Month: January 2020

When spring arrives, the faithful eagerly await Easter, a holiday filled with pageantry and fun. Should you decide to celebrate the holy season here in Belize, make it the kind of vacation that suits your religious needs and sensibilities while enjoying weather that’s heavenly. As a Christian, you’ll celebrate in a nation where 80-percent of the populace shares your faith; if you’re not Christian you’ll have an equally fabulous time of it since Belize serves up some of the most beautiful sights, sounds and tastes in the Caribbean at this time of year.

What sets Belize apart from other Central American nations when Easter rolls around? As a society that takes the season of Jesus’s resurrection very seriously, your visit will coincide with a four-day celebration that’s a non-stop ride through parties, events and religious rituals. The nation shuts down in deference to the pious nature of the season, but you won’t care if you visit because you are in Belize to slow down and relax, right?

If you’ve limited time in Belize and wish to see the best of the best, we urge you to attend this Good Friday tradition: evening mass followed by a moving re-enactment of The Way of the Cross staged in the town of Benque Viejo del Carmen in western Belize. Other re-enactments of the Via Crucis will also be held in the Districts of Orange Walk and Corozal, in case one of these locations is more convenient for you.

If you think a suitcase filled with fancy Easter duds is necessary for your holiday trip, re-think your packing strategy. Bring one nice outfit to attend services at any of Belize’s churches on Good Friday, but because the weather’s hot and lots of activities surrounding Easter are more secular than sacred, lightweight shorts, shirts, skirts and traditional resort wear plus swimsuits will have you covered in the fashion department.

Be forewarned that alcohol is not served in Belize on Good Friday, so if you can’t imagine a day that doesn’t include the cocktail hour, follow the lead of tourists and stockpile your bubbly before this 24-hour period begins. Some visitors say that the parties, church services, water sports and visits to attractions keep them so busy, they don’t even miss having alcoholic beverages on this holy day.

Change up the pace of your Belize Easter visit by attending the annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycle Race. The antithesis of religious pageantry, this cycling race is an excitement-filled, 140-mile-long event that takes cyclists from Belize City to San Ignacio/Santa Elena and back. This wildly popular competition attracts big crowds, but if you’ve no interest in the sport, your resort host can help you find things to do for this short period of time that are away from the race route along the Western Highway.

Once you’ve experienced Good Friday and Holy Saturday Belize style, you can expect a more familiar day on Easter Sunday. Churches throughout the nation proclaim the Resurrection of Christ during services and then, in fairly typical fashion, families get together for meals as do tourists in country for the holiday. By afternoon, athletic events, fairs other secular events liven up the third day of this holiday—leaving Easter Monday to be observed. On this day, the last of the fairs, athletic events, dances and parties wrap up this four day celebration!

If reading about Easter in Belize whets your appetite, we recommend accommodations at Chabil Mar in Placencia. The recipient of myriad hospitality and media awards–plus recommendations from travelers who keep coming back–this luxury resort offers gracious surroundings, superior accommodations and service. Staff is delighted to help guests find and attend celebrations held during the Easter holiday season, but to see the full extent of what awaits at Chabil Mar, take a peek at the resort’s website.

For more information about visiting Belize or Chabil Mar for Easter, feel free to chat with our Concierge at: concierge@chabilmarvillas.com or contact our Reservations Manager at:reservations@chabilmarvillas.com. Or perhaps you would like to call toll free from the US or Canada: 1-866-417-2377.

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Belize seems almost custom-made for romance. Although it is just a short flight (five hours or less) away from major cities across the United States and Canada, Belize is truly a world away.

With no fast food outlets, shopping malls, or even traffic jams, Belize is a beautiful, unspoiled country where the air is perfumed from hundreds of flowering plants. Over half the country is a protected park, sanctuary, or animal refuge, and Belize has hundreds of offshore islands along the western hemisphere’s largest coral reef system.

One of the most idyllic places to enjoy Valentine’s Day in Belize is the Placencia Peninsula. Often called the caye (island) you can walk to, the peninsula is just half a mile wide but stretches 16 miles from north to south. The Caribbean coast of the peninsula has gorgeous, white sandy beaches, making it easy to enjoy a romantic stroll in privacy.

Chabil Mar is an award-winning luxury resort located on the southern tip of the peninsula just a short stroll from Placencia Village, a small fishing enclave with colorful street murals and a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the smallest main “street” in the world, a four-foot wide sidewalk that is packed with eclectic cafes, bars, and restaurants, all completely off-limits to cars and trucks.

Chabil Mar Resort has luxuriously appointed villas with a full range of modern conveniences and comforts, including high-speed internet, gorgeous furnishings made from local woods, and powerful air conditioning. The resort also has a lovely tropical garden, freshwater infinity swimming pools, and a gourmet restaurant serving up a mouthwatering array of local and international cuisine.

One especially romantic option to enjoy at Chabil Mar is a private dinner that you can enjoy on the resort’s seafront pier, gazing up at the natural wonder of another starry, Belizean night.

Other romantic options to enjoy include free use of bicycles, paddle boards, and sea kayaks to explore the coastline and nearby Garifuna village of Seine Bight. February is also when the Placencia Sidewalk Arts Festival takes place, a multi-day affair that sees the central “main street” transformed into booths selling local art, handicrafts, delicious foods, games, and plenty of live music.

Nearby attractions include hiking through the vast wilderness of the Cockscomb Basin Nature Reserve (home to all five of Belize’s big cat species, including jaguars), bird watching, and enjoying snorkeling and scuba diving on the nearby islands like Silk Cayes and Laughing Bird Caye.

If you’d like to experience an unforgettably romantic Valentine’s Day this year, book your vacation at the Chabil Mar Resort in Placencia, Belize.