You can see in the comments below it is a controversial topic. Seven years later I stand by what I originally wrote. Belize the country is a beautiful place with safe tourism; however, I continue to recommend avoiding Belize City and taking the advice I did not.
Belize City crime is rampant and Belize City is dangerous. But in the world there are only a handful of things I know to be true, and this is one of them. Chetumal was rough but it was only preparing me for the trip farther South.
How bad could it be? Belize City is the dirty, dodgy, scammy city that everyone says it is. I stayed at the Belcove Inn and asked the women at reception about how safe the city was.
So I picked up some dinner and beer and decided it would be a night in. Then I passed by three guys sitting in a two-seat tinted Mercedes with California plates. I kept walking. I met a couple from Saskatoon who were on their way back home.
So tender and spicy, it made staying in bearable. Confined to the patio facing the river, I met Dulio who I eventually realized was guarding the hostel.
