Biodiversity in Belize
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Day 1: Fly to Belize • Belmopan region
Meet your Tour Director at the airportTravel to the Belmopan region, where you’ll get a Belizean welcome and a history and culture presentation to give you an idea of what to expect in the upcoming week
Enjoy dinner in the Belmopan region
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Day 2: Belmopan region
Participate in full-day biodiversity programming, during which you will:
- Attend a lecture on conservation and biodiversity
- Take a guided trail hike
- Enjoy lunch
- Canoe the Sibun river
Enjoy dinner in the Belmopan region and try Belizean specialties like rice and beans cooked in coconut milk
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Day 3: Belmopan region • Punta Gorda
Participate in early-morning bird-watching with a local guide (optional) and keep an eye out for the nearly 500 species of native Belizean birds
See flora and fauna during a day hike and learn about Belize’s complex ecosystems while observing and exploring this beautiful rainforest
Enjoy lunch
Travel to Punta Gorda, a fishing town on the Caribbean coast and your new headquarters for sustainable adventure
Enjoy dinner in Punta Gorda
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Day 4: Punta Gorda
Be a Belizean Ranger for a day and play a role in the protection of the the Belizean forest corridor
Enjoy lunch in Punta Gorda
Participate in Garifuna drumming lessons under the thatched roof of the Garifuna Drum School, where you'll learn to play traditional drum styles and even how to create a drum
Enjoy dinner in Punta Gorda
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Day 5: Punta Gorda • Placencia
Travel to the white beaches and mangrove fields of Placencia, a peninsula in the Stann Creek District
Visit the Maya archaeological site of Nim Li Punit, often called “Big Hat” by the indigenous locals because of the enormous headdress found on the stone stela sculpture overlooking it
Enjoy lunch in Placencia
Spend a half day exploring Placencia on your own
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Day 6: Placencia
Participate in an introduction to the Reef Eco System, one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world of which researchers have still uncovered only 10% of the species living there
Enjoy snorkeling in the nearby cayes and swim with more than 500 species of fish and hundreds of invertebrates and coral
Enjoy lunch in Placencia
Spend a half day exploring Placencia on your own
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Day 7: Placencia • Maya village • Belize City
Travel via a local Maya village and Blue Hole National Park to Belize City
Visit a Maya village and meet members of its community, where you’ll learn about authentic Maya culture from indigenous experts, try dance moves that are as old as their civilization, and taste coffee that has been harvested and ground right in front of you
Understand the Maya chocolate-making process with a visit to a chocolate bean farm that uses age-old techniques, and be sure to either take a bar for the road or some powder to cook with at home
Enjoy a traditional Maya lunch
Take a self-guided cave exploration
Visit St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park and jump in its crystal clear waters
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Day 8: Return to Belize City and depart for home
-
Day 1: Fly to Belize • Belmopan region
Meet your Tour Director at the airportTravel to the Belmopan region, where you’ll get a Belizean welcome and a history and culture presentation to give you an idea of what to expect in the upcoming week
Enjoy dinner in the Belmopan region
-
Day 2: Belmopan region
Participate in full-day biodiversity programming, during which you will:
- Attend a lecture on conservation and biodiversity
- Take a guided trail hike
- Enjoy lunch
- Canoe the Sibun river
Enjoy dinner in the Belmopan region and try Belizean specialties like rice and beans cooked in coconut milk
-
Day 3: Belmopan region • Punta Gorda
Participate in early-morning bird-watching with a local guide (optional) and keep an eye out for the nearly 500 species of native Belizean birds
See flora and fauna during a day hike and learn about Belize’s complex ecosystems while observing and exploring this beautiful rainforest
Enjoy lunch
Travel to Punta Gorda, a fishing town on the Caribbean coast and your new headquarters for sustainable adventure
Enjoy dinner in Punta Gorda
-
Day 4: Punta Gorda
Be a Belizean Ranger for a day and play a role in the protection of the the Belizean forest corridor
Enjoy lunch in Punta Gorda
Participate in Garifuna drumming lessons under the thatched roof of the Garifuna Drum School, where you'll learn to play traditional drum styles and even how to create a drum
Enjoy dinner in Punta Gorda
-
Day 5: Punta Gorda • Placencia
Travel to the white beaches and mangrove fields of Placencia, a peninsula in the Stann Creek District
Visit the Maya archaeological site of Nim Li Punit, often called “Big Hat” by the indigenous locals because of the enormous headdress found on the stone stela sculpture overlooking it
Enjoy lunch in Placencia
Spend a half day exploring Placencia on your own
-
Day 6: Placencia
Participate in an introduction to the Reef Eco System, one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world of which researchers have still uncovered only 10% of the species living there
Enjoy snorkeling in the nearby cayes and swim with more than 500 species of fish and hundreds of invertebrates and coral
Enjoy lunch in Placencia
Spend a half day exploring Placencia on your own
-
Day 7: Placencia • Maya village • Belize City
Travel via a local Maya village and Blue Hole National Park to Belize City
Visit a Maya village and meet members of its community, where you’ll learn about authentic Maya culture from indigenous experts, try dance moves that are as old as their civilization, and taste coffee that has been harvested and ground right in front of you
Understand the Maya chocolate-making process with a visit to a chocolate bean farm that uses age-old techniques, and be sure to either take a bar for the road or some powder to cook with at home
Enjoy a traditional Maya lunch
Take a self-guided cave exploration
Visit St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park and jump in its crystal clear waters
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Day 8: Return to Belize City and depart for home
Confidence • Curiosity • Global perspective • Empathy • Adaptability • Relatability • Self-Awareness
Your experience includes
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Round-trip airfare
Your price includes round-trip airfare for your whole group.
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Accommodations
Safe, comfortable hotels with private bathrooms will be waiting for you at your destination.
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On-tour transportation
Land transportation
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Regional-style meals
Daily breakfasts and select local dinners are included in your program. Generally, we leave lunch up to you so your group has an opportunity to explore its own tastes.
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End-to-end support
Your team helps to secure administrative approval and academic credit, provides recruiting tools and helps establish your program's ongoing presence on campus.
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Full-time Field Director
Your expert Field Director is with your group 24/7, providing deep local insight while handling all program logistics.
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Entrances
Bird watching; Tropical forest observation; Cave exploration; Maya Center; Organic Garden tour; Nim Li Punit Mayan site; Snorkeling
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Expert Local Guides
Your expert local guides are natural historians, adding cultural insight and enhancing teaching moments wherever your curriculum takes you.
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Worldwide support, safety and security
EF has over 500 schools and offices in more than 50 countries worldwide. We provide 24-hour emergency support service along with a comprehensive $50 million liability policy that covers you and your institution while abroad.
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Flexible payment options
Give more students the opportunity to study abroad by offering them two different payment plan options, along with our TripFunder website to help fundraise for the program.
