Visit Placencia, Belize My Top Five Must Do!

The Placencia Peninsula is easily accessible either by road or a short flight from the Phillip Goldson International Airport in Belize City. When you first arrive at Placencia you will find it to be a small, secluded, friendly village. My first impression was that Placencia is certainly a laid back area to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life and to have my dream Belizean Getaway enjoying the sandy Caribbean beach! The longer I stayed in Placencia the more I learned. 

My top “Five Must Do Activities” in Placencia includes a little bit of everything for families, friends, or couples:

1.     Visit the Great Belize Barrier Reef

You simply cannot visit Placencia and not take the fun boat ride out the Belize Barrier Reef to snorkel or dive. The waters of Belize are truly spectacular it opens your mind to a whole new world.  Belize is the home of true natural resources. Much of Belize’s marine environment is heavily protected in order to preserve an authentic diving experience. Book your dive trip with Splash Dive Center, a PADI 5 Star Instructor Development Center! Explore the Barrier Reef and choose to dive Placencia’s Outer Reef, Placencia’s Inner reef, Glovers Reef, Gladden Spit, Turneffe, Lighthouse Atolls, or the famous Belize Blue Hole.

2.     Monkey River Tour

One of the most relaxing ways to go back in time and see the authentic Belize before “civilization” is to take the boat ride up the Monkey River and revel in the natural jungle-life of this Caribbean country. The Monkey River Village is located 12 miles south west of Placencia Village where you will meet and greet the “ambassadors of the jungle”: the Black Howler Monkeys, commonly known in Belize as the “baboons”.  The Black Howler Monkeys are not only the largest monkeys in Belize’s rainforest but they are also the “loudest”.

3.     Bunches of Fun Banana Farm Tour

Spending some worthwhile time on land learning all about how to plant and care for and harvest bananas!  You pick up an amazing understanding of this complex plant and get to taste the product including fresh banana cake and banana chips.  We visited the Sagitun Farm located in Riversdale, Placencia only a short drive from our resort and had “bunches” of fun. We even participated in preparing the bananas for exportation by sticking on the Fyffes stickers on the “bunches”.  The best part was meeting the people and learning the process of having bananas in our kitchen fruit basket.

4.     Enjoy Diverse Dishes

Placencia town is populated with great restaurants serving diverse and unique Belizean flavors. Whether you are looking for an upscale five star restaurants or looking to kickback under a palapa hut by the beach your meal is a guarantee satisfaction. One of my favorite restaurants is Wendy’s Creole Cuisine.  A trip to Placencia is always a trip to the ice cream/gelato shop, Tutti Frutti. Tutti Frutti uses local ingredients to make authentic fruity gelato.

5.     Sunset Cruise

Enjoy a romantic moment with your special someone cruising the Caribbean Sea past Placencia Village and explore Placencia’s picturesque canals before watching the sun go down with a glass of wine and some tasty hors d’oeuvres at anchor secluded by the mangroves on serene Placencia Lagoon. The view is breathtaking as you take a magical moment as the sun slowly sinks behind the Maya Mountains.

Start planning your visit to Placencia, Belize contact me at patricia@splashbelize.com or visit our website at www.splashbelize.com 

Belize: Celebrating Garifuna’s culture

Belize is rich with culture! This small Caribbean country is not only blessed with natural beauty but also with vibrant, colorful, authentic cultures. Each year in the month of November, Belize celebrates Garifuna’s culture, history, and pride.

Garifuna Settlement Day, is a national public and bank holiday in Belize founded by the known Belizean social activist, Thomas Vincent Ramos. Thomas Ramos established November 19 as Garifuna Settlement Day to commemorate the culture and history of the Garifuna.

The Garifuna or Garinagu, as the people are properly called, are descendant of Carib Indians and West Africans. They sought new homes on the Caribbean Islands and they were taken in by Carib Indians who had settled on a number of Caribbean Islands, eventually concentrating on St Vincent Island.

The Garinagu arrived in Belize in the early 19^th century and settled on the Southern coast of Belize. Today, most Garinagu reside in the southern part of the country, including Dangriga, Hopkins, Seine Bight, Punta Gorda, and Barranco.

This year the celebration begins with the traditional Miss Garifuna Pageant scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 25 in Belize City. The pageant will be filled with cultural activities depicting the dance, music, and food of the Garinagu. On November 13, the memory Thomas Vincent Ramos will be observed with a torch light parade.

The Garinagu’s traditional clothing is made of bright colorful checkered material, often containing the traditional colors yellow, black, and white. On Garifuna Settlement Day many Garinagu women can be seen wearing their traditional dresses along with colored headpieces in celebration of their culture. The Garifuna flag is often flown on this day with reverence and pride. The flag consists of three horizontal strips of black white and yellow.

The main event that takes place each year is the early morning re-enactment of the arrival of the Garinagu’s to the southern coast of Belize in dugout canoes. A traditional catholic mass follows immediately after the re-enactment. The mass is certainly a celebration of the Garifuna culture! The priest celebrates the mass in the Garifuna language, the choir sings alongside the rhythm of the Garifuna drums, and everyone in the community attends wearing their traditional dresses.

All the activities and events leading up to Garifuna Settlement Day depict the Garinagu’s traditional culture. The events are vivacious, colorful, and historical!

The Garifuna culture is known for its delicious traditional dishes. The most popular dishes are the cassava bread, and the Hudut. Our favorite is the Hudut, it is a creamy fish soup made with coconut milk, often served with mashed plantain. 

If you have never experienced the Garifuna culture you must visit Belize in November.  The sound of the Garifuna drum is rhythmical and will have you dancing the fun, traditional punta dance. 

Immerse in our culture and book your next Belize dream vacation with us. Contact Patricia Ramirez at patricia@splashbelize.com or visit our webpage at www.splashbelize.com for more information.