On the ground

The diversity of animal life in Belize will keep animal lovers absorbed for days. Felines are present in healthy numbers, including jaguar, ocelot, jaguarundi, puma and margay. To get up close and personal, head to Belize Zoo, which an admirable and well cared for centre, which acts as more of a rehabilitation center for rescued jungle animals than a zoo.

You’ll also find monkeys such as the black howler monkey and the smaller spider monkey. The Community Baboon Sanctuary is home to around 3,000 monkeys and is the best place to spot them.

In terms of reptiles, the green iguana is prevalent everywhere and can grown up to 6 feet in length.  The American crocodile lives in both salt and fresh water, (they are however rare and do not propose any threat!)

Despite its small size, Belize is home to an estimated 4,000 species of flowering plants. For these reasons, Belize has been called a “Garden of Eden,” and it is one of the few countries where thousands of acres of forest are still in semi-pristine condition.