12 Things You Should Know About Belize

Belize is one of the favorite vacation spots in Central America. This is where you can see the amazing underwater sinkhole called the Great Blue Hole, the tallest Mayan temple at Xunantanich, ancient Mayan cities, beautiful rainforests and underwater caves. Belize is rich in natural wonders and when it comes to their culture, hundreds of pages might be needed to explain how diverse it is.

So, what are the things you should know about Belize and its people?

1. Belizeans’ official language is English.

2. Most Belizeans are trilingual. Most can speak Creole, Spanish, and English.

3. They have this dish called gibnut which is also known as the “Royal Rat” because Queen Elizabeth loved this dish without knowing it’s rodent meat.

4. They call speed bumps as “sleeping policeman”.

5. Marie Sharp is always present with food. This famous hot sauce is a Belizean favorite – and a dining essential.

6. They like their fried chicken dipped in ketchup.

7. There are no McDonald’s, KFCs, Wendy’s, or any other American fast-food chains in Belize. They have Subway though, serving sandwiches in Belizean rolls.

8. Don’t be surprised if you see Jaguar crossing signs around Belize. The country has the only Jaguar reserve in the world.

9. They have their own “Big Foot” called El Sisimito. They are believed to live in caves and eat humans.

10. And if they have a scary creature living in caves, they also have the iconic Tata Duende, a mythical goblin generally described wearing a large-brimmed red hat.

11. They call their islands “cayes” (pronounced as “keys”). Belize has a total of 450 cayes.

12. The Belizean people are made up of Maya, Mestizo, Kriol,Garifuna, East Indian, Mennonite, Arab and Chinese. It’s hard to describe a typical Belizean due to generations of racial mixing.