This ramshackle, colorful Caribbean city of 80,000 souls was Belize's former capital and is the country's only settlement of any size. The tropical storms which periodically razed the town in the 19th and early 20th centuries still arrive to do damage to its aging wooden buildings, but they also flush out the open drainage canals, redolent with pollution, which crisscross the city. When there's no storm, Belize City bustles, steams and swelters.
Some travelers report that the city can be quite dangerous, particularly after dark.
The city's commercial center is divided from the more genteel northern neighborhoods by Haulover Creek, a branch of the Belize River. The creek is spanned by the Swing Bridge. North of the bridge is the wood-framed Paslow Building , housing the city's main post office, and the Fort George Lighthouse . North Front St, on the north bank of Haulover Creek, has a good selection of budget accommodations. The luxury hotels are located at the end of the north shore peninsula.