.parent {
display: inline; position: relative; line-height: 30px; float: left; color: #82be41;
}
.parent a{
margin: 10px;color: #82be41;text-decoration: none;
}
.parent:hover > ul {
display:block;position:absolute;
}
.child {
display: none;
}
.child li {
line-height: 30px;width:115%;text-align:left;
}
.child li a{
color: #82be41;
}
ul{
list-style: none;margin: 0;padding: 0px; min-width:10em;text-align: center;float: right; font-weight: 550;
}
ul ul ul{
left: 100%;top: 0;margin-left:1px;
}
li:hover {
background-color: white;
}
.parent li:hover {
background-color: white;
}
.expand{
font-size:10px;float:right;margin-right:5px;
}

.parent a p{
display: inline; margin: 10px;color: #6e706b;text-decoration: none;
}

10 Local Experiences in Belize You Won’t Find in the Guidebooks

Written by Stephanie Stevens | February 1, 2021

https://platform-api.sharethis.com/js/sharethis.js#property=5f0bbd9ab9410d0019e80af3&product=inline-share-buttons

With many wonderful outdoor activities, archeological sites, and the second largest barrier reef in the world, tourism has become a major industry in Belize. This coastal country on the eastern coast of Central America attracts a diverse set of tourists each year looking to explore natural attractions and to learn about the country’s rich Maya culture and heritage. As in many developing countries, tourism is a key component of the health of Belize’s economy as Belizean locals rely heavily on the tourism industry for jobs, income, and financial stability. There are many opportunities for travelers to support local tourism in Belize, which in turn helps to celebrate and preserve indigenous heritage and customs.

Supporting local businesses when traveling abroad is important for a host of reasons. For one, when tourists visit and engage with locally-run businesses they help to recirculate what they spend into the local economy, which helps support local businesses, families, and livelihoods. Also, developing destinations, such as Belize, are rich with history, culture, and heritage and by supporting local businesses, visitors help to preserve these cultures that have existed for thousands of years. Protecting heritage has become increasingly difficult in the age of rapid development and technology, so it is more important than ever for travelers to consider supporting local vendors, businesses, and experiences.

In addition to benefiting the local economy and community, taking part in cultural practices is an eye-opening and enriching experience. Connecting with locals typically enables visitors to see the country in a unique way and to learn more about a place’s culture such as language, customs, food, and more. The locals in Belize have much to offer and are passionate about sharing their folktales, culture, customs, and ancestral practices with visitors. In partnership with Heritage Belize, below you can find 10 local businesses to support when traveling to Belize.

Eco-Accommodations

Rock Farm Guest House & Home of Belize Bird Rescue

*Source: Rock Farm Belize & Belize Bird Rescue*

Price Range – $

Book this place

The Rock Farm Guest House, located just 3 miles outside of Belmopan, provides guests with jungle-feel accommodations and a calm, relaxing atmosphere. Rock Farm has been the family home of British couple Jerry Larder and Nikki Buxton since 2003. In 2016, the couple decided to open their home to guests in order to provide sustainable funding for Belize Bird Rescue, which is also located on the property. Perfect for birders, nature lovers, and those wishing to explore nearby natural wonders, Rock Farm Guest House gives guests the opportunity to enjoy beautiful accommodations while supporting local conservation efforts. All income from Rock Farm Guest House goes toward Belize Bird Rescue and avian conservation programs in Belize.

Socially Responsible Eateries

Black & White Garifuna Restaurant and Cultural Center

Price Range – $

The Black & White Garifuna Restaurant and Cultural Center, located in San Pedro, Belize, is a locally-owned cultural center and restaurant. The Black & White Garifuna gives visitors the chance to experience Garifuna culture through traditional Garifuna food, homemade wine, and traditional Garifuna drumming and dancing. Traditional Garifuna music is defined by the use of percussion instruments and drums and is often accompanied by maracas and singing.

Las Orquideas Restaurant

Price Range – $

Las Orquideas is a restaurant and women’s co-op located in a small village next to Lamanai Archaeological Reserve, which is one of the largest archaeological parks open to the public in Belize. Originally established with the help of the Canada Fund in 1996, the restaurant is managed today by the Indian Church Women’s Group. What started as a small restaurant and spot for locals, Las Orquideas has grown as tourism has increased in the region.

Ethical Experiences

Itzamna Society

Price Range – $

The Itzamna Society is a registered NGO that was established in 2000 with the purpose of promoting community development, cultural patrimony, and biodiversity conservation. The Itzamna Society (Itzamna meaning God who created all things on Earth) established Elijio Panti National Park in 2001, which is co-managed today by the Itzamna Society and the Forest Department. The park encompasses 13,000 acres of mountainous terrain with waterfalls, natural pools, medicinal trails, biodiverse flora and fauna, and an extensive cave system.

(Yucatec Maya Museum) U Kuuchil Uucben Mayaya Ba’alo’ob

Price Range – $

Yucatec Maya Museum connects the Cultural Corridor of the villages of San Pedro, Cristo Rey, Yo Chen, Patchakan, Xaibe and Chan Chen in the Corozal District. The museum hopes to create awareness about Maya culture, especially among the local younger generation, and to inspire others to appreciate the artifacts of Yucatec Maya culture. The museum features cultural artifacts as well as other cultural objects such as metals, old documents and old photographs. The museum also promotes the importance of medicinal plants, which have been utilized in Maya culture for thousands of years. There is a trail available for visitors to explore at the site of the museum that features many medicinal plants.

San Antonio Women’s Cooperative

Price Range – $

San Antonio Women’s Cooperative (SAWC) is a non-profit organization that started in 2001 and is located in San Antonio Village in Cayo District, on the main road next to the Mayan temple of Caracol. With 12 active members of Maya descendent, this social enterprise shop provides ethical experiences to visitors in order to spread awareness of Maya culture and to generate income for the benefit of the local community.

Lan Barangu Luban Garifunaduaü (Barranco House of Culture)

Price Range – $

Lan Barangu Luban Garifunaduaü (Barranco House of Culture) is a Garifuna Museum and Resource Center. It is located in the small village of Barranco, in the Toledo District of Belize. The center was initially created to aid in preserving and educating others about Garifuna culture, a mission that the center still works towards today. The center also works to ensure that residents of Barranco village understand their history, culture, and identity. As the longest standing House of Culture in the Toledo District, the museum showcases artifacts of clothing, farming, travel, language, and music that were (and still are) used by the Garifuna people.

U Chan Muul Yaax K’aax

Price Range – $

U Chan Muul Yaax K’aax, which translates to Little Mound in the Green Forest, is a small family-run, community-led museum that showcases the local history of San Lazaro and the surrounding villages. Run by the Carillo family, the museum is located in the Orange Walk District in northern Belize, which is famous for its sugar production. More specifically, the San Lazaro Village is in the heart of the sugar belt, located between the archaeological sites of Cuelo and Lamanai Archaeological Reserve. The museum’s collections include objects from pre-hispanic Maya, Guerra de Castas (the Caste War of 1847), Mestizo and present-day Maya.

Kanan Miatsil (Guardians of Culture)

Price Range – $

Kanan Miatsil, Mayan for Guardians of Culture, is a non-profit organization run by Felicita Cantun in Yo Creek Village. Felicita is a Maya elder who is known in the area as the “Culture Warrior” for her work to safeguard the Yuactect Maya culture and promote its visibility. The Kanan Miatsil organization develops the visibility of Maya Yucatec culture in order to stimulate Belize’s economy and enhance the quality of life of the indigenous Yucatec Maya of Northern Belize. The organization acquired land in recent years, which they transformed into Pachamama Ecological Park, where visitors can come to experience and learn more about the culture, customs, and practices of the Yucatec Maya.

Epic Mayan Tours

Price Range – $

Epic Mayan Tours is a small family-owned tour business that intertwines folklore, culture, and tradition to create authentic travel experiences across Belize. Epic Mayan Tours is owned by Jenny Cantun, a Maya woman with 10+ years of experience as a tour guide in Belize. Jenny’s family is from the Orange Walk District in the North (Yo Creek Village) in the northern part of Belize. Her family still resides in this part of Belize today at Pachamama Ecological Park, where her family practices Maya traditions and ceremonies. Visitors can visit Pachamama Ecological Park to experience these traditional Maya ceremonies, explore nature trails, learn more about Maya medicinal plants, or to watch a game of Pok Ta Pok, a game played by Maya ancestors for thousands of years.

10 Local Experiences in Belize You Won’t Find in the Guidebooks