Belize at Your Bidding

on Aug 29, 2026

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By Glenda Winders

Belize was not on our bucket list. My husband and I hadn't thought much about the tiny country that lies just south of Mexico on the Caribbean Sea, and our knowledge about the place we had grown up knowing as British Honduras was sketchy, at best. We didn't realize, for example, that the Massachusetts-sized country had gained its independence from Britain in 1981 and made some changes, which explains the new name and why the national language is English.

When family members bought a villa at a resort there, however, and invited us to come for a visit, how could we resist? During the winter, Belize City is a direct flight from many airline hubs in the United States, which made the prospect even brighter, and a fixed currency exchange rate of 2:1 Belize to American dollars was also attractive.

Once in the country, a short flight or a longer drive could get us anywhere we wanted to go. We opted for the 20-minute flight, which allowed views of terrain like we had never seen before -- swampy plains, jungle-covered mountains and small cayes punctuating a brilliant blue sea.

Just 10 minutes north of the airport, we arrived at the back terrace of our villa and just 75 steps -- we counted -- across brilliant white sand from the gently lapping sea. Agoutis, oversized guinea pig-type coastal critters, scampered among the beach shrubs, and pelicans soared low across the waves.

There is plenty to do in Placencia Peninsula's colorful villages, shops, restaurants and bars, and outdoor activities abound. We could birdwatch some 600 species, enjoy spa treatments, swim, kayak and enjoy sunrise yoga without ever leaving our property, but we had come here to explore, so that's what did. We took some trips on our own and some with the resort's well-trained guides, and those turned out to be much richer than we had expected.

One such guide, Antonio Bolon, accompanied us to Nim Li Punit, an archaeological site that emerges in three distinct sections -- Plaza of the Stelae, famous for the stone slabs that relate earlier history; the "Palace Group" where we found ancient tombs and the Ballcourt where hard rubber balls were thrown and losers were once thought to be ritually sacrificed.

As our van passed a river where several women were doing laundry, I inquired whether this was standard practice. Bolon's response was that most local women -- including his wife -- do their laundry this way, which would account for the colorful washings flapping on lines throughout the country.

He went on to point out the many homes with thatched roofs along the two-lane highway and explained that men built the houses for their brides once they became engaged. He had built such a house for his wife, careful to pick the palm leaves with which to roof it during the full moon so the house would last for a long time.

He told us that the Maya have inhabited this area for thousands of years. Added to that population are the Garifuna, descendants of enslaved African and Indigenous Caribbean people who settled along the coast in the 1800s, and Mestizos, a Maya-Spanish mix. The Creole population resulted from European and African arrivals during the colonial period.

Later he drove us to the Belize Spice Farm and Botanical Gardens. There we climbed aboard a tractor-drawn tram for a trip through gardens filled with fragrant fruits, herbs and flowers. Vanilla, cinnamon, passionfruit and peppercorns were just some of the things we smelled and sampled along the way.

Another day took us to Che'il Chocolatier where we took a small walk in the jungle and watched a farmer harvest the cacao pods and cut them open with a machete. The pulpy seeds within were a new taste sensation, and he explained how they are fermented and dried in the sun. A colleague later demonstrated how the beans become chocolate and encouraged us to grind roasted cacao nibs on a stone that has been in his family for 150 years to make our own rich chocolate.

Nearby Mayan World Destinations offers horseback riding, ATV trails and guided kayaking in rushing rapids, but we went there to enjoy a traditional lunch of stewed chicken with rice and beans at an outdoor cafe at the base of San Antonio Falls. Stone steps lead to a pool at the top of the falls -- and a refreshing swim on a hot day.

The food everywhere here is tasty. The fresh-made salsa and ceviche bought daily at a local vegetable stand, the gourmet meal at the resort's elegant 1981 restaurant and a splurge at Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn were all memorable.

Our trip to Belize barely scratched the surface, and once back home we bought a book titled "100 Things to Do in Belize." Happily, we've been invited back because we still have 95 or so adventures yet to go.

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WHEN YOU GO

Naia Resort and Spa: naiaresortandspa.com

Glenda Winders is a freelance writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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