Drums in the evening, hudut for supper, and the boat to the outer cayes in the morning.
Hopkins is a Garifuna fishing village strung along a long beach, with a mix of small resorts at its southern end. Dangriga, half an hour north, is the largest town on this coast and the place most associated with Garifuna Settlement Day on 19 November.
We put people here for the culture first: a drumming lesson with someone who plays seriously, a hudut supper in someone's kitchen, and evenings that are lively without being staged. Then for what's around it: Cockscomb's trails behind you, and South Water Caye and Glover's ahead.
Drumming
A lesson in Garifuna rhythms with a working drummer, in Hopkins or Dangriga.
Hudut
Fish cooked in coconut broth, eaten with mashed plantain. We'll tell you whose kitchen.
Settlement Day
On 19 November, the arrival of the Garifuna is re-enacted in Dangriga with canoes coming ashore.Check before you travel
Mangrove creeks
Kayaking Sittee River and the creeks behind the village for birds.
Cockscomb
The jaguar reserve's trails and waterfall are about half an hour inland.Check before you travel
UNESCO heritage
Garifuna language, dance and music were proclaimed part of humanity's oral and intangible heritage in 2001.Check before you travel
Boat and flight times are ranges and depend on the weather and the operator. How we get around
We choose places to stay for the setting, the people running them, and how they fit your plans.
Sandflies can be fierce on this coast when the wind drops, especially in the early evening. Bring repellent and long sleeves, and choose a room that catches the breeze.
Garifuna culture is lived, not performed. We arrange lessons and meals with people who want to host them, and we ask you to ask before photographing anyone.
A long, thin peninsula with a lagoon on one side, the sea on the other, and whale sharks in spring.
The far south: rivers, cacao farms, villages, and the most remote cayes in Belize.