Independence Plaza
A garden and red sculpture.
Haakon S. Krohn — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Haakon S. Krohn — CC BY-SA 3.0 · La Pulgarcita — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Josh Gross — CC BY 2.0 · La Pulgarcita — CC BY-SA 2.0
Belmopan is the capital of Belize and the smallest capital by population in the continental Americas, with 20,754 people in 2022. It is a modern planned city built to be safe from coastal dangers, and visitors come not for grand sights but to understand how modern Belize began, and because it sits well on the road network. After Hurricane Hattie destroyed about 75 percent of the houses in low-lying Belize City in 1961, the government proposed a new capital on higher ground. Lord Greenwood unveiled a monument to the site on 9 October 1965, and the government moved here in 1970. Its name joins the Belize River with the Mopan, which flows into it. Independence Plaza stands at the centre, with a neat garden and a red sculpture, and close by is the market, known for its palms and blue roofs. The National Assembly Building is designed to resemble a Maya temple, while streets and low houses spread out among the trees. At sunset some spots show distant green hills, and the city is known for its quiet. It lies 82 km southwest of Belize City at 76 m, near the Belize River, a practical stop on the way to San Ignacio or Dangriga. Read current travel advice before moving around Belize and Cayo districts. Ask before photographing government buildings, and bring an umbrella in the rainy season. The market is the best place for a quick meal and local fruit.
A garden and red sculpture.
Palms and blue roofs.
Like a Maya temple.
Cayo District, central Belize
After Hurricane Hattie in 1961, for higher ground away from the coast.
Yes, a short one, as it lies on the way west and south.