Search Results for: barrier reef

Multiple gold medal-winning gymnast Simone Biles will be the recipient of a motorcade in Belize City. The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) made the announcement on their Facebook page, declaring that the motorcade will begin in Biltmore Plaza in Belize City at 4:00 pm on December 22, 2016. The motorcade will then continue down Orange Street, Albert Street, and Regent Street before concluding at Battlefield Park.

Simone Biles made international headlines in the summer of 2016 after winning four gold medals at the Olympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro. Biles is a dual citizen of the United States and Belize, and has often spoken to the press of her fondness for Belize and how much she enjoys visiting friends and family in the country. Biles is currently scheduled to attend the motorcade and the BTB is encouraging friends, family, and well-wishers to join the public in celebrating the heritage and accomplishment of one of Belize’s greatest athletes.

Biles was a member of the Final Five women’s gymnastics team that participated in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Biles is a three-time world all-around champion, four-time United States all-around champion, and won an individual bronze medal for the balance beam in addition to her four gold team medals at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Biles was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1997, the third of four children. Her biological mother, Shannon Biles, became unable to care for her children and Simone and her siblings were eventually adopted and raised by their grandfather Ron and his wife, Nellie Cayetano Biles, a citizen of Belize. Biles spent her childhood education as a homeschooler, graduating in 2015. Biles has been training as a gymnast since she was 6 years old.

Placencia Peninsula

With 16 miles of white sandy beaches, the Placencia Peninsula would be a great place for Simone Biles to visit when she’s in Belize. The multiple award-winning resort of Chabil Mar offers guests luxuriously-appointed villas, a lush tropical garden, and a delicious onsite restaurant complete with pier seating for an unobstructed view of the turquoise Caribbean Sea.

Chabil Mar is the ideal place for travelers like Simone Biles to enjoy the top attractions on the mainland like the Cockscomb Basin Nature Reserve and Maya sites like Nim Li Punit and Lubantuum as well as all of the fun and excitement of the nearby Belize Barrier Reef, home to world-class scuba, snorkeling, sailing, and fishing sites.

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.

 

Destination Wildlife, a publication focusing on promoting the responsible tourism, has recently published an article featuring travel to Gladden Spit and the Silk Cayes in Belize. The article noted that the Belize Barrier Reef, of which both Gladden Spit and the Silk Cayes are a part, are home to endangered sea turtle species as well as an important migratory destination for whale sharks.

The Destination Wildlife article focused on a number of different reasons why sustainable tourism to the region is so popular. Visitors can marvel at more than 30 species of reef fish that use the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve for spawning. This large-scale agglomeration of juvenile fish species is the main reason why migrating whale sharks visit the area every year, rising from the depths to feed on this abundance of food. Destination Wildlife also noted that the protected sandy beaches of the Silk Cayes serve as nesting sites for endangered species like the hawksbill turtle.

Destination Wildlife highlighted the fact that a collection of conservationist individuals and organizations are responsible for having the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes area declared a protected marine reserve in the year 2000. A number of residents from Placencia in Belize formed a group called The Friends of Nature (FoN) in 1993 in order to protect the area from long-term human impact. After successfully lobbying to have Laughing Bird Caye declared a national park in 1996, the FoN then convinced the Belize government to designate Gladden Spit and the nearby Silk Cayes a protected marine in 2000.

Destination Wildlife is an adherent of the guidelines and ideas of the Cape Town Declaration on Responsible Tourism. Destination Wildlife believes that a holistic cooperation between private and individual stakeholders is the best way to preserve cultural heritages and conserve the environment. The Cape Town Declaration was formulated during the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, a global conference attended by 280 delegates from around the globe.

The award-winning resort of Chabil Mar on the Placencia Peninsula offers guests a number of comprehensive scuba diving packages that include diving with whale sharks for visitors who want to explore the natural wonders found at Gladden Spit and the Silk Cayes. Chabil Mar also offers guided tours of the Monkey River, scuba diving packages of the Blue Hole, and trips to other top attractions on both land and sea in Belize.

In its November edition, Leisure Pro magazine printed an article promoting the “Caribbean Paradise” of Belize as an excellent diving haven. Leisure Pro highlighted the fact that Belize is home to the second-largest barrier reef in the world, an ideal location that every diver should have on their to-do list.

The Belize Barrier Reef is a thriving ecosystem home to dozens of species of coral that provide shelter and feeding grounds for a cornucopia of marine life, including hundreds of species of fish, three species of saltwater turtles, dolphins, rays, seahorses, manatees, whale sharks, and jellyfish. Large stands of seagrasses, anemones, and starfish make reef diving in Belize an exploration of an underwater world exploding with color.

The Leisure Pro article also made special mention of the Turneffe Islands. Located beyond the Belize Barrier Reef, these islands measure 30 miles by 10 miles. Although the islands are home to thick stands of mangrove trees that attract anglers for their abundant fishing opportunities, Leisure Pro magazine recommended that divers explore the waters off of the southern tip of the islands.

Another popular diving destination recommended by Leisure Pro magazine include Glover’s Reef and Lighthouse Reef. Although Lighthouse Reef is one of the smallest islands offshore of Belize, it is home to the Belize Blue Hole, a nearly perfectly circular body of deep azure water that was rated by famed marine biologist Jacques Cousteau as one of the top 10 diving spots on the planet. Divers can descend more than 400 feet as they explore a series of underwater canyons created at the end of the last Ice Age more than 10,000 years ago.

One of the reasons why Belize has recently become one of the hottest vacation destinations for scuba diving enthusiasts is that Belize is the only country in the region where English is the official language. Belize is also blessed by year-round air temperatures that rarely exceed the mid-80s Fahrenheit or sink below the low 70s, making the weather and water ideal for scuba diving no matter when you choose to visit.

Located on the sunny sands of Placencia Peninsula just a few miles from the best spots on the Belize Barrier Reef for scuba diving, the luxury resort of Chabil Mar features  elegantly-appointed villas, a gourmet restaurant, and a full range of modern conveniences. Chabil Mar offers its guests comprehensive scuba diving and snorkeling packages to all of the best spots along the reef, including the Turneffe Atoll, the Belize Blue Hole, and trips to Gladden Spit Marine Reserve to swim with whale sharks.

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.

In celebration of the Chicago Cubs’ amazing World Series win that snapped a world-record 108-year drought at the pinnacle of baseball, the nation of Belize has offered Cubs player David Ross an all-expenses-paid vacation to help the catcher recover from his brilliant performance. After performing admirably for 15 seasons in the Major League, Ross capped off his career with a spectacular World Series finish that brought tens of thousands of Chicagoans into the street to celebrate the world-record victory.

Although a five-hour flight from the Windy City, the nation of Belize has been a staunch supporter of the Chicago Cubs. Upon gaining independence in 1981, Belize latched onto the hapless Chicago baseball team as a symbol of overcoming adversity through hard work and dedication. Superstation WGN out of Chicago was once the only American television channel available nationwide in Belize, a major source of the country’s motivation for rooting for the perennial underdog baseball team.

Born in 1977, David Ross demonstrated his skill early on, playing college baseball for both the University of Florida and Auburn University before signing on with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2002. A veteran journeyman, Ross played for a series of teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Boston Red Sox where he helped power the team to a World Series victory in 2013. In 2014, Ross joined the Chicago Cubs where he expanded his baseball prowess by appearing as a pitcher for the first time in his professional career. Ross hit a home run on his final major league game, Game 7 of the 2016 World Series, helping the Cubs to clinch the pennant while becoming the oldest player in Major League Baseball history to hit a home room in Game 7 of a World Series.

The award-winning resort of Chabil Mar on Belize’s golden Placencia Peninsula warmly invites superstar athlete David Ross to stay at the their luxurious oasis of beauty and modern conveniences. With elegantly-appointed villas, a lush tropical garden, swimming pools, and a gourmet restaurant, Chabil Mar is the ideal place for hard-working pros like David Ross to relax, unwind, and recharge.

Chabil Mar is conveniently located just a few minutes’ walk from Placencia Village, the economic, nightlife, and social hub of the peninsula and an excellent place to base an expedition to the nearby Belize Barrier Reef. The Placencia Peninsula is conveniently located close to all of the top attractions on the Belize mainland, including the Cockscomb Basin Nature Reserve, home to the only full-time jaguar reserve in the world, tours of the Monkey River, and excursions to popular Maya ruin sites like Xunantunich, and Cahal Pech.

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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.

Photo courtesy of http://www.fox32chicago.com/

Photo by www.smithsonianmag.com

When looking for exotic and scenic places to travel, Belize is one of the hottest destinations that comes to mind. From its spectacular Maya Ruins to the warm weather all year round, there are several reasons why Belize is a hot spot for the coming year.

When researching the location and discovering the benefits, there are several reasons to make it your vacation destination.

1. Great Belize Vacation Rates

The Guest Exclusive Chabil Mar Resort offers affordable Belize vacation packages.

2. Whale Shark Diving

Belize offers plenty of adventure with the opportunity to dive with whale sharks near Gladden Spit off Placencia. Guests can see the sharks feeding on plankton and other spawning fish during the full moon of March – June. For those who do not know, the Whale Sharks are the largest living fish in the world.

3. The Weather

Thousands of travelers visit Belize each year due to the incredible warm weather all  year-round. With an average temperature of 88 degrees, it’s a comfortable climate that can be enjoyed for those wanting to spend time outdoors.

4. Belize Maya Ruins

Belize contains some of the most majestic Maya ruins in Central America like Caracol, Xunantunich, Cahal Pech, Altun Ha, and Lamanai and according to Archaeologists  more than 8 million people lived in southern Mexico and northern Central America during the pre-Columbian era.

5. Fishing

Belize offers world class fishing thanks to its pristine and diverse barrier reef which is home to an abudant of marine life. On a fishing trip, you can catch a snook or permit and even enjoy it for dinner.
6. Sailing

Experience the beautiful and vast views of the Caribbean waters by taking a sailing trip where you can dine on-board and enjoy lounging on the deck while traveling to various points in Belize.

7. Jungle and Sea Belize Vacations

Both the jungle and sea can be explored when visiting Belize with vacation packages that will allow you to meet howler monkeys, ride in canoes, go on nature walks, and even climbing ancient Maya ruins.

8. Perfect for a Honeymoon

Unwind on your honeymoon in a relaxing and laid-back environment where you can stay barefoot during the vacation in one of the most romantic destinations in the world.

9. Ideal for a Wedding Vacation

To enjoy an intimate ceremony that offers spectacular views of the water, Belize is an ideal location for a wedding vacation. Professional wedding planners can make it an experience of a lifetime by planning all of the details for a relaxing event on the beach.

10. Belize is on Everyone’s Radar

More people are traveling to Belize for the amenities and accommodations that are available in the country. From the spectacular views to the historical sites that can be visited, it’s a hot spot for the coming year for thousands of tourists.

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