How safe is Belize for travelers?

The number, and what it actually means

• Belize has one of the highest per capita murder rates in the world. That is the FCDO's phrasing and it is accurate.
• It is also almost entirely gang violence in one part of one city - the Southside of Belize City, south of Haulover Creek. Visitors are not targeted.
• Most crimes go unsolved because the police lack capacity, which is the practical reason to prevent rather than report.
• The cayes and Cayo are a different country statistically. The realistic risk there is theft from a room or a bag.

Practical precautions

• Do not walk the Southside. There is nothing there for a visitor.
• On San Pedro and Caye Caulker: avoid dark alleys at night, use cash machines that are inside or busy, and keep valuables out of sight. Bicycles and phones disappear.
• Do not travel by road at night. The roads themselves are the bigger risk - potholes, no lighting, and no emergency services if something happens.

The water

• There have been injuries and deaths in snorkelling and diving here, and the causes are inadequate safety precautions and bad weather.
• Use registered, licensed operators only. Ask; a real operator will show you.
• The Blue Hole is a technical dive at 40 m, not a novelty, and it is 80 km offshore.
• Check the forecast before an offshore day. The crossing is exposed.

Hurricanes

• The season runs June to November, peaking August to October, and Belize is low-lying with cayes barely above sea level.
• Evacuation of the cayes happens when a storm approaches, and it happens with limited notice.
• Travel insurance that covers weather disruption matters more here than in most places.

Drugs

• Possession carries a fine and a prison sentence. Cannabis is decriminalised in small amounts for personal use on private property only - that is not the same as legal, and it does not extend to a beach or a boat.