Belize

Belize is a pocket-sized powerhouse of adventure: dive the second-largest barrier reef in the world, explore Maya temples still half-swallowed by jungle, and wander through a country where English is the official language but Creole, Spanish, and Garifuna fill the air. Small enough to cross in a few hours but packed with everything from jaguar reserves to caye-hopping, it’s the rare destination where you can snorkel with nurse sharks in the morning and hike to ruins in the afternoon.