BELIZE! This trip was filled with some of my favorite things: eating, exploring, and diving and turned out to be the perfect way to celebrate my monumental birthday.

Below is a quick video of all the adventures we had in the week. We stayed at a resort that also doubled as our dive shop. Hiking and visiting Maya ruins were also highlights of the trip.

We dove four days and saw some of the most beautiful sea creatures, including turtles, rays, and dolphins. While we don’t have underwater footage of the Blue Hole dive (for fear the GoPro would flood past 130 feet), I’m glad that one is checked off the list. Diving in the Caribbean is fun because there’s always so much wildlife to see.

Oh, don’t forget about the food! I couldn’t get enough fry jacks so you’ll definitely see those in the video.

If you want a seamless vacation, consider Belize!

Want to read more about Belize? See the in-depth posts here:

• Belize Travel Guide: Where to Stay, Dive, Eat, and Play
• Why Belize Was the Most Relaxing Vacation I’ve Had in a Long Time
• Staying at Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort in Belize
• Eating and Drinking in Belize
• Belize Adventure: Che’il Chocolate Tour
• Diving in Belize: Blue Hole and Atolls
• Belize Adventure: Xunantunich and Cahal Pech Maya Ruins Tour

Keep up with my travel posts and adventures. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Adventures in Belize Travel Video appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

Yowza! Planning this Belize trip was a doozy because there are so many options. In the end, we picked an all-inclusive resort in Hopkins for our week-long trip, but I’ve gathered all my research so you can get a good idea of where you prefer to stay and what you prefer to do in Belize.

Why Belize?

The answer to why you should visit Belize is easy. English is the official language, the exchange rate is $2BZD to $1 USD (easy to calculate), and there’s so much to do! It also helps that it’s usually a quick flight from the U.S. Bordering Mexico and Guatemala, Belize is located in Central America and has 185 miles of coastline to the Caribbean. Its tropical climate draws in vacationers, especially divers and birders who want to discover the underwater and above water wildlife.

Things to Know When Traveling to Belize

• When to visit: Rainy season is June through November with the bulk in September and October. Driest months are April to May. The water is 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit year-round!
• Currency: US dollars under $20 are accepted but not coins. The exchange rate is about $1 USD to $2 BZD.
• Language: Official language is English. But you may also hear Garifuna, Creole, Mopan Mayan, Ketchi Mayan, Spanish, German, Chinese, and Yucatec Mayan!
• Water: It is safe to drink from the tap. If you have a sensitive stomach, I would recommend sticking to bottled water, just in case. That means no brushing your teeth with tap water either! Our resort provided filtered water in our room to refill our water bottles, and I’ve heard several hotels provide that.
• Airport/Flight Cost: You’ll fly into Belize City (BZE) at Philip S.W. Goldson Airport. In researching our November roundtrip flight from Austin, Texas to Belize City, I found prices from $380-600.
• Vaccines: No additional vaccines needed; make sure everything is up to date.
• Visa: No advance planning needed. You will get a visa stamp when you arrive at the airport.
• Departure Tax: $35.50 USD. This is paid when leaving the country. We flew Southwest Airlines and our tax was included in the ticket price.
• Bug Spray: Very much needed. I tried to have bug repellant on me at all times and I still got a couple handful of itchy bites!

Is it Safe to Travel Belize?

Yes. The place you might see trouble is Belize City, where the crime rate is higher because of gang violence with each other and not with tourists. Tourist areas are safer than others, as tourism is an important part of Belize’s economy. Tourism police, a special task force, is available to assist. Of course, be aware of how to keep safe while you travel. Here are my tips!

How to Fly Into and Around Belize

You’ll fly into the only international airport in Belize City – Philip S.W. Goldson Airport, code BZE. From there, you can fly Tropic Air or Maya Island Air to other cities in Belize for about $65 to $100 USD roundtrip. They are unpressurized flights on small planes. Our resort booked our flight on Maya Island Air from Belize City to Dangriga, and the flight was quick and easy! If your flight is packed and you are short, they might ask you to sit co-pilot. Pictured below, the open door to my seat!

Here are some areas you might connect to from Belize City and the length of the flight:

• Caye Caulker: 15 minutes
• Dangriga/Hopkins: 15 minutes
• Ambergris Caye: 15 minutes
• Placencia: 35 minutes
• San Ignacio: 30 minutes

How to Get Around Belize – Car Rental and Ferries

Belize has four main highways that span the country, making driving fairly easy. The main highways are Philip Goldson Highway, George Price Highway, Hummingbird Highway, and Southern Highway.

If you want to visit multiple cities, renting a car and taking a road trip is a good option so you can do things on your own time. All you need is a driver’s license from your country. The driver is on the left side, similar to U.S. roads. Outside of the highways, you may turn off onto unpaved roads, many times with potholes. Also, watch out for speed bumps galore on the highways. Roads are usually one or two lanes. Gas stations seemed sparse outside of big cities. Avoid driving at night because of the lack of street lights.

There are also buses traveling around the country. You can find more information here.

If you don’t want to fly from Belize City to Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker and have time to spare, a cab from the airport to the ferry port is about $25 USD and the ferry is about $15 USD. The ferry from Belize City to Ambergris Caye is 30 minutes and from Belize City to Caye Caulker is 45 minutes. There are also water taxis and they cost a little more than the ferries while also taking longer.

Where to Stay in Belize / Which Cities in Belize

I had a hard time deciding which city to visit in Belize because they all seemed to have positive features. If you don’t mind driving a few hours or taking short flights in small, unpressurized planes, you can easily do some city-hopping.

Here’s a little about each of the main cities and a few hotel options I encountered and liked during my research. If you’re looking to do a lot of diving, I’ve listed diving-focused accommodations in this post.

Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker is a small island off Northern Belize. About five miles north to south and one mile west to east, this destination has zero cars and is popular with budget travelers and backpackers. I liked this location because it seemed to be the most laid-back.

• Iguana Reef Inn

Ambergris Caye

Belize’s largest island, Ambergris Caye is the most popular destination in Belize. San Pedro is the biggest city and the center of all the action. With its popularity, Ambergris Caye has a wide variety of options for hotels and tour companies, so staying here would probably be the easiest destination and trip to plan. I liked this location because of the abundance of options.

• Victoria House
• Matachica
• Sunbreeze Hotel
• Mahogany Bay Resort
• Ramon’s Village Resort

Placencia

Placencia, a town filled with North American expats, is located in Southern Belize, at the tip of a peninsula. I liked this location because it is known for its beaches and its proximity to diving.

• Turtle Inn

San Ignacio

Looking to stay inland? San Ignacio, the second largest city in Belize, is located in western Belize near many of the Mayan ruins. No beach access but is near lots of history.

• Rainforest Haven Inn
• Martha’s Guest House

Belmopan

Belize’s capital city does not have a lot to see but it’s a good home base to visit national parks nearby like Blue Hole National Park or Guanacaste National Park. No beach access but lots of nature. I hadn’t considered this location but we drove through it during our trip and it seemed nice.

• Sleeping Giant Rainforest Lodge

Belize City

Belize City is the largest city, the former capital of Belize, and most likely your landing place in Belize since the international airport is here. While many will recommend quickly flying out of Belize City, it does have its sights of the Belize Zoo, the Mayan ruins of Altun Ha, and wildlife sanctuaries.

Hopkins

This small coastal town in Southern Belize is charming and quiet. You can stay here to visit national parks and sights nearby. Even though the town is small, there are plenty of accommodation options here. If you want a SLOW pace, come here. If not, go to Placencia. I liked (and eventually chose) this location because it’s got beaches, easier access to diving, and the culture of the local Gairfuna people.

• Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort (This is where we stayed.)
• Belizean Dreams Resort
• Jaguar Reef Lodge and Spa
• Coconut Row

Islands

Of course, you could also stay on your own island or something close to this. Here are some of those options:

• Cayo Espanto
• Coco Plum Island
• Turneffe Flats
• Turneffe Island Resort

Where to Stay in Belize if You Want to Dive

If you are hoping to dive a lot, I think it would be good to stay in Southern Belize (Placencia or Hopkins) so you can experience the southern barrier reef as well as take day trips to the atolls. You’ll also want to be in Southern Belize if you want to swim with whale sharks. Ambergris Caye also allows for a lot of diving opportunities nearby and makes day trips to the atolls. See more diving-focused accommodations here.

Where to Play in Belize – Diving and Snorkeling

Of course, diving and snorkeling are the big draws to visit Belize. The reef is vibrant and the wildlife is abundant!

The bucket list dives in Belize are Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye but you can easily spend all week diving in the second largest barrier reef in the world. The day trips to the atolls will cost you a pretty penny because of the distance from the mainland and cayes, but they are worth it.

Check out this post about all things diving in Belize, including dive spots and what you’ll see.

For snorkeling, you could snorkel the Blue Hole but you won’t see much. The place to snorkel would be Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley Marine Reserves, near Ambergris Caye. If you’re tagging along on a dive boat, go to the Lighthouse Reef Atoll.

Where to Play in Belize – Not Diving and Snorkeling

There is plenty to do in Belize even if you don’t dive or snorkel. The wildlife is abundant above water also. Lush jungles provide opportunities to hike, and wildlife reserves will get you up and close with animals you usually don’t see.

Visit Maya ruins.

We visited Xunantunich and Cahal Pech. Read about it here! Xunantunich is the most visited ruin. Other options: Altun Ha or Caracol (largest Maya ruin site).

Encounter the Wildlife

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve & Jaguar Preserve, nearest to Dangriga and Hopkins, has 128,000 acres filled with wildlife like pumas, deer, monkeys, and more.

Green Iguana Conservation Project is located at San Ignacio Resort Hotel in San Ignacio, in Western Belize.

If you love birds, you’ll love Belize because it has more than 600 species of birds!

• Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary: This sanctuary is outside Belize City.
• Half Moon Caye Natural Monument on Lighthouse Reef Atoll: This is where you’ll see red-footed boobies. It’s a long boat ride (about an hour and a half), but if you are diving Blue Hole, your guide will likely bring you here for a surface interval.
• Mayflower Bocawina National Park
• Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve

The Belize Zoo, located in between Belize City and Belmopan, is a popular place to visit.

Even if you don’t go specifically to a nature park, you could see wildlife at your resort. Look for iguanas, monkeys, and the national bird – the Keel Billed Toucan.

Learn about chocolate.

We had a fun time visiting a cacao farm and making chocolate by hand at Che’il Maya Chocolate. I highly recommend it! Here are some other chocolate places in Belize:

• Agouti Cacao Farm (located in the village of San Pedro Columbia in Southern Belize)
• IXCACAO Maya Belizean Chocolate (located in the village of San Felipe in Northern Belize)
• Belize Chocolate Company (located in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye)
• Cotton Tree Chocolate (located in the town of Punta Gorda in Southern Belize)

Go hiking.

We hiked up Antelope Falls at Mayflower Bocawina National Park, near Dangriga and Hopkins. This was a rigorous and steep hike that requires you to hold onto rope railing and step over tree roots. It follows a 100-foot waterfall and you can stop to see it at multiple points along the trail. At the very top is a waterfall pool you can swim in. (Photo below.) It was a very refreshing (cold) dip! At this national park, you can also do a waterfall rappelling tour and/or a zipline tour.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Preserve has a few hiking trails. Try the Waterfall Trail that leads to a 20-foot waterfall. If you want to do a multi-day hike, try 30-miles roundtrip to Victoria Peak.

Also consider Guanacaste National Park or St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park, both near Belmopan. St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park features St. Herman’s Cave for a hike to see stalactites and stalagmites and take a dip in the cenote.

Relax on the beach.

Placencia in southern Belize is known for its beaches but you can find small beaches along the coast and on islands. You can’t beat relaxing in a hammock with a cold drink.

Take a Helicopter Tour.

If you don’t dive Blue Hole, many elect to do a helicopter tour to see it from above.

Mayflower Bocawina National Park

Where to Eat in Belize

I stayed at a resort, so I didn’t dine at any outside restaurants but I can tell you about the cuisine and some recommended restaurants in this post. In short, get ready for beans and rice, coconuts, plantains, and fresh fruit!

Conclusion

Belize was a fun country to visit and somewhere I wouldn’t mind going back to! We had a great time diving, eating, and exploring.

Here are the other posts I’ve written about Belize:

• Staying at Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort in Belize
• Why Belize was the Most Relaxing Vacation I’ve Had in a Long Time
• Eating and Drinking in Belize
• Belize Adventure: Che’il Chocolate Tour
• Diving in Belize: Blue Hole and Atolls
• Belize Adventure: Xunantunich and Cahal Pech Maya Ruins Tour

I hope this helps with planning your trip to Belize! Comment below or send me a message if you have any questions.

P.S. Looking for more tropical vacation ideas? Try Costa Rica or Honduras.

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Eating local food, exploring the underwater world, and relaxing at a resort are great Belize activities, but I like to include some history and culture into my trips. I hadn’t visited any ancient ruins in the Americas, so this day trip was another must-do. We took a tour through our resort and visited Xunantunich and Cahal Pechin in western Belize near the Belize and Guatemala border, about three hours away from the coastal town of Hopkins.

Xunantunich

Xunantunich (pronounced shoo-nan-too-neech) is Yucatec Maya for “Stone Woman.” The name comes from several sightings of a mysterious, ghost-like woman on the stone steps. These Maya ruins are known for its views when you climb to the top of the highest of the structures.

Records of this Maya site date back to 250 AD. A British medical officer named Dr. Thomas Gann first explored Xunantunich in the 1890s. He later returned for excavations and unearthed many Maya treasures and artifacts. Since then, there have been several excavations, the latest in 2016 when one of the largest Maya burial chambers was found. Below you’ll see a re-built replica of what the facade would have looked like.

With six plazas and more than 25 structures, the site is expansive, but “El Castillo” (the Castle) is the focal point as it’s the largest pyramid. Climb 130 feet to the top and you’ll be able to get a 360-degree view for miles, including across the border at Guatemala. Don’t look over the edge for too long or you might get woozy!

Mayas are usually under five feet, and they walked on feet and hands up their temples and structures! We also saw their ball courts and learned about their ancient ball game that was an important part of society.

I should also mention that the road to and from Xunantunich includes a hand-crank ferry. We got out of the van, the van drove onto the ferry, we walked onto the ferry, and off we were cranked across the river.

Cahal Pech

After walking around Xunantunich and enjoying a box lunch, we made our way to Cahal Pech in San Ignacio, 30 minutes away. Knowing it was a smaller site than Xunantunich, I honestly was not expecting Cahal Pech to be grand. What it lacks in height, it made up in curiosity.

Cahal Pech is translated to “Place of Ticks,” called so because it was once pasture land. Like many ruins, it is still under excavation. What they have found at Cahal Pech, starting in 1988, is that previous temples and structures were buried so that new ones could be built on top.

The bedrooms and hallways were excavated at Cahal Pech so it felt like we were walking through tunnels and peeking into the lives of those who once lived there. We saw more steep staircases and underground escape routes. It made me want to watch a documentary to see how people lived in and moved around these structures.

Conclusion

Xunantunich has incredible views on tall structures while Cahal Pech has intriguing passageways. Both beg you to wonder what life was like when these ruins were full-functioning communities. The strangest thing and biggest mystery are why these sites were abandoned. Environmental disaster? Warring communities? Lack of resources or famine? We might never know but we can appreciate its current grandeur and the history.

Since they’re close to each other, you can easily visit both Xunantunich and Cahal Pech in one day. I recommend a tour to get the full history but it can be done without a guide if you want to wander by yourself. If you don’t want to do a day trip and want to stay nearby, I recommend staying in San Ignacio.

Xunantunich
Website | Located in San Jose Succotz | Open daily 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. | $10 BZD ($5 USD) entrance fee

Cahal Pech
Website | Located in San Ignacio | Open daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | $10 BZD ($5 USD) entrance fee

Looking for other Maya ruins to visit? Caracol and Altun Ha are popular choices. Some tours also include a quick hop over to Guatemala to see the Maya ruins of Tikal National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

P.S. Click here for all the Belize posts!

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One of the main reasons we traveled to Belize was for the diving! The second largest barrier reef in the world has an abundance of wildlife, and Belize has three of the four atolls in the Western Hemisphere. (An atoll is a ring of coral reef that grew along the shore of an island.) While Blue Hole is the “must do” and most popular dive, there are certainly better dives in Belize that you must do. You can easily spend at least four days diving in Belize!

One of my favorites: squirrelfish

Best Time to Dive in Belize

You can dive year-round in Belize, and the water temperature is usually 78-85 degrees Fahrenheit / 25-30 degrees Celcius. The best time to dive (for visibility) is April through June, and this is also when you can see whale sharks in the southern barrier reef.

High season for tourism is December through May, which is also the dry season. While this means less rain, it also means cooler temperatures or the Belizean winter. Low season is May through November, which means it’s the rainy season and hurricane season.

We dove Belize the last week of November and the dives were pretty good. I dove with a 3mm shorty and while I had slight chills here and there, I was still comfortable. The coral wasn’t as bright as around April. We had to skip diving The Elbow, one of the popular dive sites, because the currents created horrible visibility.

Lionfish

The Best Dive Sites

Because of distance from the mainland and cayes, dive trips might cost you more than usual but I thought they were worth it. Dive trips to the atolls usually require a minimum of eight divers.

Blue Hole is the “must-do” dive, and many divers say they wouldn’t do it again because there are many better dive spots in Belize and around the world. The big draw is seeing the stalactites at 130 feet down but there is limited wildlife to see. Thankfully, a dive trip to Blue Hole usually includes dives at two other noteworthy sites.

Visibility depends on the currents, so my preference may be skewed on how the conditions were that day. If you’re limited to one day of diving in Belize, I say take a trip to Lighthouse Reef Atoll and Blue Hole.

nurse shark

Here are some of the notable dive sites:

Lighthouse Reef Atoll & Blue Hole

• Blue Hole
• Half Moon Caye
• Long Caye Aquarium

Glover’s Reef Atoll – most remote of the three atolls and the least visited

• The Pinnacles

Turneffe Islands Atoll – largest and closest atoll to the mainland

• The Elbow
• Chasbo’s Corner

Ambergris Caye – one of the most popular places to stay in Belize, so plenty of dive shop options

• Hol Chan

Southern Barrier Reef – most popular place to see whale sharks in the season; closest dive spots if you’re staying in Hopkins or Placencia

• Laughing Bird Caye
• Southwater Caye Marine Reserve
• Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes

What You’ll See When Diving in Belize

The biggest sight, literally, is whale sharks from April to June. This is also when the coral will be most vibrant. Even if you don’t dive between April to June, there are about 500 species of fish and 100 types of coral to see.

You’ll see many of the typical Caribbean wildlife. Some typical sights are green sea turtles, eagle rays, southern rays, nurse sharks, black tip sharks, moon jellyfish, squirrel fish, parrot fish, angel fish, triggerfish, trumpet fish, eels, and grouper.

green sea turtle!

shrimps

Belize Diving Costs

• Full gear rental is around USD $25-30.
• Dive trips to the atolls range from $150 to $300 per person.
• Many resorts and hotels have packages that include your stay and diving.

garden eels

Dive Resorts, Shops, and Liveaboards

Ok, now that I’ve convinced you to travel to Belize to dive, you’ve got to find a place to stay. I lean towards dive resorts because it’s easier to coordinate the diving, but there are plenty of dive centers a short distance away to make your diving plans. If you’re planning to do lots of diving, there are also liveaboards.

Here are a handful of places I liked and considered when researching for my trip.

Dive Resorts

• Sunbreeze Hotel (San Pedro)
• Ramon Village Resort (San Pedro)
• Belizean Dreams (Hopkins)
• Belize Ocean Club (Placencia)
• Jaguar Reef Lodge and Spa (Hopkins)

Somewhat Remote Dive Resorts

If you’re going to Belize solely for the diving, it might be nice to stay closer to the atolls and not on the mainland or Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker. These places will feel like you’re on your own private island.

• Turneffe Resort
• Blackbird Resort
• Huracan Diving Lodge
• Turneffe Flats

PADI 5-Star Dive Centers

If you already have a hotel in mind and it is not connected to a dive shop, here are a few 5-star dive shops to choose from. Most of these are in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

• Belize Pro Dive Center (San Pedro)
• Island Divers Belize (San Pedro)
• Ecologic Divers (San Pedro)
• Robert’s Grove (Placencia)
• Belize Underwater (Hopkins and Placencia)

Liveaboards

Want to sail around Belize and dive? Of course, you do!

• Belize Aggressor III (Sunday to Friday)
• Belize Aggressor IV (Saturday to Saturday)

The Aquarium

moon jellyfish

Diving with Hamanasi

We stayed at Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort, a 5-star PADI resort. You can read all about our experience here but I’ll give a few details about their dive operation, Hopkins Divers, here.

• Every dive trip has a PADI instructor or dive master.
• They don’t have shore diving but the Southern Barrier Reef is about 30 minutes away and available often. They also do day trips to Lighthouse Reef Atoll and Blue Hole (2.5 hours away), Turneffe Atoll (1.5 hours away), and Glover’s Reef Atoll (1.5 hours away).
• They require a minimum of eight interested guests to do the day trips but while we were there, we easily met that requirement for all three of the atolls. (I was nervous about this before arriving because I wanted to be sure we got to dive!)
• They also have options of lionfish spearfishing dives and night dives.
• They have gear rental for $25 a day, and nitrox tanks for $10 a dive.
• Their equipment was in pristine condition, and I had no doubts about the equipment or dive guides.
• For day-long dive trips, they pack you a lunch of your choice and also have plenty of cookies and fresh fruit as snacks.

Conclusion

Diving in Belize was a fun adventure! While the wildlife and underwater environment were similar to diving in Roatan, I prefer Belize more because of the full travel package – being able to experience the culture, feeling safer, and more variety in activities. If you’re wanting to dive in the Caribbean, I highly recommend Belize!

Last but not least, the only recompression chamber in Belize is located in San Pedro.

The view when you wake up early to scuba dive

Check out all my Belize posts here.

P.S. See more diving adventures here.

Let’s get connected! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Diving in Belize: Blue Hole and Atolls appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

A few months before we traveled to Belize, I read Bean-to-Bar Chocolate and was immersed in the craft chocolate world. It was fun to learn about how quality beans become quality chocolate, how chocolate makers are changing the world, and how the chocolate industry is evolving. I’ve become a big advocate for supporting cacao farmers and enjoying the high-quality product that comes from their work. Cacao farmers and chocolate makers have been doing this for a long time but the growing interest in craft chocolate is showing the value of their products. All of this background made the chocolate tour in Belize a must-do for me.

History

The first thing I want to clear up is the difference in the terms Maya and Mayans. Mayan is used as an adjective for the language, while Maya is a noun and descriptor for everything else, including the people. If you’re like me, you’ve been saying it wrong your whole life, and everything you’ve learned has re-iterated that mistake. Many times, “Mayan” is used because it sounds better or we think it’s the plural version of Maya. Search “Mayan” on the internet and your search results will direct you back to “Maya” because the internet knows what’s up. Every mention of “Mayan ruins” should be Maya ruins. Now you know!

Before I tell you about our tour, let me share some history. Mayas used cacao beans, the “food of the gods” to make drinking chocolate, which was thought to help you get closer to the gods. It was also a part of special occasions like weddings. Eventually, cacao beans were so valuable, they were used as currency. It’s safe to say, chocolate has been a tradition in the Maya culture for a long, long time. We were honored to be shown around by Mayas who have had the traditions of farming and chocolate making passed down through generations.

In the Cacao Bean Farm

We started our tour where the magic starts – at a cacao farm. We saw the pods on the trees and how the pods also interestingly grew from the strong trunks of the tree. See the small pods in the photo below? We learned about how another type of tree with tall trunks and leafy branches were grown alongside the cacao trees for shade.

Cacao farming is a fruitful endeavor in Belize, and you can find craft single origin bars by chocolate makers with international reach. Chocolate from Belize is known for its fruity notes. All the chocolate starts from these raw cacao beans, which tasted sour and sweet, a long way from the finished product!

From Bean to Bar

After a walk around the farm, we went back to the Che’il shop for owner Julio Saqui to show us how to make chocolate! Making chocolate takes a lengthy and careful process, and we got to make two small bars. While modern metal machines help with the process these days, the historic stone seems to put more magic into it. Making chocolate gave me a lot of appreciation, as only making by hand can do. We tried our hand at grinding the fermented, dried, and roasted cacao nibs!

After grinding the nibs into liquid, a bit of sugar was added and ground again. The liquid was scooped into molds and put into the freezer. About 10 minutes later, chocolate bars! Since there are no additional hardening ingredients in the chocolate, it melts very fast, but don’t worry, we ate them quickly!

Sadly, if we had bought more chocolate bars, we would have a melted mess by the time we got back home. I opted for cacao powder, and I used some of it to make this Texas Sheet Cake. It was incredibly rich!

Conclusion

Julio is incredibly passionate about chocolate and is a smart business owner. Little by little, he’s earned international recognition for his endeavors, created solutions to help fellow chocolatiers in Belize, and built up his business. But the most important thing is the chocolate. He’s in-tune with quality and knows there’s a better story than solely focusing on quantity. His chocolate-making tactics might be “old school” to some, but when you taste the result, it’s obvious that he knows what he’s doing. You can’t replicate that magic.

It was a special afternoon learning the story about Maya chocolate and getting a peek into the culture and traditions. Taking a chocolate tour can easily be seen as a “touristy” thing to do but it’s more about sharing the Maya history and supporting a local cacao farm and chocolate maker. For me, it also involved bringing my recent book knowledge to life. This adventure is available in several parts of Belize, and I recommend you taking the adventure if you get the chance. If nothing else, be sure to taste the chocolate while you’re there!

To follow Julio and Che’il, give them a like on Facebook!

The fun doesn’t stop. See all my Belize posts here!

P.S. Want to read more about craft chocolate? Check out this post!

Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

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One of my favorite parts of traveling is getting to try a different cuisine. There is good food out there and while the U.S. and Austin, TX provide a well-rounded mix of cuisines and flavors, there’s something special about trying the food in its country of origin.

As I mentioned in my post about Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort, we stayed and ate at the resort all week. Our package made meal times easy and I liked that they included traditional Belizean dishes on their menus. I tried as many new-to-me foods as possible! (I also tried to take the best photos I could, though many are from dinner time.) Many of these dishes are Caribbean dishes, so you can find them in multiple countries.

Fry Jacks

Deep-fried dough, how can you resist? One of my favorite things I ate in Belize was this traditional Belizean delight. While I ate it plain at breakfast, it can also be stuffed with meat. I would describe it like the shape and structure of a pita with the taste of an unglazed donut. Basically, I’ll be dreaming about these. (Pictured here with a mini frittata and Belizean coffee.)

Marie Sharp’s

You know what they say about Marie Sharp, right? She’s the hottest lady in Belize! Haha, that joke didn’t get old. This hot sauce comes in multiple flavors and levels of heat, and it’s a typical condiment you’ll see on tables. From what the locals say, stay away from the one called Beware!

Stew Chicken or Beef, Fried Plantains, Coconut Rice and Beans

I could have eaten this every day. There are a lot of complementary flavors in this hearty dish. What makes Belizean Rice and Beans special is that it is cooked in coconut milk.

Ceviche

We encountered two types of ceviche in Belize. One was what one typically thinks of ceviche, with white fish or shrimp. We also had non-fish ceviche with watermelon and pineapple. We ate ceviche every day!

Seafood Galore

Ceviche, grilled fish, fried fish, cocktail shrimp, fish cakes. I definitely reveled in the seafood bounty when in Belize! I had everything from snapper, jackfish, and lionfish. I also enjoyed Belikin beer battered shrimp!

Chaya Leaf

Also known as tree spinach, this leaf is a traditional Maya ingredient and added to omelets and soup. It’s a little tougher than spinach but has more flavor.

Johnny Cake or Journey Cake

Johnny Cakes are dense, circular bread made with flour and coconut milk. They last a long time, so they are an ideal snack for a long trip, hence it is also known as “journey cake.” You usually slice it horizontally and add stewed chicken or cooked fish in the middle to make a sandwich. (On this plate, you’ll see other things typical of a Belizean breakfast: fry jack, fish, and refried beans.)

Coconut Bread and Desserts

With the abundance of coconuts, it makes sense to use the coconut meat and milk to make bread and desserts like coconut cake, coconut ice cream, and coconut pie. I loved all of it!

Beetroot Carpaccio

I first had this Italian dish in Costa Rica. I think about that dish frequently but haven’t encountered it again. So, I was ecstatic when I saw it on the menu in Belize. The dish has thin slices of beetroot, arugula, shaved Parmesan, red onion, horseradish cream, and capers. I could eat it every day. The Internet has plenty of recipes for this dish, so I hope to make it one day!

Garifuna Sere

I tried a traditional Garifuna dish of fish poached in coconut milk and loved it! Garifuna is a language and culture of the Garinagu, Afro-Caribbean people who have settled in Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. In Belize, the Garinagu have communities in Southern Belize.

Cassava Pudding

Cassava is a root vegetable that some might know as tapioca. This isn’t the typical “pudding” you need to eat with a spoon. Cassava Pudding, a popular Caribbean dessert, is more like a dense, glutinous cake with a similar texture to mochi. They served it with plenty of vanilla ice cream.

Fresh Fruit and Juice

What do I love about tropical places? Fresh fruit and juice! Papaya, watermelon, pineapple. We snacked on fruit every day and drank it at breakfast.

Belikin Beer by Belize Brewing Company

When in Belize, Belikin is your beer! Belikin Premium is a good beer with flavor but Belikin Regular is close behind. Also made by Belikin, Lighthouse Lager is close to beer water. Craving dark? You’ve got Belikin Stout.

Craft Beer

Ok, beer snob. If you don’t want to drink Belikin, you’ll need to make your way to San Pedro to try Island Time Brewing, a nano brewery in Belize. There are a handful of other craft beers but they don’t have distribution around the country either. Your best bet is to hop from bar to bar to see what craft beer they’ve got!

Cashew Wine

While I didn’t get to try it for myself, Cashew Wine is a popular wine choice in Belize. It’s wine made from cashew fruit.

Rum Cocktails

While you can find all kinds of liquor in Belize, rum is king. Rum punch! Piña colada! Other fruit-forward rum drinks! Belize has you covered.

Fresh Coconut

There are coconuts galore, so look out above! Fresh coconut water is a refreshing and hydrating drink. Make it a party but pouring in some liquor.

Before we decided on staying at Hamanasi, I was already making my restaurant list. Here are some recommended places around Belize to check out.

• Innie’s Restaurant (Hopkins)
• Errolyns House of Fry Jacks (Caye Caulker)
• Dee N’ D’s (Caye Caulker)
• Robin’s Kitchen (San Pedro)
• Palapa Bar and Grill (San Pedro)

P.S. Want to explore more travel eats? Check out these dishes in Thailand, Greece, and Costa Rica.

P.S. See all my Belize posts here!

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You know it’s a good sign when you don’t want to leave at the end of your stay!

There are many great options in Belize. We decided on Hamanasi after lots of research and I want to tell you all about our experience in case this is what you’re looking for when you go to Belize. Spoiler alert: I loved staying at Hamanasi and think it’s a perfect place for a dive trip, honeymoon, or even family vacation.

Why Hamanasi?

Hamanasi is an adventure and dive resort located in Hopkins, in the southern part of Belize. The closest airport is in Dangriga, about a 40-minute drive, and we took a 20-minute flight on a small commercial airplane after landing in Belize City. The resort books your connecting flight from Belize City to Dangriga and arranges your shuttle from Dangriga to the resort.

We chose Hamanasi because:

• Celebrating my milestone birthday meant a little more luxurious splurge.
• They’re a PADI 5-Star Resort, perfect for top-of-the-line diving options.
• They’re located in Southern Belize, where the better diving in Belize is, and they have options to dive the atolls.
• They have options for outdoor, cultural, and historical activities.
• Their all-inclusive packages minimalized the planning. There are so many options in Belize! (I’ll show you soon.) After the extensive indecisive planning, we decided to make it easy. This took out research for restaurants, tour companies, and transportation.
• They have beautiful treehouse accommodations!
• They have great reviews.

But I was sad to miss:

• Staying “in town” and getting the feel of walking around a city. BUT the resort is located in Hopkins and you can ride a bike (they have complimentary for you to use) or get dropped off to the main part of town (3-5 mins away by car) to explore.
• Conversing with locals in their daily life, though we loved getting to know the staff at Hamanasi!
• Discovering local restaurants off the beaten path.
• Exploring different parts of the country, though we did see it from the air and on our long ride to Mayan ruins.

Even though I felt a little “restricted” at first (because I can’t sit still) staying at a resort, we had the BEST time and I would recommend visiting. As I mentioned, their packages made meals and activities very easy. Our Reef and Rainforest package included:

• Accommodations
• Continental breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Roundtrip air transfers from Belize International Airport to Dangriga
• Roundtrip ground transfers from Dangriga to Hamanasi
• Welcome drink upon arrival
• Five adventures/excursions (They have packages of one to five adventures based on the number of nights you stay.)

What’s the crowd like at Hamanasi?

The resort has about 60 guests at the maximum, so we saw many of the same guests on our adventures and in the restaurant. It was fun to catch up with everyone at the end of the day and hear about everyone’s adventures.

There were guests of all ages at Hamanasi. Many were couples, from honeymooners to retirees. There was a bachelorette party, a couple with an infant, and a family with teenagers. The resort with all its options fits all ages.

Accommodations

Hamanasi has 16 treehouses that are rooms on stilts and surrounded by trees. I loved that it felt secluded while being a short walk to the main building. They also have 12 beachfront rooms in two buildings. The rooms had everything we needed, like the usual amenities of shampoo and a hairdryer. Hamanasi gets handmade soap from a local company and they are wonderful! We got different kinds when they needed to be replaced. They provide daily housekeeping to restock your soap and towels and a turn-down service where they get your bed ready and close all your blinds.

One thing I want to note is there is no Wi-Fi or TVs in the rooms, which for us felt nice! There is Wi-Fi in the main building where the restaurant, bar, and lounging area are and there is a TV in the library, which is also in the main building. We would check in to all the internet happenings for about an hour during happy hour but otherwise, we were focused on relaxing and having fun!

Food at Singanga Restaurant

Their one, spacious restaurant in the main building serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Downstairs was their bar, which was a happening place for happy hour. For lunch, you also had the option of sitting in the tables downstairs by the pool.

• Breakfast options are a buffet with pastries, fruit, yogurt, and cereal or you can order a la carte. We usually got the daily egg special (dishes like frittata, omelette, huevos rancheros) and sides like hash browns and bacon. Of course, you can’t forget Belizean coffee!
• Lunch is a menu of salads, sandwiches, tacos, burgers, and dishes like grilled fish. If you are going on a day-long excursion, you’ll order your lunch of a sandwich or wrap the day before and your guide will have it for you during the trip.
• Dinner is a full menu with appetizers, entrees, and dessert. Our package included a three-course meal every night! Yes, I ate dessert every night!
• Happy hour at the bar included a few drink specials plus complimentary snacks.
• We definitely did not go hungry at Hamanasi. Their portions are big and the food is tasty. I like that there are options for traditional Belizean dishes on all their menus.

Beach and Resort Grounds

With essentially 28 rooms, Hamanasi has a limited number of guests, which makes the resort feel roomy yet cozy. The pool is the focal point of the outdoor area but the beachfront is only steps away. The beach area also has games like cornhole and sand volleyball. You’ll also find paddleboards and kayaks to use nearby.

Hamanasi is an eco-friendly resort, meaning they focus on reducing, reusing, recycling, and having eco-friendly practices. They give guests reusable water bottles to use on their adventures and recycling bins in the guest rooms. Their bar drinks feature reusable bamboo straws. They compost and have a garden on-site that provides fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruit for their dishes. We got a fun tour with one of the gardeners and learned all about it! Lastly, they also donate to organizations that help the environment.

Adventures/Excursions

They have plenty of marine and inland activities to choose from. They have a tentative schedule on their website but they are very flexible. They take into consideration what guests want to do and adjust the schedule so everyone can fit the adventures they want. Have a schedule of what you want to do in your head, and when you arrive, you’ll talk to someone about how the official schedule is shaping out for the week.

All their guides are in-house (not part of an outside tour company) and very knowledgeable about each trip. We ended up doing four dive days, a waterfall hike, a Mayan ruins history tour, and a chocolate tour. Check out their inland/rainforest adventures here.

For diving, the Southern Barrier Reef trips were fully included in the package while the bigger dive trips (like Blue Hole) cost one adventure plus an additional charge. You can see all the reef/marine adventures here.

Conclusion

This is not a sponsored post! We found this resort during our trip research and are very happy we did. It was the perfect combination of the things we enjoy when we travel: diving, cultural experiences, and local food and drink. The cherry on top was the great Hamanasi team. They were always greeting us, many times by name. Hamanasi made our trip to Belize memorable and relaxing!

What hotel or resort do you have fond memories of?

P.S. Looking for similar luxury travel experiences? I recommend this resort in Costa Rica or eating at this restaurant in Thailand.

Keep up with my adventures. You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Staying at Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort in Belize appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

As the wheels went up on the plane, leaving Belize behind, I settled into my seat and thought to myself, “have I ever been this relaxed?”

I didn’t think my life was that stressful. I usually don’t come home from work stressed. I don’t have kids. Heck, I don’t even need to walk a dog. I mostly stick to a routine, which makes life less stressful. But I create plenty of stress for myself by overscheduling, thinking too much about the future, and planning very active vacations.

Thinking back on my vacations for the last four years, they all involved jumping from one city to the next in a short period of time (four days to two weeks), diving four times a day, or lots of scheduled activities. Don’t get me wrong, they were all very fun and adventurous trips that I would do again, but I came back needing a vacation from my vacation.

Belize was the vacation I didn’t know I needed. We stayed at the same resort and in the same room all week, so there was no re-packing or moving our stuff from place to place. We had daily adventures and dives, but we returned in the afternoon to a carefree routine: take a leisurely shower, get ready to look somewhat presentable (flip-flops ok!) for dinner, enjoy happy hour, eat dinner, and be in bed by 9:30 p.m. at the latest. We laid in hammocks with nowhere to be. We ate our meals leisurely. We got plenty of sleep. We took our time.

Our guides even reminded us to take our time during our daily adventures. Granted, a lot of times they said that because we were doing an intense physical activity and they didn’t want us to get hurt, but it still echoed the thought of slowing down and enjoying everything happening in the moment. We stopped to admire the landscape. We stopped to catch our breath. We were present, experiencing all the beauty and adventure Belize was offering us.

I’ll admit, all this extra leisure time during our vacation made me a little uneasy. I felt like I should be doing something, maybe out discovering something at the resort I hadn’t seen before. But settling into a leisurely routine and not having the usual distractions of internet and TV helped me slow down and enjoy the present to simply be and reflect.

I experience an abbreviated version of complete relaxation on the weekends sometimes, like a quiet morning at home, but in reality, I’m always planning something and on the move. The next week of work, activities with friends, the next blog posts. My brain is constantly thinking about schedules, deadlines, and to-dos. (I hope this isn’t only me!) More than two days of absolute relaxing is unfathomable.

And it wasn’t until leaving beautiful Belize and returning to the hustle that I realized having that many days in a row to truly relax and unplug was an essential luxury. This is what it really means to re-charge! I may not be able to take vacations like this as often as I’d like, but now I remember what slowing down is like, and I can make it a goal for my days and my life, at least sometimes.

I’ve always been the one who would rather be exploring and moving instead of sitting on the beach all week. It looks like my future vacations need a little more time to go slowly.

When was the last time you truly relaxed? Do you plan relaxing vacations or adventurous vacations?

P.S. This relaxing Belize vacation did have some fun activities. Read this post about our resort, this one about the diving, and the full Belize guide here!

P.S. What are these busy yet adventurous vacations I speak of? Check out Spain, Greece, and Thailand!

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