15 Rare and Wonderful Treasures from Belize

The word “treasures” usually refers to riches, precious metals and in some cases, your kids, but if you’re a frequent visitor to Belize, you know that the land is filled with natural treasures that have no equal. Belize is home to unspoiled rainforests, endangered species, ancient Mayan cities and lush beaches, so if these criteria don’t describe a nation rich in treasures, nothing will! We recommend the following 15 to begin your journey.

Silk Cayes

Silk_Caye,_Stann_Creek,_BelizeSilk Cayes: Just off the coast of Placencia Village, divers and snorkelers discover underwater jewels clinging to the Belize Barrier Reef in the vicinity of the Silk Cayes. Known for excellent water quality and modest waves, dive year round in this marine paradise.

Laughing Bird Caye

placencia belizeLaughing Bird Caye: Get away from crowds in nearby Placencia Village to kayak, snorkel, dive, scuba and picnic. When you’ve had your fill of ocean depths, spot another of the nation’s treasures: exotic birds that make this island their home.

Placencia Village

where to travel for summer vacation in belizePlacencia Village: Why is this colorful epicenter of fun and good times a treasure? Because it has everything a vacationer seeks in close proximity—water sports, Mayan ruins, nightlife and luxurious resorts like Chabil Mar.

Monkey River Village

rp_Elizabeth_Monkey_River_Welcome_650_Sign_Chabil_Mar_Belize_Resort.jpgMonkey River Village: This must-see trip balances howler monkeys with cool birds, butterflies and assorted lizards that inhabit this region. The gem-like colors of birds and butterflies will amaze you–and you’ll fall in love with those monkeys.

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

cockscomb-basin-wildlife-sanctuary-belizeCockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary: The world’s first jaguar preserve isn’t the only reason you’ll find this location a treasure: it’s home to Belize’s highest point, Victoria Peak, and so many colorful insects, mammals, birds and reptiles, you won’t want to put your camera away.

Chabil Mar Resort

summer in belizeChabil Mar Resort: There’s a reason travelers pick Chabil Mar over other Placencia Village lodgings when they visit: Hosts tuck guests into sea-facing villas offering the ultimate in privacy. Tropical gardens, infinity pools and al fresco dining are steps away, so you couldn’t avoid relaxing if you tried!

Blue Hole

The-Great-Blue-Hole-1Blue Hole: The famous Great Blue Hole is a one-of-a-kind diving destination that challenges even veteran divers thanks to its unique configuration of collapsed caves at the ocean floor. Celebrity Jacques-Yves Cousteau couldn’t stop talking about the geological wonders at this spot in the Caribbean. You’ll agree.

Belize Barrier Reef

belize reefBelize Barrier Reef: Charles Darwin called it remarkable and deep sea divers from around the planet find no fault with his assessment! Add this section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System to your list of not-to-be-missed jewels or your Belize itinerary won’t be complete.

Placencia Lagoon

belize manateesPlacencia Lagoon: This rich, bio-diverse wonderland remains so pristine, Jabiru Storks, Morelet’s crocodiles and some dolphin species swim amid mangrove swamps within this verdant, protected lagoon. Pair a visit here with one to neighboring Cockscomb Jaguar Reserve.

Half Moon Caye

rp_Half_Moon_Caye_Chabil_Mar_-_Belize_Resort.jpgHalf Moon Caye: If you’ve never experienced “a wall dive,” it’s time to jump in. Once you settle into the tight space and discover a world filled with turtles, rays, eels, barracuda and other marine wildlife through crystal waters, you’ll be glad you took the risk.

Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave

ATM-CAVEActun Tunichil Muknal Cave: Plunging into the depths of this karstic limestone cave could take your breath away. Included among the Mayan treasures found at this rare site are stelae, pottery and even skeletal remains of former inhabitants.

Belize Whale Sharks

scuba diving in belizeBelize Whale Sharks: The largest fish in the world uses the Gladden Spit off Belize’s Placencia coast as a playground at certain times of the year. Your best chance of spotting one is to visit during full moons in the months of April and May!

Xunantunich Maya Ruins

xunantunichXunantunich Maya Ruins: Ascend to the ridge above the Mopan River in the San Jose Succotz vicinity to find a Mayan ceremonial center unlike any other. The largest pyramid in Belize (El Castillo) is found here, so that alone is worth your journey.

Caracol Maya Ruins

caracol maya city belizeCaracol Maya Ruins: Caracol is a classic example of what archaeologists have unearthed in the Cayo District. Allow plenty of time to explore this huge compound, the former home of about 120,000 people!

Barton Creek Cave

Barton_Creek_Cave_2

Barton Creek Cave: No list of Belize treasures would be complete without this impressive site, continuously inhabited by Mayans between 200 and 900 AD. Ten ledges near the mouth of the cave display artifacts that run the gamut from pottery shards to skeletons.

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Belize, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning a Belize vacation.

The Best Honeymoon Resort In Belize For A Romantic Getaway

Best Honeymoon Resort in Belize

If your mom told you that all good things only come in small packages, you may want to call and tell her that this saying is no longer true. Engaged couples live in a world of big packages, especially after managing to get through 2020. As a result, they’re not reticent about planning grand weddings – although smart romantics are focusing as much on grand honeymoons as they are on extravagant ceremonies.

Where to go? No brainer. Belize is again taking its rightful place on the world stage as the most romantic place to honeymoon on the Caribbean rim. Couples who have no idea where to start looking for a resort are advised to look first to Chabil Mar Villas on the Placencia peninsula. What’s your first clue that this is honeymoon mecca? The word “villas.” Chabil Mar’s accommodations far exceed those of ordinary resort guest rooms.

Chabil Mar’s location is particularly unique. Placencia is known as “the island you can walk to” and it’s the epicenter of the highest-quality properties in the nation. Tucked into a huge expanse of palm trees, tropical flowers and adjacent to the beach and sea, Chabil Mar’s beauty is only surpassed by the wealth of amenities honeymooners discover the moment they arrive. There’s a reason “Fodor’s” travel editors gave the resort its “Choice for Luxury” designation and why TripAdvisor is so keen on this boutique resort.

Honeymoon Resorts All Inclusive in Belize
Having come to the realization that Chabil Mar is more than a destination (in fact, it’s a state of mind), rest assured the resort’s reputation as a superior honeymoon destination is secure! Honeymooners can look forward to privacy, intimacy and plenty of fun simply by opting for one of 3 Belize Honeymoon packages, each of which gets every marriage off to a great start by saving couples money, too.

Honeymoon Package #1: Simply called “Destination Honeymoon” you are invited to spend a week basking in the lap of luxury residing in lush digs while enjoying gourmet meals, couples massages, private tours, snorkeling and more, all included for a single package price.

Honeymoon Package #2: If you both think big, the “Islands of Adventure” all-inclusive package has your names written all over it. In addition to accommodations, dining, amenities and you more, romantics eager for island time get their wishes by pairing an inland/island experience that makes this an extraordinary honeymoon choice.

Honeymoon Package #3: “Three Belize Resorts” is the ultimate honeymoon. Couples sojourn at three locations instead of just one. In addition to Chabil Mar, you’ll spend time on Ray Caye Island Resort plus a jungle hideaway called Chaa Creek. All three represent the best of Belize and give adventure seekers infinite cultural and activity choices.

luxury belize honeymoon accommodations
All three Belize honeymoon options are brimming with extras, so you will want to review each option before making a decision. You’ve got plenty to celebrate in 2021 and the ideal place to begin that romantic celebration is Chabil Mar, the only choice for discriminating honeymooners.

For more information about Belize, 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 or WhatsApp us at +501-633-7547.

6 Places To Visit With Kids in Belize

Belize-Family-Vacations

Kids and Belize go together like PB&J—especially if you take your brood to these wild places!

Travel agency owner Christopher Wilmot-Sitwell knows a thing or two about family vacations abroad. He has been booking them for 25 years and has concluded that even school curricula can’t compete with visits to exotic destinations. Global vacations helps kids “grow up with an awareness of the world that can’t be gleaned from textbooks,” he says, adding, “well-travelled children often find more meaningful careers in their adult lives.”

Love the idea of broadening the horizons of your children but the thought of wrangling youngsters on lengthy overseas flights gives you pause? How about a plane ride that takes only a few hours to bring your brood into contact with a culture that’s so fascinating, you’ll wonder why you never considered Belize before now?

Regardless of their ages and stages of life, you can make it a carefree vacation by putting arrangements into the hands of a centrally-located property where Belize family vacation packages save time, stress and money. The ideal pick? Chabil Mar Villas where packages include tours your kids will adore:

belize zoo

1. Belize Zoo: Called the best little zoo in the world, your kids will meet Belize’s indigenous wild animals. Once a small collection of species movie-makers used for documentaries, there are now 175 animals, all of whom were orphaned, rescued or rehabilitated before they joined their zoo family. Lessons of compassion and conservation won’t be lost on your little ones.

Cockscomb-Basin-Wildlife-Sanctuary

2. Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary: The Belize Audubon Society prides itself on helping to support the first jaguar preserve on earth. But jaguars don’t occupy this expansive park alone; they share it with other wildcats, deer, tapir and creatures big and small. Searching for critters is a blast, but don’t be surprised if your children are impressed by dramatic waterfalls, nature trails, plants and mountain views that make a visit to Cockscomb unforgettable.

St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park

3. St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park: Also managed by The Belize Audubon Society, this intriguing site is a little bit mystery and a whole lot of nature. Located southeast of Belmopan, this sink hole sits amid 500 acres of tropical rain forest where 200 bird species coexist with howler monkeys that are so loud, your kids will want to yell back! Cool down in Mother Nature’s unique pool and be sure to take lots of photos.

Monkey River Tour

4. Monkey River: If Howler Monkeys on your St. Herman’s trip left your children wanting more, a Monkey River tour, where relatives of those primates hang out in large numbers along the riverbank, can get them closer. Other animals live in harmony at this site, but chances are, your children will ignore birds, medicinal plants and even a river swim to get in more monkey time.

laughing bird and silk cayes

5. Silk and Laughing Bird Cayes: Get two fun island visits on the same day by taking the kids to these cayes. Visitors recommend Laughing Bird Caye’s sandy beach and snorkeling down to where lobster and barracuda may be found, while turtles, rays and nurse sharks call Silk Caye home. In either case, if your children are just earning their water wings, either makes a great first-time snorkeling adventure.

Maya King Waterfall in Southern Belize

6. Maya King Waterfalls: Even boisterous kids’ voices may be drowned out on a visit to Maya King Waterfalls, located within a privately-owned park. Central America is renowned for having the most dramatic waterfalls in the hemisphere and if your youngsters haven’t had the pleasure of splashing in a pool that’s located directly under rushing cascades of water, they will be impressed, too.

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Belize, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning a Belize family vacation.

Where to Go When You Visit Belize? No Contest; You Must See Placencia

Where to go when you visit Belize

For a 16-mile-long finger of land at the eastern edge of Belize, you would be hard-pressed to find another piece of real estate in Central America that’s as lush and beautiful as Placencia. Settled by Puritans from Nova Scotia in the 17th century, these fools obviously didn’t recognize paradise because they returned to the ice and snow, leaving local fishermen to create a unique community on this bucolic piece of land.

Over time, Placencia Belize became a bustling Caribbean fishing hub thanks to the weather, breezes, and warm water, and while assaults by Mother Nature included storms and hurricanes, fishermen thrived as developers helped rebuild weather-damaged areas. Quirky sites – like the world’s narrowest street built because a local bishop couldn’t tolerate walking in the sand – even managed to wind up in the Guinness Book of Records.

Tourists discover Placencia Belize and fall in love

Because this sliver of Belize faces both the Caribbean Sea and a calmer lagoon, curious tourists eager to spend time in a splendid area that has retained its character found in Placencia exactly what they were seeking in terms of beauty, tranquility, and the charming vibe of this fishing port.

Word got out and before long, the question of where to go in Belize had but one answer: Placencia, where whale shark spotting, fabulous scuba, and snorkel spots, and the beauty of both coasts drew tourists away from busier locations. Placencia morphed into the destination gourmets seek when they vacation in Belize. Is it any wonder news about this divine place leaked out? Time to see for yourself why visitors can’t get enough!

Play where you stay at this fun Belize vacation spot

best place to stay in belize

Home to the hemisphere’s best beaches and buoyed by the emerging foodie scene, Chabil Mar Resort has become the most desirable place to stay for people eager to experience the essence of Placencia Belize. Chabil Mar is considered the quintessential hot spot for guests who love lush environs, breathtaking accommodations, and every amenity under the sun.

Imagine your day at Chabil Mar. You awaken to the sun reflected off the ocean’s surface, tucked into a villa that’s so exquisitely decorated with local art, artifacts, and Belize décor, you feel like you’re in a South Seas movie. The smallest accommodation measures nearly 1,000 square feet, yet your accommodation feels intimate. What’s next? You repair to the resort’s beachfront eatery where culinary masters turn breakfast into feasts. And that’s just the start of your day.

How active would you like to be during your stay?

where to go in belize

Swim in either of the resort’s infinity pools. Lounge by the water. Discover why two in a hammock is better than one! Alternately, borrow complimentary kayaks, paddleboards, and bikes so you grab your share of activity before making a pilgrimage to Placencia Village for an afternoon of exploration.

Chose a Belize vacation package and every detail of your visit will be pre-arranged, including tours of places you have only read about: ancient Maya cities, jungles, breathtaking waterfalls, wildlife preserves and so much more.

Placencia Belize has become the place to see and be seen, the only answer to the question “Where to go in Belize” and the destination you would create if someone asked you to imagine the perfect Belize resort.

For more information about Belize, 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 or WhatsApp us at +501-633-7547.  

It’s the Honeymoon Capital of the Caribbean: Placencia, Belize

honeymoon and romance in belize

For couples who spend fortunes on splashy weddings and lavish receptions, the idea of saving money while not compromising on luxury is almost too good to be Belized!

Honeymoon in romantic Belize, where affordability paired with luxury await exhausted newlyweds and you can have your wedding cake and eat it too. One of the most popular destinations couples pick for Belize honeymoons is Placencia, a tranquil peninsula situated along the Caribbean Sea. It’s also the location of Chabil Mar Villas, a lush, tropical resort designed for romantics because privacy and elegance are hallmarks of this spectacular property.

You needn’t make a single decision during your stay!

As the closest full service resort to picturesque Placencia Village, honeymooners are invited to roam the peninsula at their leisure if they’ve already had enough excitement for a lifetime during their wedding festivities! All inclusive arrangements relieve brides and grooms of making decisions, because everything a couple needs to relax and wind down is covered, depending upon the package they pick. That can include:

-In-country transportation
-Caribbean oceanfront accommodations
-Meals served in a couple’s villa, on the beach or poolside
-Tours for couples as hungry for adventure as they are for romance
-The use of complimentary bicycles
-Access to kayaks and paddleboards
-Free golf cart use for two days
-Swim in the resort’s two beachside infinity pools
-Enjoy the ultimate honeymoon treat: a couples massage.

Nothing promotes love and romance like Mother Nature

belize honeymoon vacations all inclusive

Belize’s beauty is often the reason lovers pick this intriguing nation for their honeymoon. There’s nothing like standing in the presence of majestic waterfalls surrounded by rainforest and jungle where newlyweds can share their hopes and dreams. Belize sunrises and sunsets are especially dramatic, and no matter when you make your romantic pilgrimage, the weather (including occasional rain showers that delight giggling couples) is temperate and welcoming year-round.

Newlyweds love roaming nature reserves filled with exotic animals, swimming and snorkeling the barrier reef that’s home to 450+ marine creatures and Belize’s ancient Maya ruins, caves and archaeological sites (900 in total). Couples need only check with Chabil Mar staff to book these adventures if they’re not included in their package.

Your honeymoon celebrated your way

the best honeymoon resort in belize

Every couple is unique. Even honeymooners who look upon their getaway as an opportunity to do nothing but chill, quickly find that sticking around Chabil Mar offers lots to do. Tucked into movie-set-worthy accommodations (see all of Chabil Mar’s seafront and sea view digs here), newlyweds often wonder whether anything on earth can possibly be this perfect.

But it is. And thanks to wise decisions to choose Chabil Mar and Placencia, honeymooners get a perfect start to their new life together. Sound like the place you should spend your honeymoon? Reserve soon to take advantage of pre-winter price hikes and you’ll find savings that come close to matching your idyllic honeymoon!

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