Offshore to the east lies the longest coral reef in the western hemisphere. Most of the mountains are covered with dense primeval forests, home to more than 500 species of birds and thousands of varieties of butterflies. There are sanctuaries for jaguars and baboons and some 600 sites of the ancient Mayan civilization, making Belize a paradise for naturalists and anthropologists alike.
東臨加勒比海，擁有西半球最長的珊瑚礁海岸；絕大部分山地都密密覆蓋著原始森林，五百種鳥類、上千種蝴蝶，加上野生美洲豹及狒狒的保護區；以及為數約六百、大大小小的馬雅古文明廢墟，使得貝里斯一向是生物學家、人類學家偏愛的樂園。