The south - The Rough Guide to Belize - page 198

of paintings and crafts by local artists, with a special
emphasis on Garifuna themes and culture. Daily
9am-6pm.
Made In Belize Sidewalk, Placencia Village T 205

5511. Run by local woodcarver Leo, this ramshackle gift
shop, near the Tipsy Tuna on the Sidewalk, holds an
intriguing array of Belizean woodcarvings. Daily

9am-5pm.

Monkey River
A fabulous day-trip by boat from Placencia heads twelve miles southwest along the
coast to Monkey River , teeming with fish, birdlife and howler monkeys . Tours set off by
8am from the Main Dock, and consist of a thirty-minute dash through the waves and
amid the mangrove swamps as far as the rivermouth, followed a leisurely glide up the
river and a walk along forest trails.
Be sure to bring binoculars, as they're essential to make the most of amazing birding
as well as the chance to see turtles, iguanas, crocodiles and howler monkeys. You'll be
glad, too, of insect repellent once you leave your boat and hike into the forest; there
aren't many precautions you can take, however, against the monkeys' unfortunate habit
of attempting to splatter intruders with fresh excrement .
Either before or after your tour, you'll probably stop off in Monkey River Town , the
tiny village at the mouth of the river on its south bank. This was one of the last
communities in Belize to be hooked up to the national electricity grid, in 2009, and it
still has the romantic yet slightly unsettling feel of a frontier outpost. As well as a
handful of restaurants, it also holds a couple of simple accommodation options.
ARRIVAL, TOURS AND ACTIVITIES

6

MONKEY RIVER

By car Most visitors to Monkey River arrive on boat tours
from Placencia, but it's also possible to drive to the river, by
following a 14-mile dirt road that branches off the
Southern Hwy south of Independence. The road ends on
the opposite bank of the river to the village, but just call out
and someone will give you a ride over in a boat.
Tours The best tours from Placencia are run by Monkey
River Magic (US$60 per person, minimum four people;

contact Trip 'n' Travel T 523 3205, W tripntravel.bz), and
led by experienced local guide Evaristo Muschamp. If you
arrive here under your own steam and want to take a tour,
or simply rent a canoe for US$10, contact Clive at the
Sunset Inn ( T 720 2028, W monkeyriverbelize.com).
Fishing Eloy Cuevas, also from the village, is one of the
best fly-fishing guides in Belize; contact him at T 661
2363.

ACCOMMODATION
Enna's Guest House Monkey River Town T 720 2033.
Basic rooms with shared bath, and a pa noramic river view.
Enna's brothers are tour guides. US$25
Sunset Inn Monkey River Town T 720 2028,
W monkeyriverbelize.com. Two-storey wooden building,
set on a tiny bay at the back of the village. Eight simple

rooms, five of which are a/c, with comfortable beds, hot
and cold running water and private showers, plus tasty
Creole food in the dining room (full board US$15 per
person), and a wide veranda overlooking the river. Owner
Clive Garbutt is an ex cellent guide, and also has canoes for
rent. No credit cards. US$30

EATING AND DRINKING
Alice's Restaurant Monkey River Town T 543 3079.
The choice at this simple lunch spot, according to
friendly owner Alice, boils down to rice and beans, or
beans with rice; either will set you back Bz$15, with a

soda thrown in. Daily noon-3pm.
Ivan's Cool Spot Monkey River Town. The nicest bar in the
village, right where the river meets the sea, with tables under
the trees and an open-air thatched shelter. Daily 10am-8pm.

The cayes off Placencia
Any number of idyllic islands are scattered along and around the Barrier Reef , which
stretches parallel to the coast an average of eighteen miles off the Placencia Peninsula.
Boat trips available from Placencia range from a straightforward day on the water up to
a week of camping, fishing, snorkelling or sailing.