I know some of you still have snow on the ground but, I promise, summer is almost here! And while many people plan their vacations during the “high season” – the months of December through April, it makes a ton of sense to visit Belize during the summer. The summer months are way easier on your budget and let you experience Belize when there are less tourists and more locals on vacation. And that means a truly unique Belize experience.
Win. Win.
From June to August, you can experience Belize, some of our festivals and find some pretty great deals. Here are 6 reasons I love Belize in the summer months.
1. You Can Often Get a Better Deal on Airfare and Your Resort: Take advantage of the fact that it isn’t the “high season”. Many airlines and most resorts have discounted rates for the Summer Season. (Check out our discounted Summer Rates here.)
2. The Weather is Still Beautiful: Belize’s tropical climate means that it is warm all year round – the average yearly temp. sits at around 84 degrees. A few degrees cooler in the winter, a few degrees warmer in the summer – but no matter how hot, the shade of the coconut trees, the almost constant ocean breeze and the water will cool you off.
3. Lobsterfests! Lobster season is closed from February 15th until June 15th each year. During mid June, Ambergris Caye celebrates the return of our favorite crustacean with a HUGE week-long Lobster Festival. This year’s party will be celebrated June 14th to 20th The last day, Saturday June 20th, is a big block party in San Pedro’s Central Park. Lobster sliders, lobster ceviche and lobster mac & cheese anyone?
If you REALLY love Lobster and a great party, plan to be in town for our sister island, Caye Caulker’s, Lobsterfest as well. Nothing is more fun that taking a morning boat over to the small caye (about a 25 minute ride) for their festival…spend 4 or 5 hours walking around, drinking, playing games and eating more lobster – you can be back at your resort by the evening.
4. The Kids Are Off from School! What a fantastic time to immerse the whole family in the culture, the history and the natural beauty of Belize. Take your family snorkeling with sharks and sting rays (we promise, they don’t bite!)…
…sailing to a neighboring caye, on a day trip to the Belize Zoo to meet some jaguars or to the mainland Mayan ruins…
Trust me, no one will forget climbing this.
5. Local Festivals: Belizean schools are closed and summer is the time for festivals. Aside from the HUGE lobster festivals, San Pedro, Belize celebrates Dia De San Pedro in June and the Costa Maya Festival in August. The first is geared towards culture and religion (it celebrates St. Peter, the town’s patron saint) and the second is a huge music festival and a beauty pageant. Both mean food, fun, carnival rides in the park and lots of local color.
6. We Make Some Pretty Mean Frozen Drinks by the Pool. I know, I know…you have 1000 activities planned and then you get on vacation, you see the pools…and the ocean…and you just want to unplug, grab a book and a spot in the pool or maybe a hammock in the shade and relax.
And then you’ll want to try some of Belize’s famous local rum. A frozen Island Rum Punch or a fresh mango colada.
Often you can ask one of the gardeners at the resort to help you open a coconut from one of the trees. NOTHING more satisfying than hacking at a coconut with a machete or more refreshing than drinking fresh coconut water.
So…there you have it. Discounts and fewer tourists coupled with great weather and more local festivals will mean a unique Belize experience. Come on down…we are pretty sure you’ll love it.
And don’t get me started on September – Belize celebrates her Independence over a whole month – and it’s amazing. I’ll tell you more about that soon…
