The Climate of Belize

Three Geographical Parts of Belize

Belize is a small country, which is normally divided into three parts according to climate and geography. The northern part is mostly low and flat, not more than 300 feet in elevation. The visitor to the northern part of Belize will find swampy areas on the coastal areas, as well as lagoons. There are also flat plains, palm savannahs, and if you go inland from the coast, flat areas with little hilly parts. The small hills support semi-deciduous, broadleaf rainforest.

The southern part of Belize is a coastal strip, about 10 miles wide, also at a low elevation. There are marshes, savannahs, and some rainforest. There are higher elevations than in the northern section, and these areas contain evergreen forests and pine savannahs, which you would find in the Maya Mountains. The mountains make the shape of a crescent and rise up to 3000 feet in some areas. The Maya Mountains run from Belize and into Guatemala and include Belize's Mountain Pine Ridge. Ecotravellers are drawn to the Mountain Pine Ridge because of is stunning beauty.

The third geographical area of Belize is the part that contains all the offshore cayes (keys), or small islands. These small islands are covered in mangroves and palms and most don't have any human development on them. Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker are the largest of the cayes, and support towns and roads and human development, as well as thriving tourist community on Ambergris Caye.

The Weather in Belize

There is a dry season and a rainy season each year in Belize. The dry season is when most tourists visit the country: from December through May. Rainy season lasts from June through November. It depends what the elevation is, but the levels of annual rainfall can vary enormously from area to area. For such a small country, we see great diversity in amounts of rain received. For example, in the Corozal District in the northern part of Belize, the average rainfall is about 50 inches per year. If you go south to Belize City, the average is up to 79 inches. If you go further south and a little east, to Punta Gorda, youg et 177 inches a year. In all regions, albeit less so in the mountainous areas, humidity is high. Conditions are moist and tropical. Belize City is warm all year round, with average temperatures at a pleasant 72 degrees in the dry season and up to 88 degrees in the rainy season. If you go up to Mountain Pine Redge, average low temperature drops to a cool 63 degrees F in December.