Moto Adventures in Belize

Women on Wheels VS-the Caribbean

- Eglė Gerulaitytė

"This trail gets a little singletracky, and after that, I'm not sure... could be a pretty cool path through the jungle. Could be a dead-end," remarked Jurga, my riding buddy and partner in crime, as she pointed at an orange line on her Wikiloc screen. "Let's give it a go?"

Armed with mosquito repellent, a vague sense of direction, and the Wikiloc map that would sometimes work and mainly wouldn't, we were scouting backcountry routes in Belize aboard two rental Lifan 250cc dual-sports. In just one week, we'd lead a group of female riders across the entire country, exploring dirt trails, rainforest tracks, caves, and remote places off the beaten path. But first, we needed to understand the lay of the land, test the mud soup sloshing ahead of us, and see just how much abuse the Lifans could take.

Belize is best known for its perfect white sand beaches, Caribbean turquoise blue waters, island resorts, sailing, and world-class diving. It's a tiny country wedged between Mexico and Guatemala and isn't exactly famous for motorcycle adventures.

But discovering the undiscovered is precisely what drew us there. Better yet, on dirt bikes. Best of all, in the company of other female riders.

Girls on Bikes in Belize

Jurga and I have been organizing no-boys-allowed adventures here and there for a couple of years. We take women riders to places where they'd either hesitate to go alone, or as was the case with Belize, aren't normally considered motorcycling destinations.