Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Commerce Street
to the north. That can seem somewhat rundown and intimidating at
first glance, but it's well worth taking the time to stroll around, and soak up the
relaxed, friendly atmosphere.
The one major landmark is the bronze
“Drums of Our Fathers” monument
, on the
roundabout where the highway reaches the southern end of town - a tribute by
Nigerian artist Stephen Okeke to the centrality of drumming in Garifuna culture.
Otherwise, be on the lookout for the fine
crafts
on sale in the local shops, including
distinctive basketware, woven palm-leaf hats and Garifuna dolls.
Thanks to the reef a few miles offshore, the sea is so calm at Dangriga that gentle
lawns reach all the way to the waterfront. There's little
beach
to speak of, however.
Only the
Pelican Beach Resort
at the north end of town comes at all close to matching
the beach hotels of Hopkins and Placencia, further south, so travellers keen to
sunbathe and swim seldom stick around for long. Instead Dangriga serves primarily as
an overnight base for trips out to the cayes, and in particular Tobacco Caye (see p.184)
and South Water Caye (see p.184).
6
Gulusi Garifuna Museum
Chuluhadiwa Park, Stann Creek Valley Rd • Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 8am-noon • Bz$10 •
T
669 0639,
W
ngcbelize.org
For anyone interested in the Garifuna people of Belize (see box opposite), the
Gulusi
Garifuna Museum
makes an essential port of call. Almost the first building that you see as
you approach Dangriga from inland, alongside a new primary school 1.5 miles short of the
sea, it's filled with fascinating exhibits on Garifuna history and culture. Maps and display
panels trace the migration of the Garifuna from St Vincent to Roatán and on to Belize,
while artwork, clothing, food and music helps to illustrate their ongoing traditions.
Pen Cayetano Studio Gallery
3 Aranda Crescent off Ecumenical Drive • Bz$5 •
T
628 6807,
W
cayetano.de
Part art gallery, part performance space, the
Pen Cayetano Studio Gallery
celebrates the
work of Garifuna artist/musician Pen Cayetano, who was awarded an MBE by the
British government in 2012. His striking deep-coloured oil paintings, which include
numerous portraits, explore themes from Garifuna culture and Belize in general, and
he's also renowned as the originator of
punta rock
, a calypso-tinged musical genre
popularized by the Turtle Shell Band from 1979 onwards. School groups flock through
the compound for drumming lessons and demonstrations, and you can also admire
artworks by Pen's German-born wife Ingrid and their daughter Mali.
Marie Sharp's Factory
8 miles northwest of Dangriga at 1 Melinda Rd, Melinda • Mon-Fri 7am-4pm • Free •
T
532 2087,
W
mariesharps-bz.com
A delicious and much-loved dinner-table staple throughout and even beyond Belize,
GARIFUNA SETTLEMENT DAY
Dangriga's musical traditions play an important role in the most important local celebration,
Garifuna Settlement Day
, on November 19. Packed with expatriate Dangrigans returning to
their roots, the town erupts into wild celebration. The party begins the evening before, with
drumming, sound systems and punta
dancing all night. In the morning there's a re-enactment
of the original arrival of the Garifuna from Honduras, with people landing on the beach in
dugout canoes decorated with palm leaves.
Similar exuberance goes into Christmas and New Year, when you might see the
wanaragu
or
Jonkunu
(John Canoe) dances, with
masked and costumed performers
representing a cast
of eighteenth-century naval of
cers and Amerindian tribal chiefs.
