“If it’s good enough for Jacques Cousteau, it’s good enough for me,” I thought as we headed out to Belize’s Great Blue Hole, one of the truly great wonders of the natural world.

Perhaps the most impressive examples of the Mayan kingdom in Belize are Caracol, in the Mountain Pine Ridge, and Lamanai in Orange Walk district with its spectacular jungle setting. Xunantunich in Cayo is easily accessible and makes for a great day combination with the smaller Cahel Pech, on the outskirts of San Ignacio town, or hop across the border to Guatemala and visit Tikal, the region’s most significant and powerful Mayan site.

High on the list of Belize’s many charms is a very comfortable tropical climate with an average yearly temperature of 84° F (29°C). Costal sea breezes and Belize’s large tracts of jungle and rainforests provide cooling relief even in the hottest summer months while winters can be cool but never very cold. In short, the climate is pretty much near perfect.