National parks · 19 parks

National Parks in Belize

Q: How much of Belize is national park?

About 7.8% of the country — 1,788 km² of national parks out of 22,966 km² in total.

Q: What is the oldest national park in Belize?

St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park, established in 1986, followed by Chiquibul National Park (1991), Sarstoon-Temash National Park (1994) and Payne's Creek National Park (1994).

Belize has 19 national parks covering about 1,788 km² in total. The largest is Chiquibul National Park (1,068 km²); the oldest, St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park, dates from 1986.

Chiquibul National Park1,068 km² · since 1991 Sarstoon-Temash National Park169 km² · since 1994 Payne's Creek National Park147 km² · since 1994 Elijio Panti National Park53 km² Nojkaaxmeen Eligio Panti Nationalpark51 km² · since 2001 Bacalar Chico National Park45 km² · since 1996 Peccary Hills National Park43 km² · since 2007

Laughing Bird Caye National Park41 km² · since 1996 Aguas Turbias National Park35 km² · since 1994 Melinda Nationalpark34 km² · since 2011 Honey Camp Nationalpark31 km² · since 2001 Mayflower Bocawina National Park29 km² · since 2001 Five Blues Lake National Park16 km² · since 1994 Monkey Bay Nationalpark8.6 km² · since 1994

Billy Barquedier National Park6.6 km² · since 2001

Gra Gra Lagoon Nationalpark5.3 km² · since 2002

St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park2.7 km² · since 1986 Rio Blanco Nationalpark0.4 km² · since 1994

Guanacaste National Park0.2 km² · since 1994

Data: Wikidata (CC0), English Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons. Photos under their Commons licences — the author is credited on each park page.

National parks in Belize at a glance

Belize has 19 national parks covering about 1,788 km² — roughly 7.8% of the country's 22,966 km². The 3 largest parks together account for 77% of that area.

Largest national parks

Chiquibul National Park — 1,068 km², since 1991
Sarstoon-Temash National Park — 169 km², since 1994
Payne's Creek National Park — 147 km², since 1994
Elijio Panti National Park — 53 km²
Nojkaaxmeen Eligio Panti Nationalpark — 51 km², since 2001

Oldest national parks

St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park — established 1986
Chiquibul National Park — established 1991
Sarstoon-Temash National Park — established 1994
Payne's Creek National Park — established 1994
Aguas Turbias National Park — established 1994

Planning a trip? See the best time to visit Belize, the Belize travel guide and airports in Belize.

Frequently asked questions

How many national parks are there in Belize?

Belize has 19 national parks covering about 1,788 km² in total. The largest is Chiquibul National Park (1,068 km²); the oldest, St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park, dates from 1986.

What are the largest national parks in Belize?

Chiquibul National Park (1,068 km²), Sarstoon-Temash National Park (169 km²), Payne's Creek National Park (147 km²), Elijio Panti National Park (53 km²) and Nojkaaxmeen Eligio Panti Nationalpark (51 km²).

How much of Belize is national park?

About 7.8% of the country — 1,788 km² of national parks out of 22,966 km² in total.

What is the oldest national park in Belize?

St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park, established in 1986, followed by Chiquibul National Park (1991), Sarstoon-Temash National Park (1994) and Payne's Creek National Park (1994).