On Holy Saturday, Belize will see one of the most exciting and much-anticipating sporting events in the country. Known as the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic, this challenging 140-mile roundtrip bike race from Belize City to San Ignacio Town will feature more than 100 competitors from around the country and the world.

Saturday, April 19th, 2025, will mark the 97th anniversary of the race which first began as a way to encourage Belizeans to attend more cricket matches. Due to uneven road conditions, the first roundtrip race between Belize City and San Ignacio Town was a punishing affair lasting more than 13 hours. In recent years the winners usually cross the finish line in less than six hours.

All cyclists will take off with the firing of the starting gun at 6:00 am on mile marker 1.5 on the George Price Highway but awards are given for four different categories of competitors: Masters (professional racers), women, men under 18, and men under age 23. Most competitors race individually but a separate category of award (called “Elite”) is given to the team that crosses the finish line with the best collective time.

Thousands of people will see the racers off at 6:00 am across from Leslie’s Imports in Belize City as well as cheer on the first finishers to arrive back in town at Memorial Park just before noon. The mid-point of the race is Queen Elizabeth Park in downtown San Ignacio, another popular location to witness all the action.

At the end of the race, there is an exciting awards ceremony followed by boisterous banquets and celebrations throughout the day for all of the competitors and their supporters. Falling halfway through the country’s four-day Easter celebration, the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic is one of the most anticipated and popular sporting events of the year in Belize.

Visitors and locals alike line the streets to cheer on and celebrate the thrilling excitement of watching top athletes compete in this grueling 140-mile roundtrip race from Belize City in the east to San Ignacio Town in the western part of the country.

On behalf of Chabil Mar and its Staff, we wish the best of luck to all the 2025 participating teams.

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With top airlines like Delta, United, Southwest, American, WestJet, and Air Canada offering non-stop flights to Belize, planning your dream April vacation is now easier and more affordable than ever. Enjoy the country’s gorgeous sunshine, warm Caribbean waters, and pristine rainforests teeming with tropical birds and exotic wildlife.

Things to Do and See in Belize in April

With refreshing breezes and plenty of sunshine, Belize in April is a great time to explore nature and enjoy some of the many wonderful attractions in the country.

Dive With Whale Sharks

The largest fish species in the world’s oceans, whale sharks spend the year circumnavigating the globe in search of juvenile fish and spawn on which to feed. Every year in April, these magnificent creatures make their ways to the waters offshore of Belize, rising with the full moon to feed. Interacting with these gentle giants is a truly special diving experience.

Visit Placencia

Far from the tourist throngs in places like Ambergris Caye, the golden sands of the Placencia Peninsula in southern Belize are home to the country’s burgeoning ecotourism industry. Whether you want to gaze at the sun dappling off of the waves from a beachside bar or head offshore to enjoy snorkeling, kayaking, diving, and sailing, Placencia has successfully managed to preserve its idyllic “barefoot” charm.

Placencia is also conveniently close to some of the top mainland attractions, including bird watching, hiking through the Cockscomb Basin Nature Reserve, and exploring ancient Maya ruins like Xunantunich and Cahal Pech.

Chabil Mar

A multiple award-winning resort located just minutes from Placencia Village, Chabil Mar is an oasis of tranquility and luxury that welcomes guests with well-appointed villas, a lush tropical garden, and a gourmet restaurant where diners can enjoy their meals al fresco on a private pier.

Chabil Mar is the perfect resort to celebrate Easter, cheer on the racers of the Cycling Classic, and head out to nearby Gladden Spit to go diving with whale sharks.

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information about 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 in April.

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Should you stay on mainland Belize or one of the islands? Do both by vacationing on the Placencia peninsula. Find 16 miles of beach, a lush lagoon surrounded by mountains, the traditional fishing Village of Placencia at mile 0 on the Peninsula, aka, “The Island You Can Walk To”, plus access to the Caribbean Sea and Placencia Village, if you stay at one of Placencia’s coziest resorts, Chabil Mar. With their help making arrangements, the following 17 ideas should just get you started.

1. Meet the people. Placencia residents have deep roots: English, Spanish, and Mayan, to name a few. They’re charming, helpful, eager and happy to introduce their communities, so walk about and get the lay of the land.

2. Rent a beach cruiser bike. It will take you further than your feet along beautiful landscape and vistas that amaze and inspire. Placencia was once a fishing village; you’ll spots lots of era reminders as you ride.

3. Meet the Garifuna people in Seine Bight. Learn about their lifestyle through their art, music, folklore and cuisine, and you won’t leave hungry!

4. Request a dive day tailored to your specific interests by asking Chabil Mar staff to explain your trip options. The reef is just 17 miles away; spot tropical fish species so vivid, the colors don’t seem real.

5. Go whale shark spotting when there’s a full moon if you visit between April and June or dive with these gentle creatures near the Gladden Spit if you’re looking to prove your prowess.

6. Try your hand at kayaking around Laughing Bird Caye. Pitch a tent here overnight for full access to the water day and night.

7. Ask Chabil Mar staff to book a 36-foot catamaran adventure that includes either diving or deep sea fishing. Even lunches are brought on board so you don’t starve.

8. Dine at a private restaurant. Placencia families set up little home restaurants on patios that stretch along a path between the lagoon and the beach. Order the specialty of the house: stewed chicken with rice and beans.

9. Make a wildlife pilgrimage to the Placencia lagoon. This unique breeding ground hosts endangered manatees, crocodile species, marine turtles and some types of rays within this nutrient-rich wetland.

10. Your Chabil Mar concierge will be happy to arrange a Monkey River Tour that includes sailing into lush jungle to spot turtles, fish, iguanas and other local wildlife.

11. Visit Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary where jaguar, jaguarondi, margay, ocelot and puma—all five indigenous cats—roam the protected 128,000-acre jungle preserve.

12. Go bird watching, whether you’re a fan of the hobby or not. There are around 300 species in all, some not seen elsewhere in the hemisphere, like the brilliant Scarlet Macaw.

13. Climb a mountain or just stay at the base to observe water crashing to earth from some of Belize’s most photogenic waterfalls. You’ll be inspired.

14. Get wet riding a rubber inner tube while cave tubing, a sport that’s relaxing and exciting if you float into caves with prehistoric-looking interiors that also hold Mayan artifacts.

15. Take photos. Placencia sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, as are the jungles, wildlife preserves and natural wonders that never met a camera they couldn’t seduce.

16. Visit the Creole village of Independence by ferry to stroll fruit plantations. If you’re in town for Valentine’s Day, don’t miss the 50-artist Placencia Peninsula Arts Festival on Main Street.

17. Grab a map and see Placencia by bicycle. Where to get the map and the bike? From your friends at Chabil Mar. They’re so helpful, they might ride that bike to your room if you ask them to!

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Placencia and 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.