While downtown Belize City, you can find one of the oldest buildings which was once known as the Government House, now the House of Culture. It was built in 1814. Just across the street is the oldest Anglican Cathedral in Central America, the St. John's Cathedral. It is the only Anglican Cathedral outside of England where the crowning of Kings took place.  before you reach the swing bridge is the Supreme Court of Belize. It was completed in 1926. The structure before that was destroyed in a fire in 1918. The Governor at the time, Hart Bennett, was fatally injured while assisting in putting out the fire.
In the center of the city stands the only manually operated swing bring. There you can watch the sail boats in the harbor and just a stone throw away, you can visit what was once her Majesty's Prison, now the Museum of Belize. The Museum showcases historic and ancient relics of importance, one such item being the Jade Head, which is a carved head depicting the Maya Sun God Kinich Ahau.
Located just an hour outside Belize City and heading North, you can find the ancient Maya City of Altun Ha, climb the Temple of the Sun God or you can head West to the Belize Zoo and get real close to the wild side of Belize and see the exotic animals such as the jaguar or the Jabaru, the largest bird in Central America and much more. To cool things off, you can hop on a boat at the foot of the swing bridge and visit any of our beautiful Cayes with their white sandy beaches. Caye Caulker, San Pedro and Goff Caye are a few of the cayes where you can snorkel, dive and see the beautiful coral reef or swim with the Sharks at Shark Raye Alley.