Plain answers

The dry season runs roughly from December to April or May, and that's when most people go. The reef water is usually clearest from about February to May.

The rains come from June to November, with September and October the wettest. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June to November, with the highest risk from August into October. The south is wetter than the north all year. See the reef and season calendar for month by month.

It depends on who's coming and how you like your evenings. Ambergris has the most choice; Caye Caulker is small and slow; the atolls are remote and best for divers. Caulker is about 45 minutes by water taxi from Belize City and Ambergris about 75 to 90; both are also short flights.

Our caye chooser asks five questions and gives you three honest suggestions.

Roughly March to June, most reliably in April and May, from just before the full moon to about ten days after it. Sightings are never guaranteed, so we plan more than one possible day.

Read the official advice before you book: the US State Department and the UK Foreign Office. At the time of writing the US advisory is Level 3, Reconsider Travel, mainly because of crime in parts of Belize City.

We plan routes that don't linger in Belize City, use licensed drivers and boat captains, and will answer specific questions plainly. We won't reassure you beyond what the official advice says.

Many nationalities, including US, UK, Canadian and EU citizens, can visit for up to 30 days without a visa. Passport validity rules differ by nationality: check yours with the Belize Immigration Department, the FCDO or travel.state.gov.

Belize uses a digital arrival and departure form. We'll send you the current link before you travel.

Departure tax and the PACT conservation fee are usually included in international air fares. If you leave by land or sea, for example to Tikal or by boat to Guatemala, you pay at the border. Sources disagree on the current amounts, so we confirm them before you travel.

International flights arrive at Philip Goldson International (BZE), near Belize City. From there, small domestic planes reach the cayes and the south in 15 minutes to an hour, water taxis run to Caye Caulker and Ambergris, and private drivers take you inland. We'll choose between plane, boat and road for each leg and tell you why.

The Belize dollar (BZD), which is pegged to the US dollar at 2 to 1. US dollars are widely accepted. Tipping is customary for guides, captains and drivers; we'll give you a guide when you book. We don't publish prices: every trip is quoted privately.

Check the CDC or NHS Fit for Travel pages and see your doctor or a travel clinic for vaccinations. Mosquitoes and sandflies are real on the coast and inland, especially when the wind drops: bring repellent and long sleeves. The sun on the water is strong; please use reef-safe sunscreen.

No. Most of the reef is good snorkelling in shallow water. If you dive, bring your certification card. If you'd like to learn, some dive shops on Ambergris and Caulker run courses.

About the Blue Hole: it's a deep, dark dive, valued for its shape and stalactites, not for coral or fish. Many people enjoy it more from a scenic flight. We'll tell you honestly whether the dive is worth it for you.

Actun Tunichil Muknal can only be visited with a licensed guide. Cameras and phones are not allowed inside. You need to be able to swim, and there are minimum age and height rules. It closes after heavy rain.

Very. It's English-speaking, transfers are short, and there's something every day: caves, canoes, rays and turtles. Carry children's birth certificates or proof of relationship, as US advice suggests. See the First Belize with Children route.

Belize is small and mixed: Kriol, Garifuna, Maya, Mestizo, Mennonite, East Indian and others. English is the official language, Kriol is what you'll hear in the market, and Spanish is common in the north and west. Please ask before photographing people, and never treat a ceremony or a home as a show.

Use reef-safe sunscreen and don't touch coral. Pay marine reserve fees; they fund the rangers. On the flats, bonefish, permit and tarpon are catch and release. Eat lobster and conch only in season. We choose locally owned lodges and guides wherever we can.

You tell us when you can travel, who's coming and what you'd like. A specialist replies with questions and honest advice, then a first draft: nights, boats and lodges, with the trade-offs written down. We don't publish prices; every trip is quoted privately once we know what you want. Start with the trip planner.

Tour services in Belize must be run by an operator licensed by the Belize Tourism Board. We work with experienced Belizean guides and boat captains, and we'll introduce you to the people running your trip before you travel.