Here is a selection of books you may want to consider reading before your journey to Belize.

Tropical Nature by Adrian Forsyth & Ken Miyata | Two uncommonly observant and thoughtful field biologists offer a lucid portrait of the tropics through 17 marvelous essays that introduce the habitats, ecology, plants and animals of the Central and South American rainforests.

Maya Art and Architecture by Mary Ellen Miller | An illustrated overview of the art and architecture of the Maya, making use of the latest discoveries at Tikal, Copan and Palenque to demonstrate the range of Mayan artistic influence. Revised and updated, this new edition includes color illustrations throughout.

Belize, Travellers' Wildlife Guides by Les Beletsky | An all-around field guide featuring color illustrations of 200 birds, 50 mammals, 150 coral reef creatures and 80 reptiles and amphibians.

Moon Handbook Belize by Chicki Mallan | Josh Berman A superb travel guide, featuring a chapter on Tikal, photographs, sketch maps and recommendations on where to go and what to do.

Belize Adventure Map by National Geographic | A travel map of Belize, bordering Guatemala, at a scale of 1:400,000 showing all the national parks, including Tikal, and good topographical relief. Features an inset of Belize City.

Insight Guide Belize by Insight Guides | A profusely illustrated overview of Belize, featuring concise essays by well regarded authors on natural history and culture, hundreds of photos and maps, and some limited practical information.

Lonely Planet Belize by Carolyn Miller | A practical, comprehensive guide in the popular series.

Lonely Planet Diving & Snorkeling Belize by Tim Rock | This guide to diving and dive sites throughout Belize includes maps, driving directions and safety information, along with descriptions of marine wildlife, diving techniques and nearby attractions.

A Brief History of Central America by Hector Perez-Brignoll | A good overview of the region’s economic, political and social history through the 1980s by a professor at the University of Costa Rica. Well-written, informative and concise.

Belize in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture by Ian Peedle | A brief, authoritative guide to the history, cultural heritage, politics and economy of Belize. With maps, photographs and some travel information, it’s an excellent synopsis from an unabashedly left-leaning perspective, strong on facts.

How to Cook a Tapir by Joan Fry | The adventurous Joan Fry, a young newlywed, accompanied her anthropologist husband to the back of beyond in what was then called British Honduras, now Belize. Fry weaves heartfelt stories of her time in the jungle with affectionate portraits of the people, her own coming of age — and, yes, recipes: rice and beans, pumpkin soup, gumbo and, as promised, tapir.

The Maya by Michael Coe | The eighth edition of Coe’s clear, concise and authoritative, illustrated survey of the Maya.

Life in the Treetops: Adventures of a Woman in Field Biology by Margaret Lowman | The sprightly memoir of an ecologist who climbs, studies and sleeps in trees for a living, balancing multiple roles of scientist, wife and mom. Margaret Lowman, a pioneer in the ecology of forest tree canopies, continues her story in a second memoir (written with her now-grown sons).

Ghost Lights by Lydia Millet | Dream goes missing in Belize and Hal, a mild-mannered IRS bureaucrat, goes searching for him in the jungle in this haunting novel.

A Natural History of Belize by Samuel Bridgewater | Presenting the habitats, biodiversity, and ecology of the tropical forest of Belize.

The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw: One Woman’s Fight to Save the World’s Most Beautiful Bird by Bruce Barcott | The gripping tale of Sharon Matola’s six-year campaign to stop a dam that would flood the forest home of Belize’s last scarlet macaws.

A Neotropical Companion by John Kricher & Mark Plotkin | From plants and animals to birds and bugs, it’s all here in this wonderfully written overview of the ecology, habitats, plants and animals of Central and South America.

Birds of Tropical America by Steven Hilty | Hilty serves up essays on how to find and better appreciate the dizzying variety of birds, their habits and habitats, diversity and distribution.

Jaguar: One Man’s Struggle to Establish the World’s First Jaguar Preserve by Alan Rabinowitz | In this vivid portrait of conservation in Central America, Rabinowitz weaves personal tales of his own research and adventures with a chronicle of his successful efforts to establish a jaguar reserve in Belize.

Jungle of the Maya by Douglas Goodell, Jerry Barrack, Jim Wright, & Archie Carr | A handsome survey of the wildlife and habitats of the Selva Maya, the tropical forest that spreads through Belize, Guatemala and the Yucatan.

Belize Birds by Rainforest Publications | Dozens of birds are illustrated in color in this 14-panel fold-up pocket field guide.

Belize Field Guide by Mark Wainwright | Mammals, amphibians, and reptiles are all included in this fold-up pocket field guide.

Belize Field Guide: Butterflies by Rainforest Publications | A handy, double-sided laminated card depicting 60 species of spectacular butterflies.

Belize Marine Life by Rainforest Publications | Reef and sport fish, marine mammals and turtles are all illustrated in this fold-up pocket field guide.

Birds of Belize by H. Lee Jones & Dana Gardner | A complete guide to the birds of Belize, 573 species in all, featuring 56 color plates and 234 range maps.

Fishwatcher’s Field Guide Caribbean by Idaz Greenberg | A convenient double-sided plastic card showing 75 reef fish of the Caribbean.

Mammals of Belize by Fiona Reid | A palm-sized guide to 64 of the larger and most commonly encountered mammals of Belize, each with a full color illustration, paw print and description.

Neotropical Rainforest Mammals: A Field Guide by L.H. Emmons | Compact enough to slip into your daypack, this field guide to the mammals of the New World tropics features 29 color plates of more than 200 species.