Things to Do in Belize City in November
November weather, activities, events & insider tips
November Weather in Belize City
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
Is November Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
- + Rain eases up—just 10 wet days instead of October’s 17—and when afternoon squalls blow through they’re gone in 30 minutes, leaving the Caribbean streaked copper and gold.
- + Hotels cut rates 25-30% from peak, yet the water ringing the cayes stays gin-clear straight into December.
- + On 19 November, Garifuna Settlement Day turns the whole town into the year’s loudest street party: drums roll until 3 AM and every corner smells of hudut—coconut fish stew—simmering in cast-iron pots.
- + Once Thanksgiving cruises sail away, the Museum of Belize and St John’s Cathedral are suddenly civilized—no queues, no elbowing.
- − Mosquitoes turn nasty after sunset when the sea breeze drops and 70% humidity hangs in the air; pack repellent if you want to eat outside.
- − A few operators trim Blue Hole departures to three days a week; secure your slot within 48 hours of landing or you’ll miss the window.
- − Water taxis to Caye Caulker drop afternoon runs from hourly to every 90 minutes; a late-day storm can leave you stuck.
Year-Round Climate
How November compares to the rest of the year
Best Activities in November
Top things to do during your visit
November is the calendar’s sweet spot—hurricane season is done, the sea lies flat and 30 m (98 ft) visibility is common. Afternoon trips push off at 1 PM, dodge the morning cruise rush and still beat the evening squall. Eagle rays hunt along the drop-off while you have the reef almost to yourself.
Once the mercury slips from 30°C (86°F) to 26°C (79°F), evening food tours become the best way to taste Belize. Between street-side panades stalls and 40-year-old rice-and-beans joints you’ll sample recado rojo and black seasoning paste the guidebooks never mention. Garifuna Settlement Day specials run all week before the 19th.
At 26°C (79°F) and almost no humidity, November mornings are made for the Temple of the Masonry Altars—tour buses are still loading cruise passengers, so you get the plaza to yourself. The hour-long drive north threads through orange groves heavy with fruit, and howler monkeys crank up the volume before the heat settles in.
November pushes manatees upriver behind the mullet—watch them surface 10 m away in the tea-coloured water while crocodiles sun on mangrove roots. Morning cruises catch the giants feeding in the shallows before the tide turns, and the light filtering through river palms is made for photos. Most trips swing by the baboon sanctuary where howler monkeys drop to within 2 m (6.5 ft) of the boat.
November’s dry sidewalks make the 3 km (1.9 mile) heritage loop a pleasure: start at the Swing Bridge, thread through pastel colonial façades, and finish at Baron Bliss Lighthouse where locals haul snapper onto the rocks. By 4 PM the humidity has backed off, so you won’t be dripping when you reach the St George’s Caye exhibit.
November Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
The coast turns into one long drum roll: punta dancers in yellow-white-black costumes spin down Albert Street after 6 PM on the 18th, and hudut steam rises from every doorway. Downtown goes car-free, but the real scene is in Dangriga, two hours south, where dawn reenactments of the 1832 landing start at 5 AM sharp.
Essential Tips
What to pack, insider knowledge and common pitfalls