Why Belize’s ‘Naturally Quiet’ Destinations are Worth Exploring
Something seldom encountered in our everyday life? Quiet. The quest for a quieter, more serene lifestyle is rising, with searches for “quiet life” soaring by 530% in Pinterest’s 2024 Travel Report. It’s for the places where the rainforest seems to be exhaling, or the tropical atolls, where there are more seabirds than residents. To the quiet holiday destinations where you can avoid the crowds, and you can trust us, because we are the experts when it comes to this stuff as the least-populated nation in Central America! Slow travel has already been a core pillar of sustainable tourism, especially in Belize, but you won’t always need to be far-flung to show reverence to wild spaces and slow paces that exist without a hint of manmade noise or overtourism, even if you tried.
Remote Shrines to the Ancient Maya
Shrouded in emerald rainforests, where ancient Maya archaeological memorials and moss-covered temples rise from the jungle floor, any of Belize’s 1,400+ recorded sites demand quiet. Though some are on the outskirts of towns and others are way beyond cell service, like deep in the Chiquibul, this kind of quiet doesn’t only come from distance alone but respect as you fall silent to their preserved cultural heritage.
At each site, the only noise you can reliably count on is excited chatter from your local guide, who are often of Maya descent themselves, drowned out by troops of howler monkeys. But go the extra mile to either of the least-visited regions for lesser-known Maya cities that get a fraction of the visitors: Northern Belize and Toledo. Like Cerros, the country’s only coastal Maya site and the first official center for traders arriving by canoe to the Northern Peninsula in the Bay of Chetumal as of 50 BC. Or, either of Toledo’s two that sit at the foothills of the southern Maya Mountains. Stillness blankets the lush lawns of Nim Li Punit’s plaza and ballcourt, which housed a 30-foot stelae–one of 26 found onsite—that’s still lauded as one of the tallest ever discovered in Mesoamerica. Miles away in another neighboring village, Lubantuun’s 14 major structures are the only ones in the Toledo area without any stelae found. But uniquely, they’re also the only ones built without mortar.
Coastlines All to Yourself
After the clunk of your boat engine, that’s it. Pick an island and find yourself in tropical bliss, outnumbered only by nesting birds, with a soundtrack of breaking waves over the Belize Barrier Reef that’s enough to lull you to sleep–either as a midday siesta or when camping. If you’re truly seeking solitude from any noise pollution, we say opt for one that’s either out of cell service, away from electricity, has no formal accommodations, or all three. Camp at sites with basic amenities like the historic Half Moon Caye Natural Monument, a quarter-moon sliver of sand flanked by coconut trees as the country’s first protected area, or Moho Caye, a private island on the fringe of Laughing Bird Caye National Park. If you’d prefer camping under a roof, i.e., nothing aside from four wooden walls beneath thatch, then Glover’s Reef Atoll is an off-grid compromise. And during the day? You’re completely unplugged to sunbathe, snorkel, dive, fish, and paddle to your heart’s delight.
Vast Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Parks, and Reserves
Nothing will take you further from the noises of home life than the deep jungle. Every dollar inside Belize’s protected areas—in the form of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, marine or archeological reserves—revitalizes local communities and funds further conservation efforts, which is as good a benefit as decompressing in the great outdoors. After all, giant old-growth trees and thick tiger ferns blanket the rainforest floor, which practically dampens any possible hums of hydroelectric generators or all-wheel vehicles you might hear when off the beaten path. Hone in on the sound of your breathing inside the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve with private reserves like Hidden Valley’s 7,200 acres and its 90 miles of hiking trails. Or, saddle up on a mountain bike—they double as the singletrack, dirt roads, and dry creek beds to deliver you deep into the heart of the site.
Inside the world’s first jaguar preserve, cozy up to the swathe of a recorded 365 species of birdsong and the babbling river, best enjoyed (lazily) by inner tube. Some might rather subdue sound by spelunking instead. Experience the soundscape from the hull of a canoe or kayak with an otherworldly experience inside Nohoch Ch’een or Barton Creek Cave, with just the swish of each paddle.
