BelmopanCapital
Belize · Country profile
Belmopan is the quiet, planned capital of Belize, a purpose-built government town of the interior that rose from the tropical forest in the nineteen-seventies after the hurricanes destroyed the old coastal seat. It is one of the smallest and newest capitals of the Americas, laid out in the grid of the administrative city with the low white ministries, the parliament of the country and the broad green spaces along the banks of the Belize river. The city is the perfect base of the central circuit of the country, sitting between the rainforest reserves of the west, the cave systems of the region and the Spanish colonial towns of the highland interior. Clean, calm and unpretentious, it offers the traveller the sensible, friendly heart of the nation.
About Belmopan
Belmopan is the capital of Belize. The city's documented population is around 23,000 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Belize Dollar (BZD) and English is spoken; the dialling code is +501.
The Planned Capital of the River Valley of the Interior
Belmopan is a small, orderly capital where the parliament building and the ministries of the market square make the short civic walk and the museum of the town tells the story of the country in a morning. The serious travel of the region lies an hour in every direction: the caves and the ruins of the river valleys of Cayo, the jungle lodges and the mountain preserves of the west and the old Spanish towns of the foothills. The buses of the country stop at the market of the town, and the taxis of the city cover the scattered districts cheaply. It is a working administrative centre rather than a sightseeing capital, but its comfort, its safety and its central location make it the ideal springboard of the interior.
The Wet Season, the Flights and the Spanish Towns of the Foothills
The climate is tropical with a longer wet season from late spring to autumn and a drier, cooler stretch from the winter to the early spring, the best window for the cave and the jungle country. The Belize dollar is the currency, the English the official language, with the Spanish and the Kriol running the streets, and the payment in cash helps away from the centre. The ATM Cave and the Actun Tunichil Muknal, the ruins of Xunantunich and the lodges of the Cayo district anchor the essential days, while the car hire or the tour of the town covers the distances. The mosquito repellent and the torch of the caves complete the practical list of the region.
The Government Quarter, the Museum and the Caves of the West
The market square of the capital, with the parliament building, the old post office and the financial ministries of the low, white-washed style, forms the compact civic heart of the city. The museum of the town, the craft market and the Saturday farmers’ market of the river bank hold the everyday life of the capital. The George Price Centre and the midtown lagoon of the outskirts, with its birdlife and its evening walkways, add the quieter corners. The whole central district of the country, from the cave systems and the Maya ruins of the west to the Spanish churches of the mountain towns, completes the extraordinary circuit that the calm little capital serves.
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- Country
- Belize
- Population
- 23,000
- Capital
- Belmopan
- Region
- North America
- Currency
- Belize Dollar (BZD)
- Languages
- English
- Calling code
- +501
- Country code
- BZ
Entry requirements for Belize
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting Belize for tourism.
Frequently asked questions
Is Belmopan the capital of Belize?
Yes — Belmopan is the capital of Belize.
What currency do I need in Belmopan?
The local currency is the Belize Dollar (BZD). Languages spoken in Belize include English.
What is the dialling code for Belize?
The international dialling code for Belize is +501.
Do I need a visa to visit Belize?
It depends on your passport. Among the origins we track, travellers from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy currently enter Belize visa-free for tourism. Use the entry requirements tool to check your own nationality and purpose of travel.
Flying out of Belmopan? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.