The more you travel around Belize, the more you realize how seriously blessed with natural wonders this tiny country is. The hemisphere’s longest barrier reef, hundreds of sandy cayes and atolls, gorgeous green rivers, lush valley, mountains, jungles inhabited by some of the world’s most beautiful animals like the scarlet macaw and the jaguar…all inKeep reading »
Travel in Belize
Magical, Magical Sleeping Giant Lodge in Belize’s Maya Mountains
Warning: Cornball alert. I am going to gush about this spot. Wax lyrical…and use words like magical way too many times. In fact, this is the third time already. But I can’t help it. It’s all true so…proceed with caution. I was leaving a gorgeous, honeymoon ready suite at Almond Beach Resort in the beachKeep reading »
Easily Accessible from Hopkins, Mayflower Bocawina National Park Brings The Beauty & The Thrills
The list of activities available through Almond Beach Resort in Hopkins, Belize was almost…well…overwhelming. They got the ocean right there – and snorkeling, diving, fishing and more. They are sandwiches between two rivers and all of those activities – monkeys, manatees, birding and more. And then the mountains and the jungle just 25 minutes away.Keep reading »
Adventure Meets Luxury: Almond Beach Resort in Hopkins Village
Hopkins, Belize has an enviable location. It is situated on a giant sandbar between two rivers – in the Southern Part of Belize – with the Caribbean Sea and world’s 2nd largest reef to the east and just a short drive to the west, gorgeous rivers, savannah, jungle and mountains. It’s also a relatively shortKeep reading »
Day Two in Placencia for the Belize International Film Festival at The Inn at Robert’s Grove
That title is a mouthful…but I don’t want to leave out a thing. Robert’s Grove and Placencia are as beautiful as ever and yesterday, I was up and out of the house for a last minute trip to Ranguana Caye. A private caye owned by Robert’s Grove and as close to heaven on earth asKeep reading »
Arrival in the Fishing Village of Sarteneja, Belize – First Impressions
So, it’s EARLY Saturday morning and I am in the small village of Sarteneja – the coast of the Belize mainland. How did I get here you may (or may not) ask? It was actually quite easy… The Thunderbolt water taxi leaves every day from San Pedro at 3pm going to Sarteneja (4:30pm) and thenKeep reading »
From Ambergris Caye to Placencia the EASY WAY For Day One of Placencia’s Lobsterfest
If you follow SanPedroScoop.com on Facebook, you are probably sick of my excitement about this weekend but to me, it’s exciting. Belize’s two oldest Lobster Festivals, Placencia and Caye Caulker – opposite sides of the country, in one weekend. And, if you’ve follow my blog, you’ve seen how I usually make this north to southKeep reading »
A Cruise to Belize: AMAZING Excursions from Cave Tubing to Mayan Sites
Thanks SO MUCH Megan for writing about what I haven’t experienced…excursions (both with the cruise & independently) from a ship. Three times, three totally different experiences that ended with Meg and her fiance deciding to honeymoon in Belize. GREAT POST! Or: Planning ahead- what to do with 8-10 hours in Belize? As I mentioned inKeep reading »
24 Hours in the Belize’s Most Western Town of Benque Viejo
Twenty four hours is not enough time to experience any town properly. Especially not the town of Benque on the Western Belize/Guatemalan border. Though it’s small in population, only about 8000 people, Benque is pretty spread out. And my allotted 24 hours happened to be on Good Friday…one of the town’s busiest and certainly most colorfulKeep reading »
Two Budget Hotel Options When You Travel to Hopkins, Belize
Everyone has different priorities and budgets when it comes to travelling. And we all know the sometimes it feels like the cash register never stops ringing. So I TOTALLY get it when someone would rather spend their saved dollars on tours like snorkelling and cave tubing or eating out at fantastic restaurants. Food isKeep reading »
Hopkins, Belize’s Bioluminescence Night Tour: Dip Your Hand into the Burnin’ Wata!
My last post showed “downtown” Hopkins village in Southern Belize. The tiny village, some of the people, the coast line. But one of the major draws to this part of Belize is the landscape…and the wildlife. Within the hour, you can be at the beach or on the gorgeous green Sittee River searching for manateeKeep reading »
Hopkins, Belize: A Village Tour & Travelling There
Hopkins is a small village (Pop. less than 2000) stretched between two rivers on the Caribbean Sea. South of Dangriga and north of Placencia, And, as with many villages in southern Belize, it has a feel all its own. Here’s a map (that I snagged from a hotel down there) so you can get someKeep reading »
My Tour Around the Sanctuary Belize Mega-Project in Southern Belize
I’ve posted for the past two days about my weekend tour of the absolutely gigantic project, Sanctuary Belize. Located between Hopkins and Placencia along the coast, the size in total is about 14,000 acres or 20 plus square miles. Absolutely gigantic. They have a super impressive website with the master plan and with all of theKeep reading »
Kanantik Resort & Sanctuary Belize – Where to Even Start?
Sanctuary Belize is a huge, well awarded development project currently happening in Southern Belize…just south of the Hopkins area and north of Placencia. I do not use the word HUGE lightly. The land is 14,000 acres. About the size of the island of Manhattan, NY. 26 square miles. Land that goes from Caribbean Sea toKeep reading »
Come to Belize, Marry A Garifuna Drummer: An Expat in Punta Gorda
I met Ruth and her husband Ray at one of my favorite spots, Hickatee Cottages in Punta Gorda, Belize. Every Wednesday night, the owners of the cottages, Ian and Kate, invite Ray to teach traditional Garifuna drumming to the guests. I was a little bit scared. My lack of rhythm borders on sad and thisKeep reading »
A Quick Look Around Independence, Belize Or Is it Mango Creek?
The town of Independence is not a tourist hotspot (YET – the cruise ships are coming!) but its well known in the country for other reasons. 1. It’s the home of Big Creek, the deep water port that is the hub of the oil and fruit industries. Here is the home of the Banana GrowersKeep reading »
Placencia, Belize: The Beach, The Sidewalk, The Bars, The Restaurants, I’m Loving It
And what’s not to love? I’ve been here a few times in the past year and this place grabs you when you first get off the plane, or the bus or even the Hokey Pokey Shuttle boat from mainland Mango Creek to the Placencia Peninsula. The sign at the “station” in Mango Creek. An interestingKeep reading »
Final Public Consultation Meeting Held on Norwegian Cruise Lines “Nature Park” in Southern Belize
Wednesday night I attended the Public Meeting, the FINAL public meeting, about the environmental impact of the proposed Norwegian Cruise Lines Cruise Ship port at Harvest Caye. The caye is 2 miles away from Placencia, a very small tourist village and from the larger (but seriously UNtouristy) port town of Independence/Mango Creek, Belize. Here isKeep reading »
What to Expect When You Take A Cruise to Belize: The Cruise Ship Village
Yesterday was THE most beautiful day to visit Belize City. Bright warm sun, but cool in the shade. I was wearing my long sleeved shirt and North Face windbreaker, visitors, bikini tops and shorts. I took the 830am San Pedro Express Water Taxi from San Pedro to the city. One hour and 15 minutes. ToKeep reading »
Don’t Miss the Lamanai Mayan Site: Orange Walk’s #1 Attraction
A few weeks ago, I visited the town of Orange Walk in Northern Belize for 3 nights. I ate the tacos, attempted a visit to the local rum factory, got a good feel for the town but there is one main reason that tourists overnight in the OW (although I think it has lots moreKeep reading »