Honeymooning in Belize is not for the faint of heart. Just getting to the country’s largest island, Ambergris Caye, requires a two-hour flight from Houston or Miami, navigating a quaint airport and climbing (literally!) aboard a teeny-tiny plane filled with what feels like hooptie car seats for a quick 15 minutes before taking a car and boat shuttle. 

Of course, that’s kind of the point. Belize is for couples who prefer to mix relaxation with a rush of blood to the head and newlyweds who want to swim with sharks at the world’s second largest barrier reef, scale Mayan ruins, zipline and bike unmarked, unpaved roads to discover hidden beaches. Folks who would let out squeals of delight rather than cries for help if they opened their door at Las Terrazas Resort to find a four-foot iguana outside. Even the fairly common vacation activity of taking a cooking class gets an injection of adrenaline at the 37-room property. Chef Papy will have you rolling venomous lionfish sushi in your kitchenette.

Much of the country remains wild and Mother Nature can be fickle, forcing you to be flexible in planning activities like cave tubing at Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch or helicoptering over the awe-inspiring Great Blue Hole. Taking cover under a tarp for some of your jungle cruise with SEAduced By Belize tours becomes part of the fun and damp unmentionables are worth the rewards of homemade juice and Johnnycakes (a local delicacy) in Bomba Village or a meeting with a very friendly spider monkey. 

When you’ve had enough adventure, return to your expansive and well air-conditioned (a godsend for any sub-tropical climate) suite. More sun relief can be had by sipping the property’s signature Tiffany blue frozen cocktail from a partially submerged chaise at the pool, hitting the private beach or by asking Leroy, a legend on TripAdvisor, to clamber up a palm and machete you a fresh coconut. When truly ready to indulge, sign up for matching massages at the on-site spa or sip and snack on Caye-crafted rums and chocolate in the open-air lobby. Then feast on O Restaurant’s steak and seafood risotto. Even better, splurge on various dining a deux options that the staff can arrange on O’s romantic rooftop, the shore or a secluded sandbar, perfect for a private picnic followed by kayaking and paddleboarding in a translucent bay.

Whether you choose to partake in a string of dauntless escapades or some simple post-wedding recuperating, you better “Belize” this Central American country has you covered on both accounts.