Swathed in jungle, with barrier islands and white-sand beaches running down its shore, diminutive Belize lies just south of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and shares certain characteristics – still daydreaming of its time as a hub of Maya civilization; pyramid-temples rising into blue skies at Caracol and Lamanai.

Yet Belize is distinct from its neighbor, too; much of the population speaks English, a hangover from colonial rule, while an important community of Garifuna add drum music and distinctive dishes like hudut to a rich cultural melting pot. Belmopan, the capital, was only founded in 1970 and is small enough to explore in a single hazy afternoon. Meanwhile, the Cayo region teems with wildlife and majesty, its jaguar-rich rainforest pierced by the currents of the Macal and Belize rivers. Elsewhere, the coastline shimmers – all 240 miles of it, snoozing upon the Caribbean Sea and the world’s second-largest barrier reef, with countless islets cradling private villa retreats.