Discovering Paradise Together: Why Couples Will Love Traveling to Placencia, Belize This Summer

For couples looking to rekindle their romance, embark on an adventure together, or simply bask in each other’s company, the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize should be at the top of their list. With its pristine beaches, luxury resorts, and thrilling activities, this charming coastal village offers an unparalleled experience for couples seeking a summer getaway. And for the ultimate stay, look no further than Chabil Mar, a premier resort in Placencia that promises an unforgettable retreat.

White-sand beaches and crystal-clear waters

Placencia Belize Beaches

Placencia’s beaches are truly picture-perfect, boasting miles of powdery white sand and crystal-clear Caribbean waters. Couples can spend their days lounging under the sun, hand in hand, or taking a leisurely dip in the warm, inviting sea. As the sun sets, there’s no better way to end the day than with a romantic beachfront stroll, basking in the golden hues that paint the horizon.

Adventure awaits in Placencia’s natural wonders

snorkeling in placencia belize

Thrill-seeking couples will find no shortage of excitement in Placencia. Embark on a snorkeling or scuba diving excursion to explore the vibrant marine life of the Belize Barrier Reef, the world’s second-largest coral reef system. For an unforgettable experience, dive with majestic whale sharks during their annual migration, which occurs between March and June.

If you prefer to stay on land, visit the nearby Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the world’s first jaguar reserve. Here, you can trek through the lush rainforest, spotting incredible wildlife along the way, or even take a refreshing dip in a waterfall pool.

Embrace the local culture

garifuna

Experience the laid-back, friendly vibe that defines Belizean culture in Placencia. Stroll through the village, visiting the local shops and art galleries, and indulge in authentic Belizean cuisine at one of the many delightful restaurants. For a truly immersive experience, partake in a traditional Garifuna drumming lesson or cooking class and create lasting memories together.

A haven for relaxation

Relax on the Beach

After a day of adventure, couples can find solace in Placencia’s many spas and wellness centers. Indulge in a couples’ massage or a rejuvenating facial, and let the worries of everyday life melt away as you reconnect with your partner.

Chabil Mar: Your romantic retreat in Placencia

Chabil Mar

Nestled along the coastline, Chabil Mar is a luxury boutique resort that offers couples an idyllic escape in Placencia. Its beautifully-appointed villas boast stunning views, private verandas, and all the modern amenities you could ask for. The resort’s lush tropical gardens and two infinity pools provide the perfect setting for relaxation, while its on-site restaurant, Café Mar, serves up mouthwatering Belizean and international cuisine.

Chabil Mar’s attentive staff can help you plan your perfect Belize vacation, from booking tours and excursions to arranging private dinners on the pier. Experience the best of Belize at Chabil Mar, where romance and adventure await in a paradise you’ll never want to leave.

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.

5 Terrific Reasons to Visit Belize in September

Belize boy5 Terrific Reasons to Visit Placencia Belize in September

In the interest of transparency, we must tell you that there are about 500 reasons to visit Belize in September, but we want to invite you here in a gentle, non-frightening way because the thought of having that many reasons to come could make you feel faint. We’d prefer that your spinning head result from rock-bottom discounts, too much local beer and so many unforgettable memories, you’ll wonder why you never thought to visit here in September before now.

1. Visit Belize in September if the idea of a non-stop party that spans all 30 days of the month is something you’ve always wanted to experience. Even the Christmas and New Year’s holidays pale in comparison. Belize finally gained its independence on September 21st, thus that date serves as an annual anniversary party that triggers fireworks, bands, parades and pageants. You’re invited to attend as many of these celebrations as your energy level permits if you visit in September.

2. September in Belize has especially nice weather, with temperatures running between 77- and 86-degrees F. Sure, Belize remains temperate and beautiful nearly 365 days a year, but September is the tail end of the green season, when Mother Nature grows weary of dispensing life-sustaining rain. In September, showers typically arrive late at night or in the early morning hours—before anyone in their right mind gets up after partying late into the night before.

belize summer vacation3. Skip the crowds in September. For some reason, this has become the one month of the year that crowds don’t flock to Belize, and we’re convinced that this is because frequent September vacationers want to keep the secret that there’s lots of room to spread out because Belize tourism in September is at a low point. If over-crowded tours, bars, and hard-to-find accommodations sound like a great time, by all means, wait until December when prices rise and humanity arrives in force.

4. September accommodations, attractions and other amenities are less expensive than comparable rates offered during the other 11 months, so your U.S. dollar will stretch like taffy. Consider the strikingly affordable rates offered by Belize’s top lodging choice, Chabil Mar Villas in Placencia, for example. You’ll find deep discounts on everything from luxury suites to adventure tours. All-inclusive Belize vacation packages are particularly economical. Few travelers realize that September is on the cusp of tourism season, so visitors enjoy the same experience, but with less cash outlay.

belize luxury resorts
5. The kids are back in school! Parents desperate for an indulgent vacation that reminds them of what life was like before lunch boxes, report cards, and sulky teens set the family barometer can rediscover each other at reduced prices. Time to ring Granny to babysit so you can vacation with the person with whom you fell in love. Environs at Chabil Mar Villas are so lush, private, and intimate, that even if you can’t recall a time when the two of you couldn’t get enough of each other, you’ll recapture it. Sure, there’s one long party going on in Placencia during September, but Chabil Mar accommodations are tucked away so exquisitely into the landscape, you might never even know it!

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Belize and Placencia, 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 for the month of September.

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How to Make Belizean Chimole “Black Dinna”

chimole black dinner in belize

Chimole or locally known as “Black Dinna” in Belize is a succulent and delicious black soup that is enjoyed by many Belizeans throughout the country. The soup is easy to make and the black recado that is used in the preparation gives the food its black color. Once you have tasted it, you will always crave it.

Below is the recipe brought to you by our very own Chef Daniel.

Chimole / Black Dinna

Ingredients:

1/4 cup black recado

1 chicken (cut into parts)

2 tablespoons cilantro ( chopped)

2 tomatoes (diced)

2 tablespoons malher ( chicken bouillon)

3 potatoes in cubes

3 to 4 fresh tomatoes

1/2 onion (sliced)

3 garlic cloves (mashed)

Salt and pepper

6 boiled eggs

Method:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown in a hot pot with little oil. Once browned, add enough water to cover the chicken and then add the onions and garlic and potatoes, Cook, over low heat for 30 minutes. Dissolve the recado and the malher (chicken bouillon)and add it to the chicken. Add diced tomatoes and cilantro. Add more water if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Served hot with boiled eggs and corn tortillas.

If you are visiting Chabil Mar and want to learn about our dining experience, click here: Dining at Chabil Mar.

The Beers of Belize

Few people might think of beer as one of the most enjoyable parts of a vacation in Belize, but the small Central American nation has a proud history of brewing delicious local lagers.

Perhaps the most famous brewer in Belize is Belikin Beer. With their distinctive logo featuring the ancient Maya site of Altun Ha, Belikin is a multi-generational family-owned business based in Ladyville just outside of Belize City. The name Belikin comes from a Maya term for the Belize River, literally meaning “road to the east.” Founded in 1969, Belikin is the largest domestic producer of beer, producing 450 bottles per minute in their state-of-the-art breweries.

Belikin’s beer offerings include:

  • Belikin Beer – The flagship brew, Belikin Beer is a classic European-style lager with an alcohol content of 4.8%.
  • Belikin Stout – With a velvety, rich head, Belikin Stout has a delightful smoky taste. Made with German hops, Canadian malt, and cane sugar from Belize.
  • Lighthouse Lager – A refreshing, crisp beer, Lighthouse Lager is a Canadian Pilsner with a 4.2% alcohol content.
  • Belikin Premium – With a malty, hearty taste, Belikin Premium is made with two different hops and three different malts.
  • Guinness Stout – Belikin is a licensed brewer of this classic stout featuring a rich color and assertive bitter overtones.

Belikin also makes a number of seasonal brews, including:

  • Chocolate Stout – Inspired by a traditional Maya recipe, Chocolate Sout is a creamy beer with a velvety chocolate finish.
  • Sorrel Stout – Introduced for the first time a few years ago, Sorrel Stout features a careful blend of German hops, specialty malts, and local sorrel.

Other Beers Available in Belize

Beer lovers can enjoy a variety of other brews in Belize, including:

  • Red Stripe – The Jamaican classic in an iconic rounded bottle.
  • Heineken – One of the most popular beers in Europe, Heineken is a pale lager with a distinctly crisp finish.
  • Carib – This refreshing lager is brewed in Trinidad and Tobago.
  • Dragon Stout – Brewed in Jamaica, Dragon Stout has a rich, velvety head with a lovely dark color obtained from barley.

Enjoy Belizean Beers at Chabil Mar

The bar and restaurant at the award-winning resort of Chabil Mar on the Placencia Peninsula has a full range of Belizean and international beers in stock.

Visitors to the resort can ask the bartender for a recommendation of the best beers to try. The experienced, professional bartenders at Chabil Mar can recommend food pairings and other details about the different beers available in Belize.

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.

 

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Review of Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Plenty of natural reserves and parks are recognized by organizations, clubs and travel authorities because they’re home to species of wildlife and plants that can’t be found elsewhere, but the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (CBWS) is that rare location where so much biodiversity exists within these environs, you might never have to visit another sanctuary to have your fill. Called a “magical place” of wonders and diversity by the World Wildlife Fund, Cockscomb is presently the world’s lone jaguar preserve, but if you visit, you’ll find wildcat, deer and taper tracks in addition to those left behind by these magnificent cats.
 
Cockscomb-Basin-Wildlife-Sanctuary
History: Concern for the viability of Belize’s jaguar population didn’t arise until the 1980s, when wildlife conservationists and government officials compared notes on the frequency of jaguar references found in hunting magazines. A graduate student was hired to estimate the jaguar population and he declared that the “highest density” of jaguars ever recorded were at the Cockscomb Basin. The government of Belize stepped in and declared the Basin a no-hunting forest reserve in 1984, but wildlife experts remained worried that this designation didn’t sufficiently protect jaguars and other wildlife, so that designation was upgraded to wildlife sanctuary in 1986.What you’ll see: If you expect to encounter nothing but four legged creatures while visiting this Belize hot spot, you’re in for a surprise. Majestic waterfalls, trails and mountain peaks are home to all sorts of creatures, including a splendid collection of neo-tropical birds. The reason this area is so hospitable has to do with the bounty of natural resources encouraging habitation. The South Stann Creek not only sustains wildlife but also protects the upper watersheds of river systems supplying water to the people of Belize. In fact, there’s just a sliver of land separating basins interconnected to the Swasey River and a Monkey River tributary, so the complex drainage system supports all manner of life in the region—including people!

cockscomb-basin-wildlife-sanctuary-belize

Stick around: What’s the best way to experience Cockscomb? By staying on premises, of course. Cabins and campgrounds await, so whether you prefer a solid roof over your head or you never met a tent you didn’t like to sleep under, you can go to bed and awaken to the sounds of nature all around you. Be forewarned: this is a moist, tropical forest with high rainfall (around 100 inches annually), so if you can plan your visit in advance, cooler, dry air awaits between February and May. No matter when you come, you will be amazed when you witness this area’s ecological balance.

Getting there: It will take you time to hike area trails, identify exotic vegetation, and spot reptiles and amphibians residing in these wetlands because this area has expanded greatly since 1986. What was once 3,200 acres is now 128,000 acres and the surrounding corridor brings the protected area total to an impressive 250,000 acres. Take a bus, taxi or car to the sanctuary entrance where you will pay a modest entry fee. If you’re driving, travel the Southern Highway about 20 miles south of Dangriga. You must plunge deep into the forest to see the richest treasures and there’s a six-mile path to the epicenter of the sanctuary. Wear comfortable shoes if you plan to hike in, but expect the effort to pay off the moment you spot your first living creature!

 
For more information about visiting Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, 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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