You can see in the comments below it is a controversial topic. Seven years later I stand by what I originally wrote. Belize the country is a beautiful place with safe tourism; however, I continue to recommend avoiding Belize City and taking the advice I did not. Belize City crime is rampant and Belize City is dangerous. But in the world there are only a handful of things I know to be true, and this is one of them. Chetumal was rough but it was only preparing me for the trip farther South.
How bad could it be? Belize City is the dirty, dodgy, scammy city that everyone says it is. I stayed at the Belcove Inn and asked the women at reception about how safe the city was. So I picked up some dinner and beer and decided it would be a night in. Then I passed by three guys sitting in a two-seat tinted Mercedes with California plates. I kept walking. I met a couple from Saskatoon who were on their way back home. So tender and spicy, it made staying in bearable. Confined to the patio facing the river, I met Dulio who I eventually realized was guarding the hostel.
He attributes the crime due to drugs and the fact that the US extradited any foreigner convicted of a drug crime. It meant the underbelly returned to Belize City and back to their old ways. Now, almost everyone in Belize has a close friend or family member who died due to drug related violence.
The next morning I ate breakfast next to the hotel and listened to two guys talk about the crime. There had been nearly 30 shooting deaths in 3 months. I finished breakfast and bought the first ticket to Caye Caulker.
I stand by sharing my experience on Belize City crime but in no way does it represent the entire country. Many people want to know if Belize is safe.
