Helpful Belize Info

We're all about your Belize vacation.
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Belize Money and Communications

Money:

  • US dollars (paper money, not coins) are freely used in Belize (and most businesses would rather receive US dollars than Belize dollars).  So, no need to exchange money at the bank or elsewhere. 
  • Do bring smaller denominations to avoid problems getting change. 
  • Banks will give credit card advances for $5-$10 USD per advance.  If you use a Visa debit card, you can avoid cash advance interest charges, but it has to be a Visa or Mastercard debit card, a bank issued card won't work in Belize.  ATMs that will process credit, debit and ATM cards issued outside Belize are not available everywhere, and the ones that supposedly do, don't always work.  Therefore, if you really need cash, make sure to get to a bank during banking hours (usually between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.) so that you can get a cash advance inside the bank if the ATM doesn't work (or if the banks near you don't have international ATMs).
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Destinations Belize Contact Information

Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone: 

  • US phone:  561-315-6161
  • US fax:  603-386-6632

Website:  www.destinationsbelize.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/destinations.belize

Mailing Address:  1820 North K, Lake Worth, FL  33460

Destinations Belize LLC is registered with the State of Florida as a Seller of Travel.  Registration no. ST-40655.

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Our Belize Travel Agency

Destinations Belize (formerly Kevin Modera Guide Services), a member of the Belize Tourism Industry Association, was established in 1998. 

Mary Toy of Destinations Belize is a past secretary of the Placencia Chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association, a founder and past president of the Placencia Humane Society, a founder of the Placencia Sidewalk Fund, founder of Peninsula Citizens for Sustainable Development, and an inactive member of the Missouri and Illinois Bar Associations.

Destinations Belize is not affiliated with any hotel, guest house, resort or other tourism business because we believe our independence allows us to best serve our clients by offering them unbiased advice on where to stay and what to do in Belize.

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Sun Protection in Belize

The sun just doesn't seem stronger in the tropics - it is! And sun protection is vitally important - especially for children and young adults.

Fortunately, sun protection can be obtained in a number of different ways - clothing, chemical sunscreens (and sunblocks), and simply staying out of the sun. For most people (including children), a combination of all three works best in the tropics.

General Sun Facts

Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR): The sun produces ultraviolet radiation (UVR) that gives us light to see, warmth, and fuel for the growth of plants.

  • UVR has 3 different bands - UVA, UVB and UVC. Very little UVC reaches the earth's atmosphere. UVB is the strongest band and causes most sunburns. UVA is weaker than UVB, but about 100 times more UVA than UVB rays reach the earth's surface, meaning UVA protection is still important.
  • Skin cancers, cataracts and 90% of visible aging (wrinkles) are caused primarily by UVB and UVA rays. Sunburn is caused primarily by UVB rays.
  • The risk of skin cancer is believed to double for people who receive just one or two severe sunburns during childhood. In fact, researchers believe that 80-90% of the skin damage that causes wrinkles and skin cancer is received before the age of 18.
  • Sunburn shows damage to the skin caused by UVB rays. However, just because the skins shows no visible signs of a burn does not mean it is not being damaged by the sun.
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Responsible Travel and Tourism in Belize

For you, the traveler, responsible travel means minimizing the potentially adverse impacts of your travel on the places you visit, not only your environmental impacts, but also your economic, cultural and social impacts. 

For us, a tourism business, responsible tourism means running and managing our business so that Belize and the people of Belize directly benefit from your travel with as little harm as possible to local cultures, environment and social structures.  Specificially, that money stays in local communities through patronizing local businesses, resources such as clean water remain available for everyone (not just tourists and travelers), Belizeans are not confined to low-level service jobs, but instead have opportunities to work and grow professionally within their own tourism industry, women and children are protected from exploitation - and that our clients have authentic opportunities to learn about Belize and Belizeans.    

Obviously, responsible travel and responsible tourism go hand in hand, and if achieved, give you a great and memorable vacation in a Belize that is a better place because you were there. 

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Other Belize Information

This section of our Website includes miscellaneous information about Belize, such as money and communications information, tips for staying safe in the sun, transportation, and a separate section on Placencia, where we're located. 

This section also includes information about Destinations Belize, responsible travel (so that we all benefit from tourism, you, our Belize tourism industry and our local communities) and a site index in case you can't find something you're searching for.

Please let us know if you think other information helpful to travelers ought to be included in this section, and we'll do our best to accommodate.

Happy Surfing!