Best Places to Eat ¨ Rumfish (p215)

¨ Jungle Farm Restaurant (p227)

¨ Mojo Lounge & Bartique (p215)

¨ Loggerheads Pub & Grill (p204)

¨ Chef Rob’s (p204)

Best Places to Sleep

¨Belcampo Belize (p226)

Thatch Caye Resort (p197)

¨Maya Beach Hotel (p213)

¨ Coconut Row (p201)

¨ Tobacco Caye Paradise (p196)

Southern BelizeWhy Go?Southern Belize is the country’s most absorbing cultural melting pot, with a strong Garifuna influence around Dan-griga and Hopkins, and Belize’s largest Maya population down in Toledo. Nature is rich here too, where open savan-nah and citrus-filled farmland give way to forested hills dotted with Maya villages and ruins.

Adventurers will find no shortage of opportunities to get off the beaten path in Toledo’s jungles. Trekkers with deep pockets can choose from a number of five-star jungle lodges tucked away in remote corners, or you could stay at local guesthouses in the small villages and communities of the Deep South.

Then there’s the beaches of villagey Hopkins and chilled-out Placencia, with opportunities for diving, fishing and slacking. The south also has an alluring string of offshore cays all boasting stunning coral reefs, where snorkeling, boating and diving enthusiasts can experience Belize’s nau-tical wonders while avoiding the crowds (and the signifi-cantly higher price tags) of the Northern Cayes.

When to Go ¨Dec–Apr Rainfall ends and weather is at its mildest.

¨May–Jul Shoulder season sees fewer tourists and you can eat lobster starting June 15.

¨Aug–Sep Dog days of summer, with hot weather, occasional showers and bargains galore.

Includes ¨ Dangriga . . . . . . . . . . .190Mayflower Bocawina National Park . . . . . . .195Central Cayes . . . . . . .195Hopkins . . . . . . . . . . . .199Sittee Point . . . . . . . . 203Maya Center . . . . . . . 205Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary . . 206Placencia . . . . . . . . . . 208Punta Gorda . . . . . . . .218

Honduras (2mi)Puerto Cortés,

Guatemala (10mi)Puerto Barrios,

Guatemala (3mi)Lívingston,

S E A

Gulf ofHonduras

C A R I B B E A N

BayAmatique

eizBel

Sittee River

erR iv

Macal

River

Chiquibul

Branch

River

Moho

River

DISTRICTSTANN CREEK

BELIZEDISTRICT

CAYODISTRICT

TOLEDODISTRICT

Barranco

San Miguel

Indian Creek

Manatee

Silk Grass

Sittee Point

MéndezModesto

BankRed

Gales Point

La Democracia

Maya CenterSittee River

DANGRIGA

SeineBight

Big Creek

Mango Creek Independence

RiverMonkey

Big Falls

BlueSanta Cruz

San PedroColumbia

Creek

San Antonio

Punta Gorda

BELMOPAN

88º30'W89º00'W

88º30'W89º00'W

16º00'N

16º30'N

17º00'N

Nim Li Punit

Lubaantun

National ParkRio Blanco

Caye National ParkLaughing Bird

ReserveMarine

Water CayeSouth

ReserveMarine

Port Honduras

Marine ReserveSapodilla Cayes

Forest ReserveColumbia River

ReserveNatureBladen

ReserveForest

Nature ReserveTapir Mountain

ReserveForestVaca

National ParkEligio Panti

Nojkaaxmeen

Forest ReservePine RidgeMountain

ReserveArchaeologicalCaracol

ParkNational

Chiquibul

Chiquibul

PaynesCreek

ParkNational

Temash-SarstoonNational Park

ai nsoun

aM

ayM

t

16º00'N

16º30'N

17º00'N

Northern

SouthernLagoon

Lagoon

CayeWaterSouth

TobaccoCaye

PompionCaye

RanguanaCaye

SnakeCayes

SilkCayes

HuntingCaye

StannCreek

North

GU

ATE

MA

LA

Forest ReserveMango Creek

Forest ReserveMango Creek

Forest ReserveSwasey Bladen

ReserveForest

Deep River

Forest ReserveMaya Mountain

MonumentPeak Natural

VictoriaForest Reserve

Sittee River

National ParkBlue Hole

ReserveSibun Forest

ReserveForest

Manatee

(3675ft)Victoria Peak

(3687ft)DelightDoyle's

PlateauVaca

stal (Man

at

bird

Hwyernts

We

Hwy

Sout

hern

Hwy

Hw

yee)

Coa

Humming

ReefGlover's

Caye

SouthDeep

SanctuaryBasin Wildlife

Cockscomb

Thatch

National ParkBocawinaMayflower

Hopkins

Placencia

10 miles020 km0

South

ern Belize

South

ern Belize G

South

ern Belize B

eliz

e HiG

HliG

Ht

S189

Honduras (2mi)Puerto Cortés,

Guatemala (10mi)Puerto Barrios,

Guatemala (3mi)Lívingston,

S E A

Gulf ofHonduras

C A R I B B E A N

BayAmatique

eizBel

Sittee River

erR iv

Macal

River

Chiquibul

Branch

River

Moho

River

DISTRICTSTANN CREEK

BELIZEDISTRICT

CAYODISTRICT

TOLEDODISTRICT

Barranco

San Miguel

Indian Creek

Manatee

Silk Grass

Sittee Point

MéndezModesto

BankRed

Gales Point

La Democracia

Maya CenterSittee River

DANGRIGA

SeineBight

Big Creek

Mango Creek Independence

RiverMonkey

Big Falls

BlueSanta Cruz

San PedroColumbia

Creek

San Antonio

Punta Gorda

BELMOPAN

88º30'W89º00'W

88º30'W89º00'W

16º00'N

16º30'N

17º00'N

Nim Li Punit

Lubaantun

National ParkRio Blanco

Caye National ParkLaughing Bird

ReserveMarine

Water CayeSouth

ReserveMarine

Port Honduras

Marine ReserveSapodilla Cayes

Forest ReserveColumbia River

ReserveNatureBladen

ReserveForest

Nature ReserveTapir Mountain

ReserveForestVaca

National ParkEligio Panti

Nojkaaxmeen

Forest ReservePine RidgeMountain

ReserveArchaeologicalCaracol

ParkNational

Chiquibul

Chiquibul

PaynesCreek

ParkNational

Temash-SarstoonNational Park

ai nsoun

aM

ayM

t

16º00'N

16º30'N

17º00'N

Northern

SouthernLagoon

Lagoon

CayeWaterSouth

TobaccoCaye

PompionCaye

RanguanaCaye

SnakeCayes

SilkCayes

HuntingCaye

StannCreek

North

GU

ATE

MA

LA

Forest ReserveMango Creek

Forest ReserveMango Creek

Forest ReserveSwasey Bladen

ReserveForest

Deep River

Forest ReserveMaya Mountain

MonumentPeak Natural

VictoriaForest Reserve

Sittee River

National ParkBlue Hole

ReserveSibun Forest

ReserveForest

Manatee

(3675ft)Victoria Peak

(3687ft)DelightDoyle's

PlateauVaca

stal (Man

at

bird

Hwyernts

We

Hwy

Sout

hern

Hwy

Hw

yee)

Coa

Humming

ReefGlover's

Caye

SouthDeep

SanctuaryBasin Wildlife

Cockscomb

Thatch

National ParkBocawinaMayflower

Hopkins

Placencia

10 miles020 km0

1 Placencia (p208) eating, drinking, slacking and snorkeling at the mainland ‘cay you can drive to’ .

2 Mayflower Bocawina National Park (p195) Hiking, zip-lining and waterfall rappelling in the jungle .

3 Thatch Caye (p197) living like a posh castaway on

this idyllic eco island resort .

4 Deep South (p217) immersing yourself in the Maya culture and chocolate-making in remote toledo District .

5 Hopkins (p199) listening to Garifuna drumming under the full moon in this laid-back beach village .

6 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (p206) Mountain-biking or jaguar-spotting on the trails with a Maya guide .

7 Glover’s Reef Atoll (p198) Kayaking and diving at this wonderfully remote atoll .

Southern Belize Highlights