Belize City

Belize City is the largest city and main port of Belize, home to around 63,000 people, sitting at the mouth of Haulover Creek on the Caribbean coast. Founded in 1638 as a British logging settlement exploiting the region's logwood and mahogany, it served as the capital of British Honduras until 1970, when the newly built inland city of Belmopan took over following the catastrophic damage of Hurricane Hatch in 1961. Colonial-era wooden verandah houses in Caribbean style still line the older streets, reflecting a built fabric shaped more by timber than by stone. Today the city is the primary gateway to the Belize Barrier Reef — the second-longest reef system in the world — and the main hub for boat transfers, dive operators, and tours to the surrounding cayes.