One of the hottest trending spots for vacations is the English-speaking Central American nation of Belize, and thanks to new deals on flights, getting to Belize is now more affordable than ever.

A few months ago, expats and tourism professionals were jubilant when the popular low-cost carrier Southwest announced that they were adding new direct flights to Belize from Houston. Southwest joins the growing ranks of American carriers offering direct flights to Belize City, including American, Delta, United and U.S. Air. American carriers offer non-stop flights from Houston, Charlotte, Miami, Newark, Atlanta, and Dallas.

Travelers coming from other countries in the region can enjoy direct flights via TACA Avianca from San Salvador or via Tropic Air from Merida and Cancun in Mexico and Flores in Guatemala.

All international flights land at the Philip Goldson International Airport on the outskirts of Belize City. Domestic air carriers Maya Island Air and Tropic Air offer domestic service to popular vacation destinations such as Placencia, San Pedro, Dangriga, and Caye Caulker.

With so many airlines now competing for business, finding an affordable airfare to enjoy a wonderful vacation in Belize is now easier than ever.

Where to Stay in Belize

Take advantage of these hot airfare deals to Belize by making a reservation at Chabil Mar, a luxury resort located on the golden Placencia Peninsula. Named from a Maya term meaning “beautiful sea”, Chabil Mar offers guests oceanfront luxury in a beautiful natural setting complete with a lovely tropical garden.

Located just a five-minute walk from the popular Placencia Village, Chabil Mar is home to the famous Cafe Mar restaurant that serves up delicious local favorites as well as international cuisine. Chabil Mar is a luxury villa resort that combines tasteful local aesthetic with every modern convenience, including multi-zoned air conditioning, free wireless internet and modern kitchens. Relax in comfort and style enjoying a fresh-made cocktail at the Barefoot bar or explore the peninsula with the use of complimentary bicycles, sea kayaks and golf carts.

Just a few miles offshore is the world-famous Belize Barrier Reef, an enormous coral reef ideal for snorkeling, diving, sailing, and swimming. On the mainland, the top vacation destinations in Belize are just a short distance from Chabil Mar, including the Cockscomb Basin Nature Reserve, the Garifuna village of Hopkins, the bio-diverse Monkey River, and the Maya ruins of Xunantunich, Caracol, and Cahal Pech.

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 award-winning resort of Chabil Mar in Placencia is happy to announce that its very own head chef, Carlos Hernandez, will be competing in the 2016 Taste of Belize competition.

Organized by the Belize Tourism Board, the Taste of Belize is the country’s premiere cooking competition. Ten top-level chefs will compete in three elimination style rounds with the winner being awarded the coveted title of Belize Master Chef 2016.

“We’re very proud that our head chef, Carlos Henandez, will be competing in this year’s Taste of Belize competition,” said Larry France, marketing manager of Chabil Mar. “Carlos has been providing a mouthwatering array of tasty dishes for our guests for years and we know that he has the skills and drive to take home the grand prize.”

Similar to the popular cooking television program “Chopped”, the Taste of Belize begins with 10 of the country’s most esteemed chefs battling in several rounds, with chefs being “chopped” or eliminated after each round. In the first round, the 10 chefs will be required to prepare four identical appetizers in 15 minutes. In the second round, the surviving five chefs will have 90 minutes to prepare a signature entree. In the third and final round, the three remaining chefs will have 30 minutes to prepare a dessert for the panel of judges.

Chabil Mar, located on the southern tip of the idyllic Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize, is an award-winning luxury resort with its own onsite restaurant called Cafe Mar. Helmed by chef Carlos Hernandez, the Chabil Mar restaurant has been serving up a delicious repast of elegant dishes that fuse Belizean and local flavors with international influences. Chabil Mar uniquely offers guests the opportunity to enjoy Chef Carlos Hernandez’s signature dishes anywhere on the resort, including beautiful outdoor beachfront settings and on the veranda of guest villas.

One of the most popular dining options at Chabil Mar is when guests take advantage of the rich waters of the nearby Belize Barrier Reef and successfully land a fish. Returning to the resort, Chef Carlos Hernandez and his team cook it to perfection, giving guests a unique opportunity to savor the very best in fresh Belizean cuisine.

The staff and thousands of satisfied guests of Chabil Mar wish the very best for Chef Carlos Hernandez in the 2016 Taste of Belize competition and look forward to savoring many more of his award-winning dishes.

Family fun in Belize

Just a few hours’ flying time from the United States, Belize is increasingly becoming a popular destination for families wanting to experience an unforgettable vacation. With a stable, peaceful democratic government and English as its official language, families can enjoy the time of their lives in Belize as they explore ancient lost cities, see wildlife up close and in person, splash in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean and enjoy plenty of fun in the sun.

Belize has a large network of wildlife sanctuaries and national parks that provide animal lovers of all ages a chance to see a colorful array of birds, plants and animals. Families can see the endangered black howler monkey at the Community Baboon Sanctuary, big cats like pumas and jaguars at the Belize Zoo (an animal sanctuary), or hike through Cockscomb Basin Reserve to see Baird’s tapir, Belize’s national animal.

When it’s time for adventure, families can explore one of the many Maya ruins, enormous cities occupied for thousands of years until they were abandoned and reclaimed by the jungle. For cooler and shadier thrills, exploring one of Belize’s many caves is an excellent opportunity to learn about geology as well as witness artifacts left behind by Maya priests who conducted solemn ritual rites therein.

Offshore, the islands of Belize and the enormous barrier reef offer a chance for the entire family to don snorkeling or diving equipment and witness some of the most ecologically-diverse environments on the planet. Whether it’s just a few feet offshore or at the bottom of the famous Belize Blue Hole, you and your family will be enthralled by swimming with nurse sharks, rays, sea turtles and large schools of fish. The islands are also a great chance to unwind as motor vehicles are largely prohibited and everyone gets around by bicycle or electric golf cart.

Chabil Mar

From a Maya term meaning “beautiful sea”, the resort of Chabil Mar on Placencia Peninsula offers family-friendly modern luxury in a beautiful beachfront setting just a few minutes’ walk from Placencia Village.

The resort of Chabil Mar is an ideal base of operations for exploring the most exciting destinations in Belize. You and your family can experience the best sites in Belize with Chabil Mar’s family fun vacation packages that include trips to Maya ruins, a boat tour up the Monkey River, a hike through Cockscomb Nature Preserve, and plenty of time to relax and enjoy the wonderful weather, food, and rich cultural heritage of Belize.

For more information about visiting Belize or traveling to Belize with kids, 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.

Held on Saturday, May 21^st 2016 across Belize including Placencia Village, the Hands Across the Sand movement attracted hundreds of Belizeans who joined hands to protect and preserve what Mother Nature has blessed Belize with.

May 21st, 2016 marked the 6th anniversary of the Hands Across the Sand movement and according tohttp://www.handsacrossthesand.com/ more than 83 events were held around the globe to say no to filthy fuels and yes to clean energy.

In Placencia Village, the event was held between Cozy Corner and Typsy Tuna and was sponsored by Oceana Belize.

Hands Across the Sand was founded in 2010 and has grown into an international movement after the BP oil disaster in April of that year. People came together to join hands, forming symbolic barriers against spilled oil and to stand against the impacts of other forms of extreme energy.

Chabil Mar is a proud supporter of Oceana Belize and the Hands Across the Sand movement.