In Spanish, the term “Mestizo” means “mixed” as in mixed race, but this is not a very apt description for the Mestizo people of Belize. In reality, the Mestizos were originally immigrants that began arriving in Belize after fleeing from a race-based civil war in neighboring Mexico in the 19th century called the Caste War.
Initially, the Mestizos brought much of their original culture with them, including the Catholic faith and the Spanish language. Over time, however, the Mestizos have integrated into the wider Belizean society, many having adopted other Christian faiths as well as being bilingual in both English and Spanish.
Today, the Mestizos are primarily located in the two northernmost districts of Belize, Corozal and Orange Walk, as these border regions were largely uninhabited in the mid-19th century. The Mestizos were instrumental in Belize’s burgeoning agricultural sector, especially sugarcane production. The Mestizos now form the second-largest cultural group in Belize after the Creoles.
Mestizo culture is rich with a blend of Catholic and indigenous traditions. Perhaps their most well-known story tells a tale of Xtabai (pronounced ish-ta-buy) who was a powerful spirit that lives in the jungle. According to legend, the Xtabai waits at night on the edge of town for an intoxicated or lost man to wander by. The Xtabai then lures the man into the jungle, sometimes just to taunt them, but sometimes to hurt or even kill them. During the day, however, the Xtabai takes the form of a tree or a snake.
Mestizo music is heavily influenced by Spanish traditions. No Mestizo gathering would be complete without some guitar music, especially a song called the Serenata (Serenade) that was traditionally sung by young men outside the bedroom window of their beloved. Mestizo music often recalls the rollicking rhythms of flamenco, rumbia, and salsa with lyrics that tell stories of rural life, love, and death. Other typical Mestizo musical instruments include harps, trumpets, and violins.
Mestizo cooking is similar but distinctly different than Mexican food. Mestizo villages often have a large communal kitchen where tasty treats are made such as tortillas, tacos, and tamales. Mestizos are also renowned for their textile work and handicrafts that feature simple yet elegant floral designs.
The lovely beach resort of Chabil Mar on the Placencia Peninsula in southeastern Belize is a great place to stay for visitors who want to learn more about Belizean culture and people, including the Mestizos.
As a former British colony, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official language. The vast majority of people in Belize speak standard English, but a variety of dialects and other languages are often spoken at home.
These include:
Creole/Kriol
Traditionally spelled Creole, the Kriol dialect (preferred modern spelling) is not a different language than English but a distinct dialect that can be difficult for non-speakers to understand. Many Kriol speakers “code switch,” speaking the Kriol dialect with friends and family and standard English in public.
Approximately one-third of the population speaks the Kriol dialect as their first language.
Spanish
Located in Central America, Belize has been strongly influenced by Spanish, including groups of self-styled Mestizos (literally “mixed race”) who emigrated in the early 19th century following a civil war in neighboring Mexico.
Today, many people in Belize speak Spanish as a native language, particularly near the Mexican and Guatemalan borders. In addition, some Belizeans speak a “kitchen Spanish,” a simplified version of the language used by people whose first language is English.
Mayan
The descendants of the ancient Maya that built the impressive pyramids, palaces, and ceremonial sites that dot the Belizean landscape, the Maya in Belize speak three different dialects: Kekchi (various spellings), Mopan, and the increasingly rare Yucatec.
Maya communities tend to be located in rural areas, but most Maya speakers are bilingual in either English or Spanish.
Garifuna
An Afro-Caribbean tongue, Garifuna is a unique language spoken by approximately 4% of the population. The Garifuna tongue is a blend of indigenous Caribbean languages and West African languages and was recognized in 2001 by the United Nations as a valued contribution to the intangible heritage of humanity.
German
Different than standard high German (Hochdeutsch), the German spoken in Belize is predominantly the Plautdietsch or Mennonite Low German variety similar to the Pennsylvania Dutch spoken by Amish communities in the United States. Belize has a well-established Mennonite community consisting of several villages and towns.
Most German-speaking Mennonites in Belize are also bilingual in English.
Chinese and Arabic
Belize has a small but well-established community of Chinese communities located primarily in urban areas. Originally brought into the country as an unskilled labor force, the Chinese community of Belize soon expanded into more entrepreneurial activities.
Predominantly hailing from Lebanon, there is also a small Arabic-speaking community in Belize.
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.
Caracol is one of the most interesting and well-preserved ancient Maya sites in Belize. Previously known as Uxwitza (“Three Water Hill”) to the ancient Maya, the current name of the site was coined in 1938 when the local British head archeologist dubbed it Caracol (Spanish for “Snail Shell”) on account of the curving access road that leads to the site.
Far bigger than even Belize City, Caracol once housed up to 180,000 people at the height of the city’s power. Caracol dominated the ancient Maya geopolitical world, variously allying or fighting against other city-states, including Naranjo and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tikal that is currently located just across the border in neighboring Guatemala.
The most famous building in Caracol is the Canaa (“Sky Palace). An enormous period that contains four palaces and three temples, Canaa is still the tallest building in the country at 141 feet (43 meters) high. Other important buildings and items discovered in Caracol include 24 religious altars, three large ball court, five big plazas, 24 carved stelae, reservoirs, causeways, and a very advanced astronomical observatory. A total of 35,000 lesser buildings have also been identified in Caracol along with more than 100 tombs.
Due to its enormous footprint (some 75 square miles), much of Caracol is still awaiting further excavation. A 2009 aerial survey was used to create a 3D map of how the city stands, including large sections of causeway and agricultural terraces that still lie buried in the jungle. The remote location of Caracol in the foothills of the Maya Mountains in southwest Belize also add to the difficulty of performing large-scale archeological work.
Caracol rose to the height of its power during the Maya classic period but the city seems to have been abandoned around the year 1050 for unknown reasons relating to the wide scale collapse of Maya civilization in the area. Once reclaimed by the jungle, the city was accidentally rediscovered in 1938 by a local logger named Rosa Mai who was in the area searching for mahogany trees.
Today, Caracol is located approximately 25 miles south of San Ignacio in the western Cayo District of Belize. The site of Caracol is within the Chiquibul Forest Reserve and is surrounded by both primary and secondary tropical rain forest. The abundance of carved stelae, altars, markers in ball courts, walls, and capstones have allowed archaeologists to accurately document the history of the city, including a monumental military victory of Tikal in the year 562 AD.
Chabil Mar in Placencia Belize & Caracol Mayan Ruins
Chabil Mar resort on the Placencia Peninsula is close to all of the most exciting mainland destinations in Belize. Guests of the resort can include a visit to Caracol Mayan Ruins as part of one of Chabil Mar’s fantastic Belize Reef & Jungle vacation packages.
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.
Easily recognizable from space, the Belize Blue Hole, sometimes known as the Great Blue Hole, is one of the most iconic dive spots in Belize.
Here are 10 fascinating facts about the Belize Blue Hole:
1 – Size and Dimensions
The Belize Blue Hole is almost perfectly circular in shape, measuring 300 meters (984 feet) across and 108 meters (354 feet) deep.
2 – The Largest Sea Hole in the World
The Belize Blue Hole is the largest sea hole in the world. Sea holes refer to caves that were submerged when rising waters covered them. Most sea holes, just like the Belize Blue Hole, were submerged at the end of the last great Ice Age some 10,000 years ago.
3 – Location
The Belize Blue Hole is located approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) offshore of Belize City. The perimeter of the Blue Hole is Lighthouse Reef, a natural coral atoll.
4 – Stalactites and Stalagmites
Divers can explore thousands of stalactites and stalagmites that were formed when the Blue Hole was an aboveground series of caverns.
5 – Jacques Cousteau
Legendary French documentarian and marine biologist Jacques Cousteau visited the Blue Hole in 1971. He later described the Blue Hole as one of his top favorite 10 dive sites in the world.
6 – The Name
The name “Great Blue Hole” comes from British diver Ned Middleton who wrote a book about his career as a diver in 1988 named “Ten Years Underwater”. Although the Blue Hole was charted by the Spanish, no one is sure what name they gave for the region.
7 – Discovery Channel
In 2012, the Discovery Channel ranked the Belize Blue Hole as the #1 most amazing place on Earth.
8 – UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Belize Blue Hole is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of a vast barrier reef that is the second-largest barrier reef in the world after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
9 – Charles Darwin
In 1836, on his around the world voyage aboard the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin visited the Belize Barrier Reef and declared it the “most remarkable coral reefs” in the entire Caribbean.
10 – Experienced Divers Only
Due to the challenges of diving the Belize Blue Hole, only divers who have completed at least 24 divers are allowed to explore the Belize Blue Hole.
About The Belize Blue Hole
Long a secret known only to Belizean fisherman, the Belize Blue Hole became famous in 1971 when legendary marine biologist and undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau visited the site.
Cousteau and his crew aboard the Calypso explored the depths of the Blue Hole, confirming that it had been created thousands of years ago when rising tides flooded a network of caves. Declared by Cousteau as one of the top 10 best diving spots on the planet, the Belize Blue Hole is located approximately 60 miles (100 km) from the coast of Belize.
A nearly perfectly circular body of water, the Belize Blue Hole is surrounded by the Lighthouse Reef Atoll. Divers can use the shallow waters of the atoll’s lagoon to begin their descent to the now-flooded cave that contains stalactites and stalagmites up to 40 feet (12 meters) in length.The coral atoll surrounding the Belize Blue Hole has an inner ring of shallow, lighter colored water that forms a natural ring around the deeper sapphire waters of the flooded cave.
Thousands of years ago when the cave flooded, the Belize Blue Hole was formed, a vertical entrance over 980 feet (300 meters) across with a bottom more than 400 feet (125 meters) below the sea’s surface today.As divers descend into the Great Blue Hole, the dark waters start to become more clear, allowing for an impressive view of the flooded cave network that is home to a variety of marine life, including a few elusive hammerhead sharks.
Due to the complexity and depth of the dive, only experienced divers are permitted to explore the majestic underwater formations that make the Belize Blue Hole such a unique dive site.
The Blue Hole is located along the Belize Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site part of the second-largest barrier reef system in the world.
An almost perfectly circular area of dark topaz water encircled by the Lighthouse Atoll on the Belize Barrier reef, the Great Blue Hole is one of the most intriguing and popular places to dive anywhere on Planet Earth.
Facts About The Belize Blue Hole
1.) The Blue Hole measures about 1,000 feet in circumference and is more than 400 feet deep. It is the largest natural formation of this type found anywhere in the world.
2.) The Blue Hole was formed at the end of the last Ice Age when rising seawaters flooded a series of enormous caverns. Geologists have determined that the caves first formed about 153,000 years ago and were completely submerged approximately 15,000 years ago.
3.) The Blue Hole is approximately 60 miles offshore from Belize City and is part of the Belize Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
4.) In 1971, famed French marine biologist Jacques Cousteau visited the Blue Hole with his boat Calypso, declaring it one of the top 10 diving spots on the planet.
5.) The underwater caves of the Blue Hole are filled with giant stalactites, proof that it once existed above water.
6.) The Blue Hole is home to several species of sharks, including bull sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, and the elusive hammerhead shark.
7.) In 2012, the Discovery Channel ranked the Blue Hole as #1 on its list of 10 Most Amazing Places on Earth.
8.) The Blue Hole is visible from space, easily identifiable by its unique circular formation and location within the midst of the greater Belize Barrier Reef.
9.) The name “Blue Hole” was coined by the British diver Ned Middleton in his book “10 Years Underwater” published in 1988.
10.) Due to the complexity of diving required, the Blue Hole is restricted to experienced divers only with a minimum of 24 completed dives.
What It’s Really Like To Dive The Great Blue Hole
The Mysterious Belize Great Blue Hole is a large underwater hole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 100 kilometers (62 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is perfectly circular in shape, over 300 meters (1000 ft) across, 3140 feet circumference and 125 meters (410 ft) deep.
It was formed as a limestone cave system during the last glacial period when the sea level was 400 to 500 feet below present time and was dry land. Last glacial period began about 120,000 years ago and end about 15,000 years ago. Reaching the maximum extension 26,500 years ago. At the end the ocean began to rise, the caves flooded, and the roof collapsed.
Believed to be the world’s largest feature of its kind, the Great Blue Hole is part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
The hole itself is the opening to a system of caves and passageway that penetrate this undersea mountain. In various places, massive limestone stalactites hang down from what was once the ceiling of air-filled caves thousand of years before the end of the last Ice Age 15,000 years ago. When the ice melted the sea level rose, flooding the caves. This process occurred in stages. Evidence for this are the shelves and ledges, carved into the limestone by the sea, which run the complete interior circumference of the Blue Hole at various depths.
The Blue Hole is a “karst- eroded sinkhole.” It was once a cave at the center of an underground tunnel complex whose ceiling collapsed. Some of the tunnels are thought to be linked right through to the mainland, though this has never been conclusively proved. Notable are the large population of sharks such as lemon, black tip, reef, hammerhead, and bull sharks.
Mysterious and legends always have been around the Belize Blue Hole.
This was the entrance to Xibalba?. It’s the kind of underwater geology that inspires speculation about aliens creating geometrically perfect anomalies, mermaids and monsters living in darkness.
I explored the bottom of the Blue Hole perimeter (3,140 feet circumference). To do this I dove down twice, reaching the depth of 375′ feet which took 4 to 5 hours of diving each day.
Video Music:
Start to 2:18 min. “Dawn From Four Sea Interludes” by Benjamin Britten 2:18 to 4:37 min. “300 Violin Orchestra” by Jorge Quintero 4:37 to End “Groove Armada” from Tomb Raider Soundtrack
Video and Blog courtesy of Ramon Llaneza
If you would like to explore the wonders of the Belize Blue Hole, the resort of Chabil Mar has a comprehensive scuba diving vacation package that includes a guided trip to the Blue Hole.
Visit our website Chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Belize and Chabil Mar, and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call & chat with us via WhatsApp Free Worldwide: +501-633-7547, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning a Belize vacation.
Belize is located in Central America between Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and Guatemala. Belize is the only English-speaking country in the region and has a long coastline on the Caribbean Sea.
Although relatively small, Belize has an incredibly diverse landscape, including misty mountains, enormous waterfalls, pristine rivers, savannah, jungles teeming with wildlife, massive cave systems, and hundreds of offshore islands along the Belize Barrier Reef, the second-largest barrier reef in the world.
Misconceptions About Belize
Is Belize an island?
No. Belize is on the mainland of Central America, although it does have hundreds of offshore islands.
Is Belize located in the Caribbean?
Belize has a Caribbean culture as well as a lengthy coastline along the Caribbean, but Belize is not technically “in” the Caribbean as it is located on the mainland of Central America.
Is Belize located in South America?
No. Belize is in Central America. For purists that only consider South and North America to be true continents, Belize would be located in North America.
Is Belize in Honduras?
No. Belize was called British Honduras back during the colonial days, but it got this name because the southern part of the country opens onto the Bay of Honduras. Today, Belize and Honduras are two separate nations separated by a narrow band of land belonging to Guatemala. It takes about two hours with a boat to travel from Punta Gorda in the south of Belize to Puerto Cortez in Honduras.
What’s the Right Way to Spell Belize?
Over the centuries, Belize has been spelled lots of different ways, including Belieze, Belise, Balize, and Beleez. The official name of the country in English is Belize, which you better “Belize” matters to the people who live there!
Facts About Belize
The official location of Belize is 17 degrees 15 minutes north and 88 degrees 45 west.
Belize has approximately 360,000 people.
English is the official language of Belize but other languages spoken in the country include Spanish, Mennonite German, Maya, and Garifuna.
Belize is about two hours flying time from Miami or Dallas/Houston.
Belize has 240 miles (386 km) of Caribbean coastline and hundreds of offshore islands.
Belize has a landmass of around 8,860 square miles (22,960 square km), just a bit bigger than the state of Massachusetts.
The highest point of land in Belize is Doyle’s Delight at 3,688 feet (1,124 meters).
Islands in Belize are known as “cayes” (pronounced “keys”).
Belize Maps
Map of Placencia Belize
Map of Placencia and Chabil Mar
Only about 2,000 year-round residents live in the village located on the southern tip of the Placencia Peninsula. The village is a fifteen-minute stroll along the beach or 5-minutes by bike, kayak or paddle board from Chabil Mar. (Click on the Map for Larger Image and to Zoom)
Belize Map in relation to Central America
Belize shares its northern border with Mexico and is bounded on the west and south by the nation of Guatemala. (Click on the Map for Larger Image and to Zoom)
Placencia Reef and Dive Locations Map
Many of the best diving spots along the reef are just minutes from Chabil Mar. This map shows these, including Laughing Bird Caye and Gladden Spit. (Click on the Map for Larger Image and to Zoom)
Belize Diving Map
Diving locations in and around the Belize Barrier Reef are numerous, and this map shows the best spots. (Click on the Map for Larger Image and to Zoom)
Belize Atolls Map
Often described as a “coral atoll”, an atoll is a ring of coral that has a lagoon in its center. The circumference of the atoll is dry land, and Belize has hundreds of these atolls in the Caribbean up and down the Belize Barrier Reef. (Click on the Map for Larger Image and to Zoom)
Belize Geography Map
Belize has a varied geography, with rolling hills and higher elevations in the southwest and west to lush agricultural flat lands in the north and southeast. Rainforest and jungle occupy much of Belize, and the country has a long coastline on the Caribbean with hundreds of offshore islands. (Click on the Map for Larger Image and to Zoom)
Map of Placencia, Belize
This 16-mile long finger of land is located on the coast of southeastern Belize in Stann Creek District. Chabil Mar is located just north of the village on the eastern side of the peninsula. (Click on the Map for Larger Image and to Zoom)
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