A 1961 hurricane nearly destroyed Belize City, so the government was moved to Belmopan, 45 mi/70 km inland, away from potential danger. Although it's a center of administration, Belmopan is no center of tourism, but several good jungle lodges are nearby, and it is a useful base for exploring nearby national parks, the Hummingbird Highway and most of the attractions in eastern Cayo. If you are traveling by bus around Belize, you'll inevitably stop there en route to somewhere. The market adjacent to the bus station is a good place to stretch your legs.
If you're a researcher, the Belize Archives, where the country's historic records are stored, is on Unity Boulevard. The archives also have a collection of 30,000 stamps, as well as photographs, postcards and maps from 1808-1990.
Nearby Nohoch Che'en archaeological reserve, also known as Caves Branch, is a network of limestone caves that is the most popular site in Belize for cave tubing. While there are many caves on the reserve, the majority of the tours will pass through three to five of the caves, depending on the chosen tour.
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