MSN Features Belize (Again)

Following on a popular article published earlier this year highlighting Belize as a top destination to visit in 2017, the MSN Lifestyle website has published another article extolling the many exciting adventures available for travelers in Belize. Published on May 8, 2017, the new MSN article entitled “7 Amazing Active Adventure in Belize Beyond the Beach” focused on many of the most unusual and exciting adventure opportunities available on the mainland.

The MSN article revealed that photos cannot reveal the experience of what it’s actually like to explore the depths of ATM (Actun Tunichil Muknal) Cave in Belize. One of the few ancient Maya sites to have been found completely intact, ATM Cave has a uniquely spooky atmosphere, perhaps because the deepest part of the labyrinth is littered with the remains of human sacrifices.

Hiking is the wrong verb to describe the pleasure of discovering a vast pristine world in Belize’s jungles and rainforests. As extolled in the MSN article, Belize is home to vibrant forests teeming with clouds of butterflies and alive with the sound of more than 400 species of birds. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, you make your way into a clearing and behold the majesty of Central America’s tallest waterfall. And for experienced riders, horseback riding through one of Belize’s many pristine nature reserves is a true privilege.

Anyone who has visited Belize would not have been surprised to read in the MSN article that biking came in at number four on their list. Using gorgeous photos of the unique murals found in Placencia, a popular eco-tourism village on the Caribbean coast in southeastern Belize, the MSN article described how bicycles are popular modes of transportation in Placencia and islands like Caye Caulker.

“We’re proud of our beaches and gorgeous offshore islands, but it’s great that MSN highlighted many of the amazing things to do and see in and around Placencia,” said Larry France, marketing manager of Chabil Mar. “We love working with guests to craft the perfect vacation blend of beach and adventure activities like the ones mentioned in the MSN article.”


Chabil Mar is a multiple award-winning and perennial TravelAdvisor favorite resort on the golden shores of the Placencia Peninsula in Belize just a few minutes’ walk from Placencia Village. Chabil Mar is happily located close to all of the top tours on the mainland as well as the scuba diving and snorkeling paradise of the Belize Barrier Reef.
For more information about Belize or Placencia,  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

Air Canada to Launch Non-Stop Toronto-Belize Flights

Air Canada to Launch Non-Stop Toronto-Belize Flights

Air Canada, the country’s largest air carrier, has just announced that it will be adding six new international routes, including a non-stop flight from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport (YYZ) to the Philip Goldson International Airport in Belize City (BZE). The new route is scheduled to begin on December 15, 2017, and will run until April 8, 2018. The Air Canada non-stop flight to Belize will be offered once per week using the airline’s Airbus A319 (Rouge configuration) aircraft that can hold up to 137 passengers.

Canadian airline Westjet has been offering non-stop flight service from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport to Belize City since October 2016. The new announcement from Air Canada was welcomed by travelers as it is likely that increased competition will result in lower airfares and more options for Canadians wanting to travel to Belize.

“We warmly welcome the announcement that Canadians will now have additional options when they want to visit Belize,” said Larry France, marketing manager at the Chabil Mar resort in Placencia, Belize. “Wintertime in Canada is the perfect time to visit Belize to enjoy abundant sunshine, warm weather, and plenty of exciting outdoor adventure opportunities.”

Air Canada is the flagship airline of Canada. Founded in 1937, Air Canada is now the world’s eight-largest airline by passenger volume. Air Canada’s principle hub is the Pearson International Airport in Toronto from which the new route scheduled to begin on December 15, 2017, will depart to Belize City. Westjet Airlines already operates seasonal non-stop flights from Toronto to Belize City, and competition in the growing Canada-Belize market is widely expected to result in lower prices for travelers.

Chabil Mar is a multiple award-winning resort located on the sunny Caribbean shore of the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize. Featuring  luxurious villas, a lush tropical garden, professional spa, and gourmet restaurant with open-air dining on the resort’s sea pier, Chabil Mar is the ideal location to enjoy a fabulous vacation in Belize. Guests receive the complimentary use of bicycles and high-speed internet access, and the Placencia Village is just a few minutes’ walk down the peninsula.

Chabil Mar is conveniently located just a short distance from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Belize Barrier Reef, home to world-class scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and sailing locations. Other attractions close to Chabil Mar include the vast Cockscomb Basin Nature Reserve (home to some of Central America’s last indigenous jaguars), the Monkey River, and the ancient Maya city-states like Nim Li Punit, and Lubaantun.

For more information about Belize or Placencia,  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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CNN Says to Visit the Belize Barrier Reef Right Now

On April 24, 2017, the influential news channel CNN published a list of UNESCO World Heritage sites to visit. Published on the travel section of its popular news site CNN.com, the article written by Jen Rose Smith presented a snapshot of eight of the 55 UNESCO World Heritages currently classified as being “in danger,” including the Belize Barrier Reef.

Seven of the sites featured in the CNN article are on dry land, including the Everglades area of southern Florida and areas in Central and South America devastated by war and civil unrest. The Belize Barrier Reef is unique in that it is the only marine World Heritage site to be included in the article, a vast chain of beautiful islands, crystal clear water, coral reefs, and sandy atolls.

The Belize Barrier Reef is part of the second-largest barrier reef in the world after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Measuring more than 200 miles from north to south, the Belize reef includes picture-postcard-perfect islands with palm trees, white sand beaches, and tranquil lagoons that are ideal for stand-up paddling, kayaking, swimming, scuba diving, and snorkeling.

Other world-class destinations on the Belize Barrier Reef include Shark Ray Alley, a section of the enormous Hol Chan Marine Reserve that is a natural cut in the reef where vast schools of harmless nurse sharks and stingrays transit from the deep ocean to the gentler interior side of the Caribbean. The reef is also home to several protected nature areas, including Laughing Bird Caye National Park, one of the top places to snorkel and bird watch in the country.

Another famous feature of the reef is the Belize Blue Hole. Measuring some 300 meters across (985 feet), the Belize Blue Hole was created more than 10,000 years ago when rising waters at the end of the Ice Age submerged a vast series of caverns and caves. Famed French marine biologist Jacques Cousteau declared the Belize Blue Hole to be one of his top 10 favorite diving spots when he explored the area in 1971.

Chabil Mar

Chabil Mar is an award-winning resort located on the Caribbean coast of the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize. Chabil Mar features elegantly appointed villas, a gourmet restaurant, a lush tropical garden, and a seafront pier ideal for enjoying meals under the stars.

The resort is conveniently located just a few miles from the Belize Barrier Reef and offer guests Belize vacation packages that include scuba diving and snorkeling on the reef. Chabil Mar also organizes diving and snorkeling tours during the springtime to see migrating whale sharks that visit Belize each year near Gladden Spit on the reef.

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.

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Build Some Family Adventure Memories in Belize

Families Love Belize

If you’ve been looking for the perfect place to enjoy a family vacation, including plenty of activities, a chance to get away from phones and screens, and a place to make some truly special memories, look no further than Belize. On April 20, 2017, Luxury Latin America published an article extolling the many virtues of enjoying a family vacation in Belize.

Luxury Latin America is a luxury travel blog with a strong focus on upscale vacation destinations throughout Latin America and Mexico, including in-depth articles on spirits, wine, and hot trends in tourism in the region. First established in 2007, Luxury Latin America is now the premier online publication for firsthand, authentic reviews of resorts, destinations, and trends in Latin America and Mexico.

The April 20 Luxury Latin America featured authentic photos of families visiting Belize, enjoying popular outdoor activities like climbing ancient Maya pyramids, jungle trekking with howler monkeys, snorkeling on the Belize Barrier Reef (the second-biggest barrier reef in the world), kayaking in beautifully pristine lagoons, and enjoying Belize’s signature cave tubing sport (floating on an inner tube through a series of caves). Highlighting the fact that Belize is just two hours from several southern cities in the United States, the Luxury Latin America article marveled at how many opportunities were available to families within such a small country (Belize).

Recognizing that Belize’s unique geography that includes hundreds of miles of Caribbean coastline in the east and thick, biodiverse jungles in the west, the Luxury Latin America article highlighted how families on vacation in this country get much more than a chance to swim in a pool while soaking up some sun. Family vacations in Belize benefit from adventure options, educational tours, learning about different cultures, causing families to bond together. And the fact that Belize is the only country in the region where English is the official language is an added boon.

“Families are warmly welcomed here in Belize,” said Larry France, marketing manager of Chabil Mar. “There’s plenty to do for everyone, and Belize is the perfect place to have a great time while making great family memories that will last a lifetime.”

Chabil Mar is a multiple award-winning and perennial TripAdvisor favorite resort located on the Placencia Peninsula in southeastern Belize. With luxury villas, a lush tropical garden, pool, and open air gourmet dining on its own private pier, Chabil Mar is the ideal resort for families to enjoy an unforgettable vacation 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 family vacation.

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Aurelio Martinez Celebrates 30 Years of Music

Although Aurelio Martinez was born and raised in Honduras, he has become one of Belize’s lasting icons due to his iconic blending of traditional Garifuna music with more modern styles like rock, soul, blues, and New Orleans style jazz. On April 10, 2017, Martinez returned to the Bliss Stage in Belize City to celebrate the launch of his latest album with a live concert featuring a 15-piece band that included the Garifuna Collective.

Thirty years ago, Aurelio Martinez made his professional debut on an album that featured his signature style of blending traditional Garifuna music with modern genres. Martinez’s latest album called Darandi, which means 30 in Garifuna, contains 12 tracks, including a cover of the classic Paul Nabor song “Naguya Nei.” According to Martinez, Darandi represents the closing of one chapter of his musical life and celebrating his moving on towards new beginnings and experimentations with different musical styles.

The album Darandi was partly mixed in Belize in studios in Benque Biejo and Dangriga by Al Obando, a celebrated Belizean producer. According to Martinez, the album is a tribute to his close friend Andy Palacio, a native of Belize who recently passed away. Martinez met Palacio in Honduras and the two musicians collaborated on several projects. The album is also dedicated to Paul Nabor, whom Martinez has referred to as his musical “grandpa”, the Belizean musician who helped popularize Garifuna music worldwide.

Martinez has been a musical prodigy since childhood. At age 6, he fashioned his first guitar out of fishing line and driftwood. At age 15, Martinez received his first guitar, leading him to a lifetime of producing, writing, and performing music. Although he is primarily known for his singing, guitar playing, and percussion work, Martinez is also a skilled dancer, often performing traditional Garifuna steps during his musical performances.

Perhaps the most popular track on his latest album is Yalifu, the Garifuna word for pelican. Martinez has described how the lyrics “Pelican, lend me your wings so that I can fly,” refers to his childhood separation from his father when he was left behind in Honduras while his father went to work in the United States. Martinez has stated that he wants the song to represent bigger issues as well, dedicated to anyone separated from a loved one and longing to be reunited.

Chabil Mar

Chabil Mar is an award-winning resort located on the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize and is close to many Garifuna centers such as the town of Dangriga and the villages of Hopkins and Seine Bight where visitors can experience the rich musical heritage of the Garifuna people.

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