Stann Creek District

The journey in by road on the Hummingbird Highway, with breathtaking vistas of the rainforests and the Maya Mountains, takes you all the way into culture rich Dangriga, historic home of the Garifuna people. Opportunity for marine adventure abounds with the nearby coral reef, cayes and coastal villages, while the Cockscomb Basin bears witness to Belize's lush broadleaf tropical forests that are home to countless species of plants and animals. Stann Creek is ideal for its accessibility to a huge variety of Belizean discovery destinations both inland and out in the sparkling blue waters of the Caribbean.

Dangriga is the adminstrative town of the Stann Creek District which is known as the Citrus and Banana capital of Belize. Shrimp farming is now becoming popular in this area due to its low swamp areas along the sea. Even though Dangriga is not considered a tourist destination it is a jumping point for divers and fishermen enroute to the southern cayes. Dangriga is also a nice hub for those visiting the Jaguar Preserve. The only tourist you will find in Dangriga are those that appreciate culture. The people of Dangriga are Garifunas a mixutre of Arawaks Indians and Africans they have their own dialect and costums. Recently their music has been becoming popular and can be heard at the local discos. Punta their cultural dance has also become popular, it is a dance that requires a lot of hip movement. Dangriga is also home of Belize's world famous hot sauce "Marie Sharpe Hot Sauce".

Along the southern shoreline, Hopkins Village boasts magnificent stretches of beach randomly broken by pristine jungle rivers flowing down from the hills. To the east are the barrier reef and dozens of unspoiled cayes with names such as Man-o-War, Tobacco, Coco Plum and South Water resting atop Caribbean waters. West lies verdant rainforests and the Maya Mountains with 3,675-foot Victoria Peak soaring through the clouds. In the midst of all this natural phenomena lies Dangriga, the cultural center of Garinagu (also known as Garifuna and Caribs) people. Just follow the Southern Highway, turn west at the sign and proceed until you dead-end at a magnificent stretch of beach to get to the Hopkins and Sittee River area. The beach parallels the coastline for miles until interrupted by the Sittee River to the south. Don't be fooled by the area's sleepy appearance. You'll find plenty of exciting inland and offshore adventures nearby.

Located 10 miles east of Dangriga on the barrier reef is a pristine five-acre island with some of the country's best diving only five minutes away. Tobacco Caye, also renowned for excellent shore diving, snorkeling and world-class fly-fishing, is on the northern tip of the south Water Cay Marine Reserve. Fly fishermen take note: schools of tarpon consistently swim in the Tobacco Caye Channel from April through November. Permit and bonefish are nearby. Perhaps Belize's most idyllic inhabited caye is South Water Caye, less than an hour by boat from Dangriga. This amazing 15-acre coral island rests atop the barrier reef. Drop-off diving is practically within swimming distance. Rarely visited by large groups of divers are Black Beauty and Silverside, two standout wall sites near South Water Caye. At night the stars look three-dimensional. It's heavenly. Visitors are lulled to sleep by waves crashing onto the sugar-white beaches at their doorstep.