Category: Belize Resort and Vacation Blog

If you’re looking for the perfect place to enjoy an amazing summer vacation, look no further than Belize. A small, English-speaking country with amazingly beautiful beaches, islands, jungles, and waterfalls, Belize is just a two-hour flight from cities like Houston and Miami.

One of the biggest summer attractions in Belize is scuba diving with whale sharks. The largest fish in the world’s oceans, whale sharks can weigh up to 47,000 pounds (21 tonnes) and measure up to 41 feet (12 meters) long. Despite their immense size, whale sharks pose little danger to humans because their main source of food is tiny plankton that they strain out of the water.

Whale sharks are migratory animals, traversing the entire globe every year. As such, whale sharks are only in Belize for a limited time. Furthermore, whale sharks normally spend their time at great depths, only rising to the surface during key phases of the moon.

Other exciting things to enjoy in Belize during the summer include the Placencia Lobsterfest. Following the opening of the lobster fishing season in early July, the beachfront community of Placencia hosts a lively three-day festival dedicated to all things lobster. Chefs from all over the country compete to create innovative lobster dishes while hungry diners enjoy plenty of games, competitions, live music, and refreshing drinks.

Summer is truly a great time to visit Belize, especially if you love the beach. Water temperatures are in the low 80s (26-28° Celsius) while air temperatures are in the mid to high 80s (26-30° Celsius).

The best place to stay in Belize on your summer vacation is Chabil Mar Resort in Placencia. Located just steps from the beach, Chabil Mar has luxuriously appointed villas, a beautiful tropical garden, two freshwater swimming pools, and a gourmet restaurant.

Chabil Mar is a perennial TripAdvisor favorite and the winner of multiple tourism and hospitality awards. Whether you’re coming to Belize on your honeymoon, a family vacation, to get married, or as an adventure traveler, Chabil Mar has everything you need. Chabil Mar is also conveniently located close to all of the major attractions in Belize, including scuba diving sites, ancient Maya cities, and wildlife sanctuaries.

This summer, make your dreams come true at the Chabil Mar Resort in Placencia, Belize.

Thanksgiving has become one of the most important American holidays. First officially commemorated as a national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln, Thanksgiving is a time for expressing gratitude. More than 400 years ago when starving European colonists in Massachusetts shared a life-saving meal thanks to the generosity of natives, an event that formed the nucleus of what would become the Thanksgiving holiday. Today, Thanksgiving is a special time for family and friends who come together to give thanks to the blessings bestowed upon them and also to share a bounteous meal.

Although Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Belize, more and more people from North America have discovered the benefits of enjoying a Thanksgiving in Belize. Expats from North America who have relocated to Belize brought their holiday traditions with them, and now Thanksgiving is an important, albeit unofficial, time of celebration throughout the country.

Probably the most iconic centerpiece of a traditional Thanksgiving meal is turkey. Many people are unaware that turkeys are native birds from Central America that were once farmed by the ancient Maya that lived in the region thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. Other native dishes to the area include corn (sometimes called maize), still a staple crop in Belize today. Many expats and visitors enjoy mixing classic Thanksgiving foods like turkey and corn with Belizean favorites like gibnut meat, hudut (a fish stew cooked in a coconut broth), and seaweed shakes.

What To Do in Belize on Thanksgiving

Once you’ve polished off your delicious Thanksgiving feast, you can take advantage of the balmy weather to work off a few calories by trying out fun activities like strolling through Placencia village, hiking through the jungle to spot birds, explore an ancient Maya ruin, touring the Belize Zoo and Educational Center, or heading off to the beach to work on your tan, scuba dive, or snorkel.

Thanksgiving and November usually herald the onset of colder weather in North America, but Belize is blessed with plenty of sun and warm temperatures during this time of year. Whether you want to enjoy a refreshing swim or plumb the depths of the sacred ATM cave, you’ll never have to worry about hats, gloves, and scarves in Belize.

Chabil Mar

Chabil Mar is a multiple award-winning resort located on the lovely Placencia Peninsula. The resort offers guests Belize jungle and sea packages to see the best spots offshore and on the mainland during your stay.

Chabil Mar is conveniently located just a few miles from the best spots along the Belize Barrier Reef as well as top mainland attractions like Maya ruins and the Cockscomb Basin Nature Reserve, the world’s only jaguar preserve.

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Don’t let naysayers tell you that it’s too early to plan your summer vacation. They’re envious. Jealous, in fact. And too disorganized to follow your admirable lead! They’ll be particularly green when you explain that you’re heading for Belize, so make sure they’re forced to look at every one of the photos you snap upon your return!

Truth is, Belize in the summer is a gift you give yourself after a long year of work, listening to too much disturbing world news and juggling too many responsibilities, so because Belize is the only English-speaking country in Central America, your brain is going to get the respite it deserves.

Consider this your planning guide as a precursor to allowing your hosts make all of your decisions once you arrive at the highly-recommended Chabil Mar Villas located just a stone’s throw from Placencia Village. Package customization is a specialty at Chabil Mar, so while there are no fast food restaurants in Belize, this resort took a page from a popular McDonald’s ad: Special orders don’t upset us!

Ask about four- and seven-night all-inclusives and you can shift your brain into auto pilot while having the time of your life (https://chabilmarvillas.com/belize-vacation-packages/belize-vacation-packages-a-specials.html).

-Dive and snorkel in a region that’s home to the second largest barrier reef in the world. Your job? Show up. From guides and gear to picnic lunches and extras, staff at Chabil Mar will respond to your request for a diving and/or snorkeling package tailored to your taste, time and wallet. Ask to dive the Big Blue Hole if you’re feeling frisky.

-Drop back in time to see palaces, ball fields, temples and entire communities of Mayan ruins alongside a knowledgeable guide who can help you speculate why an entire civilization disappeared off the planet without a trace. Signature archaeologically-focused packages are a specialty at Chabil Mar.

-Even if you’ve explored caves in the past, Chabil Mar jungle and sea packages are unique because there are so many other activities associated with them. Book one and expect to be asked, “What kind of cave tour?” In Belize, you can swim, dive, tube, river cruise, spot wildlife, search for treasures and explore caves all on the same trip.

-There are jungles and there are jungles. Grab your opportunity to set off on day trips to all sorts of jungle environments to spot wildlife, observe birds, study plant life and explore the mysteries of jungle life. Ask to have waterfall and rock scaling locations added to your tour and if you haven’t had enough, there are more Maya ruins within jungles to be visited.

-From saltwater fly fishing to cruising lakes and rivers stocked with freshwater fish, pick your favorite and hold out your hand: the equipment you need will be handed over so you don’t lack a single tool to reel in your catch. You can even rent a private yacht and sprawl across the deck–after all, it’s your vacation package to personalize.

There’s more. Much more. But you have probably already spotted an adventure that’s just your style, so get moving now—before summer reservations at Chabil Mar are fully booked. You have to bring back those photos for your local naysayer, remember?

For more information about travelling to Belize this summer, 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.

The Best Resort in Placencia

The Placencia Peninsula is located close to a lot of great attractions, including hiking through the vast Cockcomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (home to more than 200 jaguars!), ancient Maya ruins, and boat tours along the well-named Monkey River. But there’s also lots to see on Placencia itself, including the “capital,” Placencia Village, holder of the Guinness Book of World Records for the smallest “main street,” in reality, a four-foot wide pedestrian-only sidewalk lined with colorful murals, boutique shops, restaurants, and cafes.

The tiny picturesque village of Monkey River in the Toledo District is located on the coast of southeastern Belize at the mouth of the iconic Monkey River. This Creole village is a popular destination for eco-tourism trips up the pristine natural river to see some of the extraordinary range of tropical flora and fauna in the country, including the ubiquitous howler monkey that gave the river and village their names.

This eco-friendly tour starts in the village of Monkey River where visitors can dine at the popular local restaurant and stock up supplies. Visitors then board a small watercraft to begin a leisurely cruise up this gentle river. Along the way, it’s easy to spot crocodiles, manatees (often called “sea cows” due to their placid nature and large size), dolphins, lizards, monkeys and dozens of tropical bird species like parrots and toucans.

The tour will stop at various locations to give visitors an opportunity to explore the jungle on foot, keeping an eye out for snakes and spiders. Howler monkeys will make their presence known with their famous call, inviting children and adults to join in all the fun. Following well-marked paths, visitors can learn from their guides about the rich variety of medicinal plants, insects and animals that call the area home.

If you’re sensitive to the sun, be sure to be prepared by bringing and applying plenty of sunscreen, wearing loose clothing and/or wearing a hat. Due to the abundance of insects in the jungle, it is also recommended that visitors bring insect repellent and wear protective clothing for hiking through the jungle.

Not designed to be a high-adrenaline adventure, a cruise up the Monkey River is instead a way to relax and enjoy the unspoiled scenery while keeping one eye open for some of the many interesting animals, reptiles, birds and marine creatures that inhabit this unspoiled area.

Lodging Near Monkey River Village in southern Belize

One of the finest resorts in all of Belize is located just a few miles from Monkey River Village. Chabil Mar, named for a Mayan term which means “beautiful sea”, is located on the Placencia Peninsula. The resort features full-size villas, an on-site restaurant and private beach access.

For more information about the Monkey River Tour, feel free to chat with the Concierge at: concierge@chabilmarvillas.com or contact the Reservations Manager at:reservations@chabilmarvillas.com. Or perhaps you would like to call toll free from the US or Canada: 1-866-417-2377.