Top Ten Things to Eat in Belize

Belizean culture and cuisine showcases a mixture of many regional traditions and food habits, with major influences from Mexican, Caribbean, and Mayan culinary methods. It seems the locals have adapted food and cooking techniques from many early settlers, including the cuisines of Spanish and African too. It can be hard to find a truly distinctive Belizean cuisine. However, the country surely offers a delightful culinary journey for all those who come here to enjoy some regional delicacies.

If you are looking forward to try some authentic Belizean flavors, then here are the top ten things to eat in Belize.

1. Chimole or Black Dinner

Chirmole which is also know as “Black Dinner” is a tasty black colored soup with roots in Maya and Mestizo cultures and is enjoyed throughout Belize.  (Photo by www.belizenewspost.com)

2. Sere

The Sere is a fish soup that consists of plantains, cassava, coconut milk and fry fish.

3. Rice and Beans

The Belizean Rice and beans is considered a creole dish and has been described as the “staple of Belize cuisine”. (Photo by www.belizenewspost.com)

4. Tamales

Belizean tamales are are a traditional Maya and Mestizo food and unlike the typical Mexican tamale, Belizean tamales are not wrapped in corn husks but are instead wrapped in plantain leaves. (Photo by Wikipedia)

5. Salbutes

Belizean salbutes  are deep fried and are topped with chopped cabbage, chicken, tomato, onion, (sometimes avocado), and Marie Sharp pepper. (Photo by Trip Advisor)

6.) Panades

Belizean panades are like empanadas which are filled with either fish  or red or black beans and is served with cabbage, onion and pepper salsa. ( Photo by: http://evetravels.wordpress.com/).

7.) Boil Up

Boil Up is a national dish in Belize and consists of boiled vegetables, egg, fish and bread dumpling (boiled dough). Hence its name. (Photo by Wikipedia).

8. Pibil

Pibil is a traditional Belizean cuisine of Maya origin. ( Photo  by http://www.kaanabelize.com)

9. Cow Foot Soup

Cow Foot Soup is made from cowfeet that is simmered and slow cooked to render a thick soup along with black pepper, cilantro, carrots, onions, okra, and potatoes and is served with either corn tortillas or white rice and can be accompanied with onion and habanero pepper sauce. ( Photo by Trip Advisor)

10. Tamalitos or Ducunu

Tamalitos are tasty mini tamales that are made of corn and are a traditional Mestizo food.

For more information about these Belizean cuisines,  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.Save

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If this summer is your first opportunity to visit the amazing country of Belize, here are 10 breathtaking activities that you should really add to your bucket list:

1 – Explore an ancient Mayan Ruin

Belize was once the center of the enigmatic Mayan Empire. Today there are dozens of amazing sites to visit, complete with pyramids, temples and other buildings you can explore and climb.

2 – Snorkel or Dive at the Silk Caye Marine Reserve

Just offshore from Placencia, Silk Caye is loaded with colorful flora and fauna. Strap on your fins and see marine life at its finest.

3 – Check Out the Amazing Food

Skip the rice and beans and take a walk on the wild side. Try some roadside vendor mango slices, coconut fish stew (called hudut) or some stewed gibnut for some real local flavor.

4 – Work on your Tan in Placencia

The best beaches in Belize are on the Placencia Peninsula in the south. Perfect for swimming, sun tanning or simply relaxing .

5 – Visit the lush Jungle at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and See a Waterfall

The verdant jungles at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary are truly spectacular, bursting with exotic animals and plants and home to some unique and magnificent waterfalls.

6 – Experience Local Culture

Belize is truly a melting pot, a harmonious mix of people of Maya, Afro-Caribbean, Mexican, East Indian and European heritage. Visit a Mennonite town, learn to play the Garifuna drums or dance with the Maya.

7 – Check Out the Belize Barrier Reef

Even if you’re not a water person you can enjoy the most amazing coral reef in the Western Hemisphere. Head to one of the offshore islands where you can witness the Caribbean Sea majestically breaking over the reef.

8 – Visit the Coolest Zoo in the World

This is no prison for frightened animals to be gawked at by people. At the Belize Zoo, only indigenous and rescued animals are to be found in this unique sanctuary.

9 – Explore a Mayan Cave

The Maya believed that caves were a gateway to the spirit world. Today, you can take a guided tour on foot or ride an inner tube through the caves and marvel at their timeless majesty.

10 – Sail in a Boat

By water taxi, chartered boat or sea kayak, Belize is a fabulous place to get out on the water and enjoy the Caribbean at its finest.

For more information about traveling to Belize this summer, 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.

In a country with more than 100 navigable caves, Barton Creek Cave stands out for its unique history and impressive size. Unlike “dry” caves where spelunking is performed on foot, Barton Creek Cave has a large yet tranquil waterway running through it, meaning that visitors explore this impressive cave using canoes.

Belize is the heartland of the ancient Maya civilization, and Barton Creek Cave was used by Maya priests to conduct some of their most sacred rituals. The ancient Maya believed that caves were conduits to the underground world of the gods, known as Xibalba or “place of fear.” As such, Barton Creek Cave still contains many priceless artifacts, including ceremonial weapons, food offerings, pottery, and jewelry.

To explore Barton Creek Cave, modern-day visitors head east from the town of San Ignacio until they reach the village of Georgeville. From there, experienced guides will lead visitors along a narrow jungle path that includes a river crossing. After approximately one hour, the banks of Barton Creek are visible, and participants will board a canoe to begin their exploration of the cave.

Although the underground river running through Barton Creek Cave extends for at least five miles, only the first mile (1.6 kilometers) is safe for public exploration. Within a few minutes of boarding the canoe, participants will follow their tour guide into the stygian darkness of the cave. Using headlamps and flashlights, visitors will see a secret underworld that was once the exclusive domain of high-ranking Maya priests. The beams of light will reveal awe-inspiring cathedral-like chambers and beautiful stalactites that glitter and twinkle.

Along the way, the tour guide will explain about the natural history of the cave as well as the importance of the cave in Maya history, giving visitors a better understanding of the long-lost culture that built dozens of impressive cities across Belize.

After exiting the cave and emerging back into the bright tropical daylight, participants can enjoy a refreshing swim in the waters of the creek. Organized tours to Barton Creek Cave may also include a delicious picnic lunch.

Due to the nature of this tour, visitors who suffer from claustrophobia or anxiety about the dark are not recommended to participate. In some places, the ceiling of Barton Creek Cave is quite low. Although no swimming is required to explore Barton Creek Cave, swimwear, a change of clothes, and a towel are recommended. Other recommended items include insect repellant and rain gear during wet weather.

Chabil Mar offers Belize vacation packages that include all the best attractions of the jungle and sea, including an organized cave tubing tour of Barton Creek Cave.

For more information about Barton Creek Cave, 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.