Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
village
T
533 7006,
W
tippletree.com.
Comfortable
rooms in a wooden building have private bath, hammocks,
fridge and coffeemaker; one private cabin has a kitchen.
The beautifully kept b
eachsid
e locat
ion ma
kes it well
worth the price. Doubles
US$44
, cabin
US$60
Windschief
On the beach, south of the centre
T
523
7249,
W
windschief.com.
Two cabins, one with a double
bed and the other with two double beds, and both offering
private bath, fridge, coffeemaker and access to the well-
stocked
beach bar.
Windsu
rfing available. Smaller cabin
US$33
, larger cabin
US$49
beautifully landscaped beachfront grounds that also hold
kids' and adult pools. The restaurant, under a huge,
thatched roof overlooking the beach and pool, is highly
rated. There is also a spa and co
ffee shop
, and fr
ee kayak
s
and bikes are available.
Cabañas
US$186
, suites
US$245
Parrot Cove Lodge
South of the road junction, Sittee
Point
T
523 7225,
W
parrotcovelodge.com.
Smaller-
scale adventure resort, offering bright tropical-themed a/c
rooms, plus two larger and more luxurious apartments,
each sleeping up to six, in an imposing two-level beach
house, as well as a
bar and
Chef Rob's ex
cellent re
staurant
(see p.192). Rooms
US$171
, apartments
US$456
6
SITTEE POINT
Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort
Immediately
north of the road junction, Sittee Point
T
533 7073,
W
hamanasi.com.
One of the country's top dive resorts,
with a range of luxuriously appointed beachfront suites
and rooms, plus thirteen opulent “treehouse”
cabañas
,
propped on stilts and set back from the sea amid the
mangrove forest; all have a/c, fans, king- or queen-size
beds, Belizean hardwood furniture, attractive bathrooms
and private porches. Wi-fi is available in the lobby area
only. For divers,
Hamanasi
offers fast modern dive boats
and superb equipment, with tours around the reef and
atolls,
and ther
e's also a program
me of inla
nd adventures.
Room
US$466
, treehouse
cabañas
US$636
Jaguar Reef Lodge
Just south of road junction, Sittee
Point
T
822 3851,
W
jaguarreef.com.
Luxury resort with
large thatched
cabañas
as well as two-bedroom suites in
the modern resort building, all a/c and set within
SOUTH OF HOPKINS
Kanantik Reef and Jungle Resort
Mile 19.2,
Southern Hwy
T
533 7048,
W
kanantik.com.
Reached
via its own side road off the Southern Hwy, which starts
roughly 4 miles south of Maya Centre, this all-inclusive
luxury resort fuses rustic simplicity with sophistication, and
holds 25 elevated
cabañas
with beautiful local furnishings
and elegant conical thatched roofs. With 1300 acres of
beach, jungle, pine forest and wetlands just south of
Sapodilla Lagoon, the area abounds with wildlife, including
jaguars, crocodiles and birds, which can be spotted from
two towers. The meals and service are superb; the pool is
just yards from the sea, and a wide range of guided
activities is available, on land and sea. Most guests arrive
on Maya Island Air flights that land at the resort's own
paved air
strip, but
a pickup from Dangriga can also be
arranged.
US$342
EATING AND DRINKING
Though your choice may be limited outside the tourist season, Hopkins has a good selection of
restaurants
. You'll always
find delicious
Garifuna
and Creole meals, and usually very good seafood. Typical Garifuna dishes
feature fish and
vegetables like yam, plantain, okra and cassava, often served in
sere
, a rich, thick, coconut-milk sauce similar in consistency
to a chowder, accompanied by rice or the Garifuna staple of thin, crispy cassava bread, baked on a metal sheet over an open
fire. Service can be slow at inexpensive places, so be prepared to wait - at least you'll know it's fresh.
musician Andy Palacio (see p.254) played in before he died
in 2008.
9am-9pm; closed Tues.
★
HOPKINS VILLAGE
★
Driftwood Beach Bar & Pizza Shack
At the
northern end of the village on the beach
T
667 4872,
W
driftwoodpizza.com.
Set on a gorgeous strip of sand,
this laidback beach bar serves delicious pizzas (Bz$26-49)
and daily dinner specials, and also hosts regular barbecues,
full moon parties, drumming nights, volleyball games and
jam sessions.
11am-10pm; closed Wed.
King Cassava
At the central junction
T
503 7305.
This
lively, largely open-air bar/restaurant is likely to be the first
building you see in Hopkins, and serves as the social hub of
the village. The kitchen serves Mexican food (BZ$10-16)
and fry-jacks for breakfast, while the bar usually stays open
until midnight, and often puts on live music or drumming
at weekends; this was the last place award-winning
Laruni Hati Beyabu
On the beach, north of the
centre
T
663 0720.
Belizean-owned bar/restaurant with
a beachfront view, serving a broad range of delicious local
foods, from stew chicken or beans and rice to whole grilled
fish, with most dishes priced at around Bz$10. A favourite
among locals.
Daily 10am-9pm.
Sandy Beach Restaurant
On the beach, south end of
village
T
650 9183,
W
sandybeachhopkins.com.
Run by
the Sandy Beach Women's Cooperative, this low-slung
green hut serves all kinds of Garifuna specialities, best
enjoyed on the beach veranda. The menu changes daily,
but look out for dishes like
hudut
, fish cooked in coconut
milk and served atop mashed plantains (Bz$15), and the
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT
WATERFALLS,PUNTA GORDA
P.204
; VESSEL, NIM LI PUNIT
P.212
; GARIFUNA CHILDREN, DANGRIGA
P.178
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