Budget accommodations are ample in Belize, as long as you have a, um, flexible idea of what’s “cheap.” In this book, any hotel under US$25 is reasonable, though value varies like anywhere else. In Belize, hostels and dormitories for under US$10 per person per night may mean a sacrifice in safety and/or cleanliness. At press time, US$10 is the accepted bottom line for low-cost lodging, and it’ll get you anything from a cramped concrete box to a generous wooden cabin like those found at the Trek Stop and other backpacker hotspots. Guesthouses and budget hotels sometimes offer a dormitory or bunkroom, shared among fellow travelers; this option is cheaper, but obviously you give up privacy and security—and you’ll enjoy community bathrooms and cold water. Sometimes, nicer hotels offer a few “economy rooms,” which are considerably cheaper than normal rates. And, of course, great deals are abundant in the low season, when room rates plummet across the board, and walk-in specials can save you as much as 50 percent off normal winter (high-season) rates.

Many villages around the country are trying to emulate the guesthouse and homestay networks available in the southern Toledo villages. Sometimes calling themselves “bed-and-breakfasts,” such options are usually primitive in every sense of the word, often lacking electricity, running water, and flush toilets. Look for them along the Hummingbird Highway, and in some outlying Cayo villages.