Lobsterfest, Placencia: Pinch me, I’m Dreaming

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Placencia is a sleepy, bohemian fishing village located on the eastern coast of Belize. It’s the kind of place where the sun and the sea conspire to make everyone slow down. But on the last weekend in June, the entire town becomes one big, exuberant beach party during Lobsterfest, celebrating the beginning of the Belizean lobster season.

Here’s how to make the most of your time at Lobsterfest in Placencia:

EAT:

While Lobsterfest is all about the great, clawed crustacean, there is no shortage of edible alternatives among the open-air food vendors. Placencia’s full rainbow of cultural diversity is reflected in the smorgasbord of Lobsterfest food offerings, which showcases Creole, Mayan, Garifuna, Caribbean, and Asian influences.

Should you seek a more refined dining experience, head straight to Rumfish y vino. Owned by a husband and wife team who honeymooned in Placencia, and just couldn’t leave, Rumfish y vino is pure food artistry served in a sophisticated setting. Alternatively, head up the peninsula to the Maya Beach Bistro, where only the epicurean creations will draw your attention away from the gorgeous, Gilligan-like beachfront setting. For authentic local breakfast fare, nurse your party hangover with stuffed fry jacks at DeTatch Cafe or have a breakfast burrito and a smoothie chaser at The Shak Beach Cafe.

DRINK:

The aptly named Tipsy Tuna is ground zero for imbibing among the Lobsterfest celebrants. But watch your back, Mr. Tuna, because the beloved Barefoot Bar has relocated to the beach. If you want to see how the moneyed set knocks ‘em down, you’ll have to put on your shoes before dropping in for a drink at Francis Ford Coppola’s Turtle Inn.

STAY:

It just doesn’t get much better than Chabil Mar Villas, located on a peaceful beach, yet proximate to the Placencia action. Chabil Mar’s guest bicycles and a free van shuttle make getting to and from the village a breeze.

Chabil Mar features exceptional service, lush landscaping and expansive villas equipped with full kitchens and washer/dryers. I may be the only person in the world who relishes the sight of a washer and dryer on vacation. But let’s face it, lobster is messy, and I was mighty glad to have a clean shirt more than once during our stay.

DO:

The challenge will be tearing yourself away from your lounge by the sea. But Placencia is a springboard to the planet’s second largest barrier reef. The fishing, diving and snorkeling are world-class. The folks at Splash Dive Center are friendly, professional and totally in the know about what’s happening on, and under, the sea.

Lobsterfest, Placencia: sun, swim, eat, drink, sleep. Lather, rinse, repeat.

This article was published on www.globalgallop.com and the original copy can be found here.

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Come join us for Placencia Belize Lobsterfest 2014

The 2014 Chocolate Festival in Punta Gorda

12 Incredible Belize Vacation Photos

Time for a Belize vacation? Might be wise to consider Belize, a country where almost everything is just visually stunning. Hopefully these 12 shots nudge you into checking out the ATM Cave, Belize Barrier Reef and Chabil Mar, the only guest exclusive resort in Placencia in a country where you will find new adventures around every corner.

great blue hole of belize

The Great Blue is an azure submarine sinkhole that is a paradise for divers in search of crystal-clear water that hides treasures in its depths. It is one of the top attractions in Belize.

lobsterfest in placencia 2014

Scheduled every year in June, the Placencia Lobsterfest is a grand celebration of the opening of the lobster season in Belize attracting thousands of local and international visitors. If you intend to be in Belize in June, this is a must attend event.

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Chabil Mar, Maya for “Beautiful Sea”,  is a luxury, boutique resort that appeals to the discerning traveler looking to combine adventure and culturual experience with stylish, upscale and guest exclusive accommodations in Placencia Village . . . with every amenity at hand.

Belize musicians

Every year on November 19, Garifuna Settlement day is observed which marks the arrival  of the Garifuna people in Belizean territory in 1802. The holiday was created by Thomas  Vincent Ramos, a Belizean civil rights activist and is celebrated for a whole week with  major festivities that include parades, live music, drumming, dancing, prayers and pageantry in Garifuna communities.

Dive coral James Chabil Mar Resort Belize

One of those beautiful things in Belize that locals and visitors enjoy is the colorful and Great Barrier Reef.  Even Charles Darwin, the world renowned Naturalist loved it that in 1842, he described it as the “most remarkable reef in the west indies.”

Turneffe Atoll in the Rain

One rainstorm following the other in the Turneffe Atoll, Belize. Tony Rath Photography

children of placencia belize chabil mar resort

One of the most endearing aspects of the Belizean people is their ability to achieve a very real and intimate connection with visitors from any country and every walk of life. The warm and friendly welcome you’ll receive in Belize combined with the breathtaking adventures you’ll experience will stir your soul, expand your mind and forever change your life.

Howler Monkey Chabil Mar Belize Resort

The Belizean Rain forest holds attraction  such as rivers, caves, majestic wildlife and remnants of a once great Mayan civilization. Located in the Southern part of Belize, lies the quiet Village of Monkey River where one can gain access to the many sites and wonders found in Belize.

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Every year in May, the Chocolate Festival attracts  hundreds of visitors from around Belize as well as overseas to Punta Gorda, Toledo District. This lively festival has helped Toledo shed its worn out image as “the forgotten district” and establish it as one of Belize’s vibrant and growing tourism destinations. It also commemorates the tremendous contribution to development in the south made by the Toledo Cacao Growers’ Association (TCGA) and its hundreds of farmer members.

Fishing Casting for Bate Chabil Mar Resort Belize

Fishing in Belize is world class! At Chabil Mar, we pair our guests with expert full time captains whom we personally select for their expertise and who are experts regarding the waters in and around Placencia and the outlying Cayes. In fact, most of our captains have been fishing these waters their entire lives. Even the most experienced fishermen will find our guides top notch and relish working with these professionals.

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Half Moon Caye in Belize offers divers the chance to go on a wall dive–a dive in which the vertical facades of the earth’s landmasses are explored. The depths at Half Moon Caye (and really at any wall dive) are tremendous, giving you the very correct feeling that you are staring into an abyss. The waters at Half Moon Caye are particularly clear, despite the depth, so you will be able to see all manner of wildlife, including loggerhead turtles, rays, barracuda, and eels.

ATM-CAVE

Locally known as Xibalba or ATM Cave, Actun Tunichil Muknal is one of the most breathtaking caving experiences you will have in Belize. The cave is located in the karstic limestone terrain of Roaring Creek Valley in the Cayo District and is approximately 5 km long and contains a perennial stream that runs through it including a ledge with two stelae and a large chamber full of intact human remains and Maya pots.

According to Archaelogists, Actun Tunichil Muknal was a sacred place to the Maya who utilized the cave during the classic period AD 250-909. Thousands of people are attracted to this cave annually due to its remarkable history, elegant stalagmites and stalactites and the Crystal Maiden, the intact skeleton of a young woman who was sacrificed to the gods.

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.

5 Ways to Get Seduced by Belize

island-beach-630x392Parm Parmer, a freeland travel and food writer for Travel + Escape (T+E), Canada’s largest travel website recently published an article entitled “5 ways to get seduced by Belize” on T+E website.

Belize-musicians-630x420We do agree with Parm that once you visit Belize you will not want to go back home because Belize is truly a blissful paradise. With the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere that is ideal for snorkeling and diving, unspoiled rainforest for mountain biking or horseback riding, friendly people to have stimulating conversations, and delicious food from eclectic ethnic groups who would want to leave?

It was Parm’s third trip to Belize and it looks like she is now addicted to BELIZE.

She writes:

“This former British colony bordered by Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west and south may be a small country, but it has a diverse geography that includes the second largest barrier reef, a tropical rainforest that’s home to hundreds of species, ancient Maya ruins, miles of white sand beaches and hundreds of islands. How could one not fall in love with the intoxicating beauty of this country?”

Belize-market-630x431Belize is so diverse in its ethnic and cultural backgrounds due to its multi-cultural ethnic groups – Maya, Mestizo, Garifuna, Creole, Mennonite, East Indian and Chinese, she remarks.

She then goes to describe the Belize Barrier Reef as one of the world’s most famed sites for snorkeling and diving.

Read more about how to get seduced by Belize here: http://www.travelandescape.ca/2014/03/5-ways-get-seduced-belize/

All photos by Parm Parmer – Twitter @parmiep

 

Belize: Top Best Snorkeling Destination in the World

Belize: The Top Best Snorkeling Destination in the World

Join David Webb on an underwater exploration of Belize’s Barrier Reef. By now everyone should know that Belize is one of the top best snorkeling destinations in the world thanks to the great and colorful  Belize Barrier Reef. Marine Reserves like Hol Chan and Gladden Spit provide an amazing opportunity to swim with Nurse Sharks, Groupers, Snappers, and Jacks.  Even Charles Darwin was astonished by the Belize Reef that he described it as “the most remarkable reef in the  West Indies” in 1842. “Belize has the finest snorkeling I’ve experienced. Better than Thailand. Better than Bali. Better even than Aruba. Better, dare I say it,  than what I’ve experienced in my beloved Hawaii. Belize is home to the world’s second-largest barrier reef (I’m sure you can guess  where the largest is), which harbours staggering marine biodiversity”, says David Webb.

In this blog post, we will share with you a potpourri of snorkeling photos that will compel and enchant you to go on a snorkeling tour in Belize:

All photos are courtesy of AcrossandAbroad.com/David Webb

Conch Shell Chabil Mar Resort BelizeCoral Beauty Chabil Mar Resort BelizeCoral Scapes Chabil Mar Resort BelizeJelly fish Chabil Mar Resort BelizeSting Ray Chabil Mar Resort BelizeTurtle Grass Chabil Mar Resort Belize

To see more photos of David’s snorkeling tour, click here: http://acrossandabroad.com/2014/01/15/belize-underwater-photo-essay/ and to learn more about Belize, snorkeling and diving options, feel free to browse our website: https://chabilmarvillas.com/belize-vacation-packages/belize-vacation-packages-a-specials.html or email us at reservations@chabilmarvillas.com.

Turneffe Flats & Placencia – Customized Belize Vacations

tourist snorkeling with manateeCustom designed Belize adventure vacations to fit the entire family’s interests. One fisherman and one atoll / cultural adventurist? One diver and one fisherman? Contact us to discuss your family’s unique Belize adventure vacation desires. These combination vacation packages are customized for you, built to meet all of your party’s needs and desires.

Your Combination Fishing – Scuba Diving – ECO Belize Vacation Package includes:
7 nights at Turneffe Flats and Chabil Mar Resorts
3 nights at one and 4 nights at the other – You Choose

Turneffe Flats and Chabil Mar Resorts were both recently named as two of the Top 10 Small Hotels in Central America in the 2013 Traveler’s Choice Awards by Trip Advisor and have been awarded with multiple service recognitions and accolades. 

hiking cockscomb wildlife sanctuary trail

For nearly three decades, Turneffe Flats has been known as one of the Caribbean’s finest saltwater fly fishing, Scuba diving and marine ecotourism destinations. Located on the Turneffe Atoll, the largest and most diverse coral atoll in the Caribbean, specializing in superior service for a limited number of guests.

Chabil Mar, Maya for “Beautiful Sea”, is the guest exclusive resort of Placencia on the mainland in southern Belize. It is ideally located in what is locally known as “Barefoot Perfect” Placencia Village and combines boutique accommodations with guest exclusive amenities for that superior personalized Belize vacation adventure.

Custom designed and priced individually to fit the entire family’s interests. One fisherman, one diver and one atoll / cultural adventurist? Combination packages can include any of the adventures listed in the fishing, diving or ECO packages. Including but not limited to:

  • Fully guided fishing
  • Scuba Diving the world’s second largest Barrier Reef and Whale Sharks (in season)
  • Snorkeling Tours
  • Manatee & Dolphin Tours
  • Flats Walking Tour
  • Turneffe Birding Tour
  • Monkey River Howler monkey adventure
  • Maya Archaeological site exploration with cave swimming (Lim Li Punit or Lubaantun)
  • Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve trek with river tubing
  • All land and sea transfers on scheduled transfer days
  • In country air and airport transfers (does not include international airfare)
  • All Mealsxunantunich chabil mar belize resort

Contact us to discuss your unique Belize adventure vacation desires. These combination vacation packages are customized for you, built to meet all of your party’s needs and desires.

*Note: Standard method of transfers included are to Turneffe Flats by boat and to Chabil Mar by plane via mainland airports. Helicopter transfers to all locations are available upon request. (All packages include service fees and taxes) NOTE: Transfers to and from Turneffe Flats on non schedules days may result in an additional fee.

Not included in these Belize vacation packages: Bar tab, Fly shop and gift shop purchases, Gratuities, International Airfare, Fishing, diving and snorkeling equipment – (rentals available for additional fee), Belize Fishing License

 

Questions?

Belize Vacation Packages – Click Here

OR

Email our Reservations Manager at: reservations@chabilmarvillas.com

OR

Call Toll Free from the US or Canada: 1-866-417-2377.

 

 

 

 

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