In July, the water off Ambergris Caye is warm and bright, boats idle at the docks of San Pedro, and the green hills of the Cayo District hold the heavy, damp smell of the rainy season. The lobster season has just reopened, so grills and kitchens along the coast start putting it back on the menu. July in Belize means warm sea, lush rainforest and a country in its green season, from the cayes to the highlands.
What is the weather like in Belize in July?
July is hot, humid and green across the country, with warm seas along the whole coast and frequent rain that keeps the forest lush. On the coast the water is as warm as it gets all year, and inland the hills are at their greenest.
| Month | Belize City average high (°F) | Belize City average low (°F) | Belize City rain days | Sea at San Pedro (°F) | Sea at Placencia (°F) | Sea at Corozal (°F) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June | 89.4 | 77.7 | 10.0 | 86.6 | 88.2 | 88.8 |
| July | 89.3 | 77.0 | 11.8 | 85.7 | 86.4 | 87.7 |
| August | 89.8 | 76.8 | 11.0 | 86.7 | 87.6 | 89.6 |
In Belize City, July highs hover near 90°F and nights stay in the upper 70s, so there is little relief after dark. Rain falls on nearly twelve days of the month, a little more than in June, and the month adds up to a bit under six inches of precipitation. Days are long, with about thirteen hours of daylight in the middle of the month.
The sea is the other half of the picture. Near Corozal Town it is the warmest of the three places in the table, near Placencia it sits in the mid-80s, and off San Pedro it is a touch cooler, though still very warm. All three are slightly cooler than in June, and August brings them back up.
Where to go in Belize in July
Belize has no Pacific coast, so the choice in July is between the Caribbean cayes and the coast on one side, and the green interior on the other. The sea is warm everywhere along the shore, and the rainy season gives the forest its fullest look.
The northern cayes: Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker
San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye, sits beside the Belize Barrier Reef, the longest in the western hemisphere. The sea off the town is in the mid-80s in July, which suits long days on the water, and the road north of town now runs for more than ten miles past resorts and beach houses.
Caye Caulker is the smaller neighbor, with a fishing past that goes back to the lobster fisheries of the early twentieth century. With the lobster closed season over after June 30, July is when lobster returns to the menus of the island. Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve and Hol Chan are part of the same stretch of reef, and Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve is a nursery for conch, spiny lobster and many reef fish.
The rainy season means showers can arrive at any point, and sargassum, the floating brown algae that gives off a rotten-egg smell when it washes ashore, can reach Caribbean beaches in some years.
The south: Placencia and the reef beyond
Placencia sits on a long peninsula, with the barrier reef a boat ride off the coast and Laughing Bird Caye, a National Park and World Heritage Site, even closer. In July the sea off the village is in the mid-80s, a little cooler than in June.
The whale shark season at Gladden Spit, near Placencia, runs from March to June around the full moon, so it has ended by July. What remains is the reef, the village’s sandy main street and a coast that is quieter after the spring rush. Hopkins and Dangriga, along the same coast, are the places to meet Garifuna music, drumming and cassava bread.
The Cayo District and the highlands
Inland, the Cayo District is a farming region of citrus and bananas, crossed by the George Price Highway from Belize City to the Guatemalan border and by the Hummingbird Highway from Belmopan. San Ignacio is the town most travelers use as a base for the Maya sites, such as Xunantunich and Cahal Pech, and for Mountain Pine Ridge.
July is green season here. Rivers run fuller and the forest is dense, which is a good setting for the Maya sites and the jungle lodges of the district, among them Chaa Creek, Blancaneaux Lodge and Ka’ana. Rain falls on many days, so plan outdoor visits with some patience. Being inland, there is no sea to swim in, and the heat is the same humid kind you meet on the coast.
What to do in Belize in July
The main thing to do in July is get on and under the water, then retreat inland to the forest and the Maya sites when the rain comes. The warm sea makes it a month for reef days, and the green hills reward those who head inland.
On the reef
Snorkeling and diving along the barrier reef are the draw of the cayes. From San Pedro the reserves of Bacalar Chico and Hol Chan, with Shark Ray Alley, lie along the reef, and from Placencia the reef and Laughing Bird Caye are a boat ride away. Farther out are the atolls of Turneffe, Lighthouse Reef, where the Great Blue Hole lies, and Glover’s Reef.
The sea is warm enough that you spend much of the day in the water. The whale sharks of Gladden Spit are a spring event and are not around in July.
Lobster season and the table
Lobster is closed for the whole country from March 1 to June 30, so July is when the first lobster of the new season reaches the plate. Minimum sizes apply, with a carapace length of 3 inches and a tail weight of 4 ounces. Grilled lobster, ceviche and coconut-based stews are what the coast cooks at this time, and in Garifuna villages you find hudut, fish in a coconut broth served with mashed plantain.
Maya sites and the jungle
Inland, July is a month for Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, Caracol, Lamanai and Altun Ha, as well as the caves such as Actun Tunichil Muknal. The green season gives the forest around the temples a deep, wet look, with birds and howler monkeys in the canopy. The Belize Zoo and the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary are other outings for those who like wildlife.
Is Belize busy in July?
July is part of the green season, and the country is a bit calmer than in the dry winter months, though the cayes still see summer vacation travelers. American families on school break fill some of the beach hotels, while the highlands and the southern coast are quieter.
San Pedro and Caye Caulker are the places where the crowds gather, since the reef is what draws most people to Belize. Placencia and Hopkins keep a slower pace, and the Cayo District has its own rhythm built around the Maya sites and the lodges rather than the school calendar.
The rain makes a difference as well. Showers on nearly twelve days of the month send people indoors or onto covered boats, and some travelers prefer to wait for a drier season. Those who come in July often find rooms and tables easier to get than in winter, and the reef feels roomier. Cruise ships call at Belize City and Harvest Caye throughout the year, so the city and the reef excursions that leave from it can be busier on those days.
What to pack for Belize in July
Pack for heat, humidity and rain on the coast and the same in the highlands, where the forest is damp and trails get muddy. Light, quick-drying clothes work everywhere, with swimwear for the cayes and sturdier shoes for the Maya sites and the jungle.
- A light rain jacket or poncho for the frequent showers
- Swimsuits and a rash guard or shirt for the sun on the water
- Reef-safe sunscreen and a hat
- Insect repellent for the forest and the evenings
- Shoes with a good grip for muddy trails and wet stone at the Maya sites
Good to know before you go
The U.S. State Department rates Belize Level 2, “Exercise increased caution”, because of crime, and says the south side of Belize City has historically had the highest concentration of violent crime.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, so July falls inside it, though the peak of activity comes in September. Belize has been hit before, by Hurricane Hattie in 1961, Hurricane Keith in 2000 and Hurricane Earl in 2016, and the Caribbean coast follows this season.
Sargassum can wash up on the beaches in some years. The U.S. State Department rates Belize Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of crime, so check the advisory for each region you plan to visit.
Is July a good time to visit Belize?
July suits travelers who want warm water, green scenery and a quieter country, and the cayes are the best region this month for time on and under the sea. The highlands also suit those who like jungle lodges and Maya sites and do not mind rain.
Compared with June, July has a little more rain, with nearly twelve rain days against ten, and the sea off San Pedro and Placencia is a touch cooler. August is close to July, with similar air temperatures and a sea that warms again, so the choice between them rests more on your calendar than on the weather. In all three months the heat is the same, with highs near 90°F in Belize City.
The lobster season has just reopened, the whale shark season is over, and the forest is at its greenest. For those who accept the showers, July offers the reef and the rainforest side by side, with a lobster grilled on a caye as its signature taste.
Sources
- NOAA NCEI, GHCN-Daily station BHM00078583 (Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, Belize City), normals 1991-2020 computed from the daily record (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=daily-summaries&stations=BHM00078583), checked October 11, 2026
- Open-Meteo Marine API, average 2015-2024, checked October 11, 2026
- sunrise-sunset.org, sunrise and sunset calculated for the 15th of the month, checked October 11, 2026
- NOAA National Hurricane Center, Climatology (https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Hurricane Hattie (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Hattie), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Hurricane Keith (2000) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Keith_(2000)), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Hurricane Dean (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Dean), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Hurricane Lisa (2022) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Lisa_(2022)), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Hurricane Earl (2016) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Earl_(2016)), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Hurricane Iota (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Iota), checked October 11, 2026
- San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi, Caye Caulker (https://belizewatertaxi.com/destinations/caye-caulker/), checked October 11, 2026
- Belize Fisheries Department, Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve (https://fisheries.gov.bz/bcmr/), checked October 11, 2026
- Belize Fisheries Department, Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve (https://fisheries.gov.bz/tamr/), checked October 11, 2026
- Belize Fisheries Department, Regulations (https://fisheries.gov.bz/regulations/), checked October 11, 2026
- Belize Tourism Board, Sargassum resource (https://www.belizetourismboard.org/tourism-resources/sargassum-resource/), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Climate of Belize (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Belize), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Geography of Belize (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Belize), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, San Pedro Town (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro_Town), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Cayo District (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cayo_District), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikivoyage, Placencia (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Placencia), checked October 11, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Belize Travel Information, Entry and exit requirements (https://travel.state.gov/), checked October 11, 2026
- Belize Immigration Department, Visitor's permit (https://immigration.gov.bz/permits/visitors-permit/), checked October 11, 2026
- Tropic Air, Belize immigration and visas (https://www.tropicair.com/belize-immigration-visas/), checked October 11, 2026
- Maya Island Air, Belize visa requirements (https://www.mayaislandair.com/belize-visa-requirements/), checked October 11, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Belize Travel Advisory, Level 2, March 11, 2026 (https://travel.state.gov/), checked October 11, 2026