( CNN ) -- Protected rainforests , Maya ruins , Caribbean beaches and the longest barrier reef in the western hemisphere . Add English as the official language and the widely accepted U.S. dollar , and you can get a great vacation on easy mode in Belize . Still , with so much to do , it can become a lot of work to fit it all in . Travelzoo editor Andrew Young recommends taking on just a little bit of this country in the heart of Central America at a time , and offers this list of his five top spots to get you started . The Blue Hole . Just off the coast of Belize lies an underwater paradise for novice snorkelers and veteran divers . The Blue Hole is world-renowned as an open-water diving spot . During the Pleistocene era , the Blue Hole was a giant cave on dry land . The stalactites and stalagmites remain and are staggering sights through the crystal blue water . Ambergris Caye . Ambergris Caye is the largest island of Belize , accessible via a small airplane from the mainland of Belize . Believe it or not , the best way to tour Ambergris Caye is by golf cart . Drive around and stop to see mangrove trees , the Belize Barrier Reef that almost touches the shore and lagoons teeming with crocodiles . Maya ruins of Lamanai . Some use Belize as the entry point to Tikal , the famed ruins in Guatemala , but it is also home to several ancient Maya cities . One of the more interesting is Lamanai , which was still occupied by the Maya when the Spanish first arrived . The cultural collision is forever noted here , between the pyramids and the ruins of two Spanish churches . Caves Branch River tubing . Geologists recently stumbled across a vast subterranean network of Maya ceremonial caves . At the Nohoch Che'en Caves Branch Archeological Reserve , guides will lead you across jungle pools to the caverns filled with artifacts like sacrificial skeletons . The spiritual underwater history lesson is a must-do . Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary . Interested in the chance see a jaguar up close and personal ? The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is the world 's first jaguar sanctuary . And , it 's also a campground where you can pitch your tent , go hiking , and listen to a symphony of jungle sounds .
The Blue Hole is world-renowned as an open-water diving spot . The best way to tour Ambergris Caye is by golf cart . 3. St. Thomas and Virgin Islands -